Overview:
The purpose of our three mini plans was to cover specific learning objectives (SLO’s) in the
Social Studies Program of Study for Grade 2 (Education Alberta, 2005). The SLO’s we focused on
were SLO 2.1.2 (investigate the physical geography of an Inuit community) and SLO 2.1.3
(investigate the physical geography of an Inuit community). We created our learning objectives from
key points in the SLO’s focusing on the capital city of Nunavut, Iqaluit). Our first lesson plan focused
on geography and climate, our second lesson plan focused on daily life and history, and our third
lesson plan was based on culture and traditions. Our main goal of our learning objectives was to build
our lesson plans around these objectives to ensure we were meeting the key points in our SLO’s.
We had to make a few assumptions for these lesson plans. The first assumption is that these
lesson plans built off of previous classes where we did similar discussions about Lethbridge, AB and
Meteghan, NS. The other assumption we made when developing our summative assessment is that
we had other lessons in which we covered the main points in the specific learning objectives (SLO)
We aimed to keep our teaching strategies simple, informative and interactive for a grade 2
learning level. We incorporated a variety teaching strategies into our lessons: videos, class
learning. We wanted to use a variety of teaching strategies to keep the students engaged during class.
We ensured our strategies would accommodate different learning styles among students. For
example, we had used videos for visual learners, we used a storybook for visual and auditory learners,
Janae Haslam
Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
we used partner and group work for peer support, and class discussion for those who struggle with
We used formative assessments during our three mini lesson plans to ensure the
students were meeting our learning objectives. For example, in lesson plan one we have multiple
class discussions and discussions with partners so as a teacher we can grasp who is struggling with the
concepts and who has learned the material and are meeting the learning objectives. We also have
worksheets created for lessons one and two for another assessment tool to assess our learning
Rationale:
Our lesson plans were created with the students in mind. As previously mentioned, we
wanted to ensure we had a variety of teaching strategies aimed toward grade two students. We
minimized the amount of reading and writing they had to do independently in order to have
construct validity in our assessments. Our summative assignment was created so that students could
have a choice in modality and group work, to accommodate all type of learners. The summative
assessment was also created so that we could get a final assessment (on top of all our formative
assessments) to ensure that the students had learned lots about Iqaluit to meet the SLO
requirements.
Janae Haslam
Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
DESIRED RESULTS
Specific 2.1.2:
Outcome(s) What are the major geographical regions, landforms and bodies of water in each community?
What are the main differences in climate among these communities?
Benchmark Skill:
create and use a simple map to locate communities studied in the world
Learning Students will describe the geographical layout of the Inuit community Iqaluit.
Objective 1
Learning Students compare the climate of the Inuit community Iqaluit with the climate in
Objective 2 their community.
Resource #1: Alberta Education (2005). Social Studies Grade 2. Retrieved from
http://www.learnalberta.ca/ProgramOfStudy.aspx?lang=en&ProgramId=564423#549845
Resource #2: Education Canada. (2005). Many Voices: Alberta Social Studies Many Voices Grade 2. Pg. 39-
76
Resource #3: Education Canada (2005). Many Voices: Communities in Canada - Looking at Places. Grade
2. Pg. 10
PROCEDURE
Introduction (7 min.):
Hand Clap Pattern (TA, TA, TI, TI, TI) to get attention: Greet Assessment
class Formative Assessment 1A -
Review Agenda: Observe students’ speculation
o Map Review to where Iqaluit is located and
o Video & Discussion what techniques or past
o Poster Project knowledge they use to choose a
o Closure Talk location for Iqaluit.
(Learning Objective 3)
Introduction to Iqaluit:
o “Today we are going to learn about a place called
Iqaluit. Who has ever heard of Iqaluit”?
o Display a large map of Canada without City names on Smart
Board.
o “I need 5 helpers. Don’t come up until I tell you to.” Draw 5
random students using popsicle sticks.
o Call each of the 5 helpers one-by-one to come put a dot on
the Smart Board where they think Iqaluit is
located. Students must give a short explanation of their
choice.
o 5 More students are drawn at random and told this time
which territory Iqaluit is located (Nunavut)
o Knowing the territory each of these 5 Students will draw a
dot on the Smart Board (Map) of where they think Iqaluit is
located once again explaining their choice.
o Identify the correct location of Iqaluit
Ask the following inference questions for students:
o What do you think the land in and around Iqaluit looks like Formative Assessment 1B-
(Flat, hilly, mountainous)? Observe students answers to
o What do you think the ground is made out of? (Rocks, sand, inference questions and their
marshy etc.) reasoning for those answers to
o What about water sources? (rivers, lakes, bays, oceans?) identify inference abilities and
Summary of Introduction past knowledge.
