Teacher Candidate: Kathryn West

Date: 9/22/15
School: Dunbar Middle School
Grade/Subject: 8th grade West Virginia History
Lesson Topic: Early Explorers in Western Virginia CH. 8 Section 1

INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES/ STUDENT OUTCOMES

Students will identify the key people that were involved with the early exploration of Western
Virginia.
Students will discuss how explorers viewed the new world they were exploring for the first time.
WV CSOs
SS.8.H.CL1.2 - summarize the history of European exploration and settlement in western
Virginia from the first endeavor of John Lederer through the settlement period including Morgan
Morgan and other important explorers and settlers.
NATIONAL STANDARDS
II.Time, Continuity, & Change.e. - demonstrate an understanding that people in different times
and places view the world differently
MANAGEMENT FRAMEWORK
Overall Time - 50 minute lesson
Time Frame 10 min- current event writing
30 min- discuss section 1 and take notes on key points
10 min- Kahoot review game
STRATEGIES
Teacher led discussion with notes
Student online activity
DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION/ ADAPTATIONS/ INTERVENTIONS
Uses of technology (iPads) for students to highlight notes and copy them into a document to
study with.
In 2nd period, the aid is there for extra help with the struggling students in that class.
PROCEDURES

Introduction/ Lesson

Ask students if they know any of the early explores in Western Virginia
Have students get out books or iPads and open to the section

Body & Transitions

(Use smartboard to bring up text book for students to follow along)

Pick out the important ideas from each part of the section and tell students exactly what
they need to know
Begin with explaining where the first explorers came from
Talk about the name important explorers
Hit on the key terms as they appear in the text

Closure Review

Play Kahoot game as a review (students will use iPads or classroom laptops)
https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/06f0b0f7-8bc3-4fe3-aaa9-fa0a82a5ad9e

ASSESSMENT
Diagnostic: Ask and discuss with students what they know about early explorers in Western
Virginia
Formative: Will walk around the class as students are taking notes.
Summative: Use Kahoot game to see what the students absorbed from the lesson. Use data from
Kahoot game to see what information the student might need retaught. The students can then do
the end of section review for extra help with learning the important parts of the section.
MATERIALS
Smartboard
iPads or classroom laptops
Textbooks
EXTENTED ACTIVITIES
If Student Finishes Early
Move on to Kahoot game. If this finishes early, do other West Virginia Kahoot games.
If Lesson Finishes Early
Have students pick an explorer and write a paragraph about why that explorer is important.
If Technology Fails
Have students make 5 questions test questions that could possibly be used on the end of chapter
test.

POST-TEACHING
Reflections
I taught this lesson to 2nd and 3rd periods on October 7, 2015. These two classes are very different
classes and each class was different to teach. First I taught 2nd period. They are an inclusion class
and they have an aide that comes in and helps extra with the 8 students that need extra help. This
class will participate pretty well with activities. When I started teaching this lesson, I told the
students that they could use their iPads to take notes but if I caught them playing a game, they
would not be able to use them and have to use pen and paper. The students, from what I saw,
stayed on task and did what I asked them to do. At the end of the lesson we played a Kahoot
game. The students were so excited to do something other than worksheets, which is what they
mostly do in that class. I explained the rules and told them that they needed to be respectful
during the game. The students loved it. They had so much fun with the game and that made me
feel good as a teacher. They were also answering most of the questions correctly, which made me
feel like I had done my job during teaching them.
When it came time to teach 3rd period, things pretty much went the same way. This class is a bit
more talkative, so I had to tell them to be quite more often than the other class. They seemed to
take notes well like the first class and they were all excited to play Kahoot. They did well with
the game and we actually got done a bit early, so I pulled up a Kahoot game that was just on
general West Virginia history. Mr. Johnson played with the students and they were determined to
beat him in the game which I feel made them try harder with the game.
I feel that the lessons went very well. I feel that the students were very respectful, a bit talkative,
but they listened to what I had to say. They followed my rules when it came to the game and

when I told them to quiet down, they did. The aide in 2nd period told me that the students she
helped with were excited that we were doing something different than what they usually do. I
also had a student ask me when I was going to teach again because they felt like I actually taught
them instead of just giving a worksheet to do.
I learned from this lesson that when I go over notes, sometimes I need to slow down depending
on the student I have in the class at the time and sometimes I need to write things on the board so
they know exactly what I want them to have in their notes. But overall, I feel very good about the
lesson.