Integrated Lesson Plan Reading / Writing / Social Studies

Prepared by: Kathy Tucker and Tina Bowersox

SOL’s covered:

Reading and Writing: 3.1a, b, c; 3.6b, c, e, f, g, h; 3.10a, b, d, e; 3.11a, c

Social Studies: K.1a; 1.2; 2.11; 3.11b

KUD’s What will students Know, Understand, and Do?

Students will know:

  • thecharacter, attitude, and accomplishments of Eleanor Roosevelt and other famous Americans.
  • key vocabulary from the book, Eleanor, Quiet No More.
  • strategies to enhance organization and voice in their writing.

Students will understand that having the courage to act on what you believe in can make a significant impact on your community (as exemplified by Eleanor Roosevelt and other famous Americans).

Students will:

  • read a variety of biographical material
  • write a biography with strong organization and voice
  • compare and contrast
  • make predictions
  • analyze characters
  • build inferences
  • determine theme
  • sequence events
  • determine cause and effect
  • identify consequences
  • summarize
  • develop vocabulary
  • work collaboratively
  • work independently

Instructional Strategies Used:

  • identifying similarities and differences
  • nonlinguistic representation
  • cooperative learning
  • front loading vocabulary
  • scaffolding

Reading
Part 1 / Use key words from the mentor text to introduce today’s topic. Students each receive a word card. Students travel around the room to read as many different words as possible. After 2 or 3 minutes, students get into groups to predict the person that today’s biography will be about. Predictions will be based on the key words and their prior knowledge. Allow time for groups to share their predictions. Students may predict the story to be about Martin Luther King, Jr. or Rosa Park. They may predict that the story is about Abraham Lincoln or Barack Obama. Encourage them to justify their predictions, as this will help with a later activity.
Read the mentor text, Eleanor, Quiet No More by Doreen Rappaport.
Students return to groups to reflect on their predictions. Ask them to consider what their predictions were based on. Have them compare and contrast Eleanor Roosevelt to the person that they predicted the story to be about. Venn Diagrams could be used to complete this activity or it could be done orally.
Reading
Part 2 / As a higher-level comprehension activity, complete the Jacob’s Ladder style questions. Since the book was a read aloud activity, the comprehension exercise can be completed by all students. Work from the bottom of the ladder, upwards, discussing each answer as you go. Three ladders are provided, choose the one or two that are appropriate.
The Jacob’s Ladder exercises address the reading strategies of: characterization,
inference, main idea/theme, paraphrasing, summarizing, creative
synthesis, sequencing, cause and effect, consequences/implications,
and vocabularydevelopment
Introduction to Writing Assignment / Ask students to discuss the organization of Eleanor, Quiet No More. Did it have an interesting introduction, a middle that worked well, and a conclusion that wrapped up all the loose details? Most important, did the whole piece flow easily from beginning to end?
Reread text and note what features of the book made the story “come alive”? Discuss the quotations and what they added to the organization and voice of the book.
Pre-Writing Activity / Students will practice using quotations to create a biography on a different famous American. The focus of their writings will be strong organization and voice.
Complete Graphic Organizer using information from biographies, internet, etc.
Students leave their seats to find a partner. They share their graphic organizers.
After students return to their seats, they may have revisions to make based on their discussions.
Writing Activity / Students write first paragraph.
Students leave their seats to find a partner. They share their paragraphs, return to seats and make revisions.
Continue process of write, share, and revise with next paragraphs.
Students are guided in writing interesting introductions and conclusions.
Students write final copy.
Assessment / Formal assessment can be made on the Jacob’s Ladder activity. Assessment tools are in the book in Appendix B. The ladder can also serve as the assessment of vocabulary knowledge or an additional vocabulary assessment could be developed. The writing assignment can be assessed using the county writing rubric.
Writing Extension / Students can write autobiographies to share their background and the “things in which they believe in”.
Reading
Extension / Read biographies on other Famous Americans. Students could complete a simple graphic organizer about the person in their biography. One possibility is Scholastic’s Biography Book Report. They could also complete a digital organizer like the bio cube at
Complete other Jacob’s Ladder activities. Connection could be made to “The North Wind and the The Sun”. The moral is, “It is easier to use persuasion than try to win with force”. This parallels the persuasions accomplished by Eleanor’s refusal to be quiet.
Governess / Wealthy / Artificial
Dingy / Debates / Politics
Politician / Wounded / Outraged
Hounded / Campaigned / Segregated
Decent / Racism / Criticized
Mourned / Praised / Refused

Compare and Contrast

Eleanor Roosevelt Your Prediction

Biography Essay Graphic Organizer

Famous American______

Birth and Family / Early Life and Education
Quote: / Quote:
Adult Life and Family / Major Accomplishments
Quote: / Quote:
How the Accomplishments
Changed the World / Later Life and Death
Quote: / Quote:

Biography Paragraph Graphic Organizer

Famous American______

General Information / Contribution
Quote: / Quote:

Autobiography Graphic Organizer

Future Famous American’s Name______

My Name, Birthday, Where I Live… / My Family
Quote: / Quote:
My Interests / My Beliefs
Quote: / Quote: