Learning Activity Plan for PreK-Grade 2

Teacher Candidate
Date/Time of Scheduled
Visit
Name/Address of School
Age/Grade level
Cooperating Teacher

Jenny Forman Sarno

Name of Lesson
Content
area(s)/developmental
domain(s) addressed
Brief description of the
lesson

Candidates for Class Mascot

The students will use cognitive, language and social skills in this Global
Connections/Social Studies lesson.

This lesson is:

Rationale

Timeframe
Objective(s) of the
activity
Connections to
standards

2nd Grade
Classroom Number

In this lesson students will break into small groups and select candidates to
nominate for class mascot and reasons why their candidate would be the best
for our class.
A new concept/activity
This is the first of several lessons on the theme of democracy.
Teacher Says: In our writing we have been doing opinion writing where we write
about how we feel about a topic and why. We have also been trying to persuade
or convince others so that they might agree with our opinions. Today we are
going to use our opinion writing skills in a new way.
45minutes
Students will be able to understand the process of holding elections by
determining the candidates for a class election and producing an opinion
writing piece justifying their choice of candidate.
NYS Social Studies-2.3c: Students will learn about the process of voting and what
opportunities adults in the community have for participation. Students will
participate in voting within the classroom and in the school as is appropriate.

Learning Activity Plan for PreK-Grade 2

Language Objectives

Resources/materials
needed:
(Include any worksheets or
sources of evidence for
childrens learning you will
use during the activity)
Technology inclusion (if
applicable)
Procedures (step by
step)

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.2.1: Speaking and Listening: Participate in collaborative

conversations with diverse partners about grade 2 topics and texts with peers
and adults in small and larger groups.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.8: Writing: Recall information from experiences or gather
information from provided sources to answer a question.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.2.1: Opinion writing: Write opinion pieces in which they
introduce the topic or book they are writing about, state an opinion, supply
reasons that support the opinion, use linking words (e.g., because, and, also) to
connect opinion and reasons, and provide a concluding statement or section.
This lesson will require the students to use communication and literacy skills. The
students will be required to use peer discussion in order to agree on choices for
class mascot and to prepare a written statement about why this is the best
mascot for the class.
Vocabulary: Mascot
Candidate
Paper Choice
Pencils
Non-fiction Animal Books
Pictures (different examples of mascots from real life).

Anticipatory Set
1. Teacher Says: Lets get started by thinking about animals. What is your
favorite animal and why?
2. Turn and Talk (2 minutes).
3. Teacher Says: Does anyone know what a mascot is?
4. Teacher Defines mascot: an animal, person, or thing adopted by a group as

Learning Activity Plan for PreK-Grade 2

its representative symbol and supposed to bring good luck.
5. Teacher Says: Can anyone think of any examples of mascots?
6. Teacher uses smart board: Show pictures of animal mascots. Sports teams.
7. Teacher Says: Today we are going to be choosing an animal mascot for the
class.
Instruction/Mini Lesson
1. Teacher says: There are so many kinds of animals, how can we figure out
which one would be the best fit for our class?
2. Teacher Says: We should narrow it down to just a few choices or candidates.
3. Teacher Says: Does anyone know what a candidate is?
4. Teacher Defines candidate: a person who is selected by others as a
contestant for an office, honor, etc.
5. Teacher Says: How can you tell if this candidate is right for our class?
6. Teacher Models candidate selection: Writes on board:
7. Teacher says: I think our class mascot should be a pigeon. I think a pigeon
would be a good class mascot because: pigeons are part of a flock and they stick
together, like the students in our class. Another reason why I think a pigeon
would be a good mascot is that they are urban animals, they live in the city and
all of the students in this class live in the city.
8. Teacher Says: Can you think of another reason why a pigeon would be a good
class mascot?
9. Turn and Talk (2 min)
10. Students share results of turn and talk.
11. Teacher Says: Now we are going to work in small groups. I will assign you to
your groups and as a group I want you to come up with an animal candidate to
be our class mascot. Once you have decided as a group, I want you to write
down your reasons why YOUR candidate is the best choice to be our class
mascot. I want you to try and persuade the rest of the class that your candidate
is best.