o We have now guessed the following facts about Iqaluit’s (Learning Objective 1)
geography. (Write all the hypotheses on the board
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Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
Body (20 min.):
Formative & Summative Assessments, Key Content Areas, Game/Activity Rules & Expectations, Specific Learner Considerations: Transitions
Wrap - up: Use popsicle sticks to randomly select students for wrap- Assessment
up questions. Formative Assessment 1D
o “What did you learn today that surprised you about Iqaluit?” - During short discussion
o “Would you like to live in Iqaluit? Why or why not” observe students ability to recall
o “Is there anything else that you would like to learn about information on Iqaluit’s
Iqaluit before you decided if you wanted to live there?” geography and climate. (See
o “Today we learned that the geography of Iqaluit is rocky and questions in Lesson section to
the climate has 2 seasons. It is very cold in the winter and ask students) (Learning objective 1
very little sunlight. It is sunny all summer (hardly any & 2)
darkness) and it feels like our springtime.”
o “Tomorrow we are going to learn about history and the way
of life in Iqaluit”.
Sponge Exercise
Have students draw picture of what they think Iqaluit would look like
If movie doesn’t work use “Many voices” resources (see above) to have students look at pictures and
discuss with their elbow partner what they find about Iqaluit’s landforms.
Janae Haslam
Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
See specific questions in the lesson plan details to lead discussion with students.
Use either popsicle sticks (no-hands-up rule) or partner discussion techniques to properly assess students’
1A
Formatively assessing students’ inference techniques and map reading: In the program of studies for
grade 2 social studies, one of the benchmark skills students need to develop is an ability to use a simple
o Follow Lesson plan details and questions to ensure that students are providing reasons for their
1B
Formatively assess students’ previous knowledge of Iqaluit: The purpose of this formative discussion is
to assess how much the students already know about the geography and climate of Iqaluit. The students’
answers will guide how to teach the geography and climate portion of this lesson plan. For example, do we
need to go in depth because the students’ knowledge is limited or do we need to treat the lesson as more of
a review. Is there a student who has been to Iqaluit and can share a first-hand experience? (It is assumed
1C
Formatively assess if students listened during the video and their ability to compare the video to their
predictions of Iqaluit. Questions are listed in the lesson plan. Use elbow buddies for this assessment to
1D
Formatively assess what students learned and could recall during lesson and poster. With this
classroom discussion formatively assess if the students properly learned the information on geography and
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Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
climate. (see questions in lesson plan)
Janae Haslam
Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
DESIRED RESULTS
General Outcome(s) Students will demonstrate an understanding and appreciation of how geography,
culture, language, heritage, economics and resources shape and change Canada's
communities.
Learning Objective 1 Students will reflect on how the legend of Kunikdjuaq (in “The Polar Bear’s Son”)
is connected to the physical land.
Learning Objective 2 Students will compare the Iqaluit way of life to life in the prairies.
Body ( 20 min.):
Formative & Summative Assessments, Key Content Areas, Game/Activity Rules & Expectations, Specific Learner
Considerations: Transitions
● Begin reading the story by introducing the author and illustrator. Assessment
● Make sure to showcase proper enunciation, punctuation and reading
habits. Formative Assessment B:
● Ask questions at certain points of the story to formatively assess Observe students’ ability to
reading comprehension and develop deeper connections to the answer the following questions
(in the body of the lesson). Use
content.
the “no hands up rule” and
○ “Why do you think the old woman decided to care for the baby popsicle sticks to select
polar bear?” students at random. Assess
The old women wanted to keep the baby bear because she was their reasoning behind their
lonely and did not have any sons. She wanted a son to keep her answers to identify their ability
company and to help her make a living in the community. She to draw connections between
struggled to make her own living because she was older and not the book and the Iqaluit
able to hunt well for herself. landscape. (Learning objective
○ “In what ways did Kunikdjuaq help the old woman?” 1)
He hunted for her, provided fish, warmth, safety and comfort.
Janae Haslam
Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
○ “Why did the men in the village want to get rid of Kunikdjuaq?”
They were jealous that the bear was a better hunter and they
feared that because of his size and strength that he could hurt
members of the community.
○ “What specific things do you notice in the pictures?”
In the illustrations it shows what the landscape looks like, it is
full of snow and ice. The village is located close to a water
source and all the characters are wearing jackets and pants
made out of animal hides. They used drying racks to hang the
meat, the houses are made of wood and have few windows.
There are people walking, riding dog sleds and paddling canoes
for transportation. The men are depicted with spears and guns
and the women are carrying children.
● TRANSITIONS: Ask students to return to their desks and take out their
writing/coloring utensils, scissors and glue.
● Hand out Comparison Chart
● Introduce assignment task:
○ Yesterday we learned all about geography and climate when
we did our 4 seasons posters. Today we read a book that told a
story about how Inuit communities live, and the pictures
showed us what a community looks like. Formative Assessment C:
○ As a class, discuss the observable features of an Inuit Submit worksheet for teacher
community (approx. 2 mins.) and write ideas on whiteboard. review (not for marks).
