1. Fall 2015: E325 Social Studies K-3 LP Template
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Unit: Navajo Nation Economy
Lesson Plan Topic: Agriculture - Sheep
Aim Question: How are sheep an integral part of the local economy?
Primary Subject Area and Grade Level: List the primary content area for this lesson.
Social Studies
2nd Grade
Interdisciplinary Connections: Provide a listing of the subject area(s), in addition to the primary subject area that is incorporated in this
lesson.
Writing, Speaking/Listening, and Science
Lesson Duration: State the approximate time frame for this lesson.
80 minutes
Relevance/Rationale: Consider how your outcomes and plan will engage students cognitively and build understanding. Why are the lesson
outcomes important in the real world? How is this lesson relevant to students in this class (interests, cultural heritages, needs)?
Sheep are an integral part of Navajo traditional and contemporary agriculture. Agriculture is one of the largestsectors in
the Navajo Nation’s economy and many children are familiar with local farmers. Children need to understand the
economic impactthat sheep have in this community and the symbolic nature ofsheep in traditional and contemporary
Navajo culture.
Outcomes/Objectives: What will students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson? Outcomes should be written in the form of
student learning and suggest viable methods of assessment. For teachers of English language learners: What language objectives will be
addressed?
After completing this activity, children will be able to:
 Formulate at least one question for the guestspeaker within groups offour.
 Describe two ways in which sheep are used in Navajo culture.
 Write a 5 sentence response aboutwhat they learned aboutsheep.
Content Standard(s) and/or Common Core Learning Standard(s):
These are from the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards.
Social Studies
 Strand 4: Geography, Concept5: Environmentand Society PO 1: Identify ways (e.g., agriculture, structures,
roads) in which humans depend upon, adaptto, and impactthe earth.
Writing
 2.W.8 Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided sources to answer a question.
 2.W.2 Write informative/explanatory texts in which they introduce a topic, use facts and definitions to develop
points, and provide a concluding statementor section.
Speaking/Listening
 2.SL.3 Ask and answer questions aboutwhat a speaker says in order to clarify comprehension, gather additional
information, or deepen understanding ofa topic or issue.

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Science
 Strand 1: Inquiry Process, Concept1: Observations, Questions,and Hypotheses,PO 1: Formulate relevant
questions aboutthe properties ofobjects, organisms, and events in the environment.
 Strand 4: Life Science, Concept2: Life Cycles, PO 2: Describe the life cycles ofvarious mammals.
Use of Formative Assessment to Inform Planning:Describe your student’s current levels of understanding of the content related to
the outcome for this lesson. What are some of the indicators that let you know that these outcomes and the lesson activities represent the
appropriate amount of cognitive challenge for all students?
In a previous lesson, children surveyed locals and determined thatmany work in the field ofagriculture. In the survey,
many children found that most farmers raised livestock. The children showed interestin learning more aboutlivestock ,
especially sheep. Ichose to bring in someone who raises sheep, because sheep are culturally symbolic in traditional and
contemporary Navajo culture.
Class Information: Describe any unique characteristics of the class (considerations may include: special needs, language levels, learning
styles, etc.). Describe how other adults (paraprofessionals, volunteers, co-teachers, resource teachers, etc.) will support student learning, if
applicable. Also include any other circumstances an observer should know about.
ELLs: Several children in the classroom are English Language Learners. These children may require more one -on-one
attention while writing and may need sentence starters to help them write complete sentences.
Adults: One guestspeaker will be visiting the classroom. This is the first time this speaker will be visiting. She is expected
to share her knowledge ofthe care/raising ofsheep and the historical and contemporary importance ofsheep in Navajo
culture.
Overview: Provide a brief overview of the lesson. The overview should provide the observer with a description of the lesson’s content and how
it relates to the larger unit. Include prerequisite knowledge required to meet lesson outcomes and relationship to future learning.
In this lesson, children will learn aboutthe importance ofsheep as economic and cultural goods, how environmental
factors can affect the sheep, and how sheep can affectthe environment, such as over-grazing. This will help children
understand that humans and animals can adversely affectone another, even when they are deeply dependenton one
another.
Technologies and Other Materials /Resources: List all materials, handouts, resources, and technology tools that are needed by the
student or the teacher to execute the lesson. Technologies may include hardware, software, and websites, etc. Materials and resources may
include physical resources (e.g. books, manipulatives, supplies, equipment, etc.) and/or people resources (e.g. guest speakers, librarian, etc.).
 Chart paper
 Markers
 Story Paper
 Pencils
 SMART Board
 Projector
 Dry Erase Board
 Dry Erase Markers
 Colored Pencils
 Crayons
 Go Noodle Account
 Guest Speaker: Cultural Experton Sheep
Grouping Strategy: Describe how you will group students to facilitate learning of the outcomes of this lesson. What is the rationale for the
grouping strategy?