Learning Activity Plan for PreK-Grade 2

Independent Practice
1. Teacher assigns students to small groups. 8 groups (4 students each).
2. Groups will be heterogeneous in skill level.
3. Students work in groups to pick an animal for class mascot.
4. Group has to produce written response as to why this is the best idea for
mascot. Groups will be allowed to decide if they want to produce their written
response in the form of an essay or in the form of a poster. Paper options will be
available.
(As a support informational texts will be available for those who need assistance
thinking of ideas.)
Closure
1. Teacher Says: I am excited to hear who our candidates are for class mascot! I
would like one person from each group to stand up and read to the class what
you wrote as a group. Please make sure you tell us which animal you chose and
why that animal is a good choice for our class mascot.
2. One student at a time to read aloud about their candidate.
3. Teacher to model giving feedback to group:
Did group provide reasons justifying their choice?
Example: I like the way you described your candidates behavior. That does
seem a lot like the students in this class.
4. Teacher to encourage students to give feedback to peers.
5. Teacher Says: Great job everyone. Now we have a list of possible candidates.
6. Next Steps: Teacher to describe tomorrows plan:
Teacher Says: Now that we have chosen our candidates and heard the reasons
why they are a good fit for our class, this will help us when we hold an election
tomorrow and vote for class mascot.
Method of assessing
childrens
understanding of

Pre-assessment
Students have already
completed unit on

Assessment of Student
Learning
1. Informal observations as

Assessment of
Childrens Language
Learning

Learning Activity Plan for PreK-Grade 2

lesson/activity/objective
(s)
(Be sure to include any
tools, rubrics/checklists
and/or worksheets you will
use for assessment(s)

opinion writing. Based on

the skills students have
demonstrated I know that
students can complete
opinion writing in novel
contexts.

Plans for differentiated

instruction/instructional
modifications

Supporting children
with identified delays
or disabilities
1. Different paper choice
(big lines vs small).
2. Students can refer to
animal books which will
be provided.
3. Writing starter
statements will be
provided.
4. Students will be placed
in groups with more
knowledgeable peer for
support.

the students discuss

amongst themselves.
2. Collect and Review final
written document
completed by students.
3. Self-assessment:
students will complete
rubric/checklist used
previously in opinion writing
unit to review their own
work.

1. Informal evaluations:
listen to discussion
taking place in small
groups.
2. Formal evaluation:
review written
persuasive writing
piece.
3. Listen to students
presentation of written
piece. Look for use of
new vocabulary
integrated in new
assignment.
Supporting English Language Learners
1. Students can refer to animal books which will be
provided.
2. Students can utilize writing starter statements.
3. Students may make a list of candidate attributes
vs essay.
4. Students may refer to example about pigeon
written by teacher on the board.
Supporting Advanced Learners
Students could write a speech for their candidate
to give from the animals perspective.

Learning Activity Plan for PreK-Grade 2

Follow up/Extension
activities

1. Teacher writes on smart board.

2. Teacher Says: This is a list of all of the candidates our class has chosen as
possibilities to be class mascot. Now that we have these choices, how can we
decide which one from this list will become the mascot?
3. Teacher says: Voting is a way that we can decide. This list we can make into a
ballot.
4. Teacher Defines ballot: the list of candidates to be voted on.
5. Teacher to print out ballot and show students.
6. Teacher says: tomorrow we are going to use these ballots and each student
will check the box next to the candidate that they want to vote for. When we
count up all of the votes we will see which animal has been chosen as our class
mascot!

Any additional
information that would
be helpful for the
observer to know
Observer feedback on the lesson plan, including commendations and recommendations for improving aspects
of the learning activity