Completed worksheet will be
○ Recap of what visuals they encountered from the video in
used to formatively assess
lesson 1 and from ‘The Polar Bear Son’. whether the students
○ READ and EXPLAIN instructions to students. Have them repeat understand the difference
back the instructions as a class: between the Iqaluit way of life
■ Working with partners and their life in Lethbridge.
■ use drawings to show what your community (Learning Objective 2)
(Lethbridge) looks like and what Iqaluit looks like
■ Here are some ideas (they don’t need to repeat this)
: What do houses look like?
: What does it look like outside?
: Where does each community get their food from?
: What kinds of animals live there?
○ PROVIDE EXAMPLE ON OVERHEAD/SMART BOARD
● Allow for Approx. 12 minutes for drawing and answering the questions
● TRANSITION: Hand Clap Pattern to get attention - Begin cleaning up
materials.
○ Tell students to place worksheet into designated submissions
box
○ Put away crayons, markers, pencil crayons
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Sydney Vickers
Closure ( 6 min.): * Connect your closure with learning objectives*
Consolidation/Assessment of Learning, Feedback From Students, Feedback To Students, Transition To Next Lesson
● Thank you, class, for another great lesson, I hope that you all enjoyed Assessment
our story time and learning all about the Inuit legend of Kunikdjuaq. As
we all know northern Canada receives a lot of snow, what we are going Formative Assessment D:
to do next is have a knowledge snowfall.
● TRANSITION: Hand clap to get attention Listening and observing
student ideas and informal exit
● Hand out cut up square paper
slip (snowball papers). This will
● Instruct students to write down or draw one thing they learned on the be a double check on the
piece of paper, crumple up the paper, and then when I give the signal learning objective to ensure
they can throw the snowball up in the air and let it fall down. they learned something about
● TRANSITION: Hand clap to get attention. the geography and/or the
● Each learner picks up a nearby response, return to their desks and history of Iqaluit.
reads it to their elbow partner. After reading their slip, students will sit
down and actively listen to others.
● Students will hand in snowball papers in a basket for review later.
SPONGE ACTIVITY: If students get done early, or we have too much time, a
variety of books on Inuit life will be in the classroom for students to
look at, read or have read to them in class.
Janae Haslam
Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
Formative Assessment 2:
Home
Outdoors
Food
Source
(Farming,
Animals,
Plants)
Animals
Janae Haslam
Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
Lesson Plan Day 3
Grade/Subject: Grade 2 Social Studies Unit: Canada’s Dynamic Communities
Duration: 30 Minutes
DESIRED RESULTS
Specific 2.1.3:
Outcome(s) investigate the cultural and linguistic characteristics of an Inuit, an Acadian
and a prairie community in Canada
Learning Students will identify what the cultural characteristics of the Inuit are.
Objective 1
Learning Students will appreciate the Inuit people and their traditions.
Objective 2
PROCEDURE
Introduction (_3_min.):
Hand Clap Pattern (TA, TA, TI, TI, TI) to get attention: Greet class Assessment
Formative Assessment 1A:
Question and Answer Assessment.
Review the written agenda on the board: Ask questions to get an idea of what
Introduction: What is Culture Mind Map they know about culture. Put
Inuit Cultural Videos & Discussion applicable answers on mind map. If
Building an Inuksuk the students are having trouble
Iqaluit Presentation Assignment Introduction coming up with ideas, they will
discuss ideas with their elbow
partner. (Learning objective 1).
1. Ask the class (draw popsicle sticks with names on them) “What is
culture?”
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Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
Draw mind map on board with culture in the middle, lines going out to
the words: food, clothing, traditions, music, any other words the
students think of that apply.
Ask questions to get an idea of what they know about culture. Put applicable
answers on mind map. If the students are having trouble coming up with ideas,
they will discuss ideas with their elbow partner.
We are going to learn more about the Inuit culture.
Body (_20_min.):
Sponge Activity: Inuit games: Finger Pull or stick pull (see https://ascnwt.ca/traditional-
games/arctic-sports-dene-games)
Janae Haslam
Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
Janae Haslam
Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
(This will be printed on the back of the worksheet as a checklist/rubric for the students.)
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Carrie Bishop
Sydney Vickers
References
Alberta Education (2005). Social Studies Grade 2. Retrieved from
http://www.learnalberta.ca/ProgramOfStudy.aspx?lang=en&ProgramId=564423#5498
45
Dabcovich, L. (1997). The polar bear son: An inuit tale. New York: Clarion Books.
Education Canada. (2005). Many Voices: Alberta Social Studies Many Voices Grade 2. Pg. 39-
76
Education Canada (2005). Many Voices: Communities in Canada - Looking at Places. Grade
2. Pg. 10
Horvath, B. (2010, March 25). Inuit Drumming - Inuit Cultural Online Resource [Video
file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVRYpbZ3GSg.
Horvath, B. (2010, January 20). Inuit Cultural Online Resource - Making Bannock. [Video
file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIQsA423lg0.
Horvath, B. (2010, March 25). Inuit Throat Singing Introduction - Inuit Cultural Online
Resource. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbg6BltCr-
g.