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Launch/Main Activity Parts 1 & 2: Children will be seated on the whole group rug near the SMART Board and dry erase
board. Children will be able to share their ideas and questions with the whole group, groups of4, and with partners. Each
child’s ideas will be heard and valued.
Main Activity Part 3/Closing: Children will be seated atdesks to complete their writing assignmentindividually. Once
their writing assignmentis complete, they children will have the opportunity to share their writing with a partner. This
arrangement allows for children to focus while writing and then gives these young authors an opportunity to “publish” their
work by sharing it with a classmate.
Academic Vocabulary: What key terms are essential to this content? What terms are essential to develop and extend students vocabulary?
Economy – the production, distribution or trade, and consumption oflimited goods and services by differentagents in a
given geographical location
Flock – group ofsheep
Ewe – an adult female sheep
Lamb – baby sheep
Ram – a male sheep
Shears – a cutting instrument in which two blades move pasteach other, like scissors buttypically larger.
Lesson Procedures: The procedures should clearly describe the sequence of learning activities and should identify where and how all
materials, technology tools and student-created technology products, and reproducible materials/handouts are utilized in the lesson. Describe the
lesson sequence:
 How will the lesson launch?
 How will the material be presented?
 What questions will be posed to the students? What are the expected responses?
 How and when will the teacher model?
 What opportunities will there be for guided practice, group work and individual practice?
 How and when will you monitor student understanding throughout the lesson?
 What opportunities will there be for reflection and closure?
Include approximate time allocations for each portion of the lesson. Be very precise when explaining the teacher and student tasks during the
learning activities.
Launch (5 min.) – Whole group, floor seating, children seated in groups of4
 Ask children to recall what kind ofanimal they wanted to learn more about(sheep)
 Create a KWL chart on large chart paper
 Lead children in a sharing discussion aboutwhat they already know about sheep
 Ask children what they would like to know more aboutsheep
o Each group is expected to formulate at least one question they want to investigate
Main Activity ( 70 min.) – Whole group, floor seating
Part 1 (30 min.)
 Introduce local cultural expert/guestspeaker who will be talking to the children aboutsheep
o The expectation is that this speaker has been briefed to bring in supplies related to the care/raising of
sheep and sheep products (Ex. Wool products); this expertis also expected to know traditional and
contemporary uses ofsheep in Navajo culture
 Guide discussion with the following prompts:
o What do you have to do to take care ofyour flock? (Ex. Food, healthcare, shelter, water, etc.)
o What are some things that affect the sheep? (Ex. Weather, over-grazing, etc.)

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o How has the Gold King mine spill affected the sheep? Could you explain?
o What do sheep provide to the community? (Ex. Wool, food, etc.)
 Children will ask questions from the KWL chart to the guestspeaker
o Each group is expected to ask the question they formulated
 Record importantfacts to revisitonce speaker is done presenting
 Thank speaker for sharing information and dismiss speaker
Part 2 (20 min.)
 BRAIN BREAK – 2 min. song from Go Noodle played on SMARTBoard
 Lead children in discussion aboutwhat they learned aboutthe sheep
o Partner share and then whole group sharing
o Partner share: What are 2 ways in which sheep are important to Navajo culture?
 Write what they learned in the L column of the KWL chart
o What are ways in which sheep are importantto Navajo culture?
o What are ways in which sheep are importantto the local economy?
 Tell children that they will be writing a response to their experience
 Brainstorm a list ofspecial sheep words with the class that children may want to use and write these on the dry
erase board for children to reference as they write (Ex. Ewe, wool, lamb, shears, etc.)
 Demonstrate how to write a response aboutsheep by modeling how to write 5 sentences aboutthe experience
on the SMART Board
o Reference the word list verbally
 Explain to children that they will also draw a picture aboutwhat they learned once they are finished writing
o Draw a rough sketch
Part 3 (20 min.) – Individual, desk seating
 Children will transition to desks – story paper will already be ateach seat
 Children will verbalize their 5 sentences to their seatpartner 2 times before they begin writing
 Drift around the room and help children write their 5 sentences
Closing (5 min.)
 Children will share their writing with a seatpartner
Differentiation: Describe how you will differentiate instruction for a variety of learners, including students will special needs, English Language
Learners, and high achieving students to ensure that all students have access to and are able to engage appropriately in this lesson. Be specific.
Gear Up: Encourage higher-level writers to use new vocabulary words in their sentences and to label their pictures.
Gear Down: Provide sentence-starters to ELLs to help them write full sentences.
Ex. I learned that sheep eat____; Sheep need ____ to survive; Sheep are importantto Diné culture because
_____.
Assessment Criteria for Success:
 How and when will you assess student learning throughout the lesson (formative)?
 How will you and your students know if they have successfully met the outcomes?
 What is the criteria for mastery of the lesson outcome(s)?
 Describe any (formative and summative) assessments to be used.
Assessment During Lesson (formative):
 Listen to children as they formulate questions within a group of4
o Be sure each child is contributing
o Have each group share at leastone question to ask (Obj. 1)
o Have each group ask their question(s) to the guestspeaker

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 Listen to children’s discussions during partner sharing aboutthe two ways sheep are used in Navajo culture
o Were children able to listtwo ways? (Obj. 2)
o Were they able to describe whatthese meant?
 Gather anecdotal notes aboutwhat children say, so that these ideas can be referenced in the modeled writing
sample
Assessment Post Lesson (summative):
 Collecteveryone’s writing samples
o Was every child able to write 5 sentences aboutwhat they learned aboutsheep? (Obj. 3)
o Did children incorporate new vocabulary into their writing?
Extension of the Lesson: Describe the sequence of learning tasks that should follow this lesson.
 Children will create a class book aboutsheep
 A field trip to the guestspeaker’s farm
Anticipated Difficulties: What difficulties or possible misunderstanding do you anticipate that students may encounter? How will you
prevent them from occurring?
Discussion: Children may feel shy aboutasking questions to the speaker. Model this behavior by asking atleastone of
the question prompts atthe beginning ofthe discussion.
Behavior Management: The children will likely become antsy after having to sit for such a long period oftime, so a brain
break has been added to the lesson.
Reflections: List at least three questions you will ask yourself after the lesson is taught.
 Did the children and I interact meaningfully with the guestspeaker?
 Did I meetthe needs ofall learners in my classroom during this lesson?
 Was this lesson meaningful, active, value-based, integrative, and challenging?