Sacramento State University/College of Education

Single Subject Credential Program

Daily Lesson Plan Template
Name: Gabriel Huizar

School

Site: Hiram Johnson High School

Lesson Title/Subject: Introduction to Polls: The Pollsters Dilemma
Standards:
S-IC
1. Understand statistics as a process for making inferences about population
parameters on a random sample from that population.
Mathematical Standard for Practice:
1. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
Purpose/Rationale: The lesson/ activity will explore the purpose of conducting a
poll and what characteristics make a poll trustworthy. Polling procedures can be
very complex, randomness and other issues affect the trustworthiness of a poll.
Background Knowledge: Most 11th/12th grade students should be familiar with 1)
a survey which is similar in nature to a poll), 2) students will already have explored
concepts related to sampling with replacement 3) students know how to find
probabilities.

*Instructional Objectives:
construct arguments against or in favor
of the results of a given poll.
critique the results of a given poll.
construct inferences from the results of
the poll given in The Pollsters
Dilemma.
list characteristics that would make you
trust a poll.

Assessment (formal/informal)
HOW you will assess: WHAT you
will be looking for:
Close reading.
Close reading. Also the results of the
scenario in The Pollsters Dilemma.
Questions provided in The Pollsters
Dilemma.
Close Reading

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*Language Objectives:
use academic language terms poll,
sample size, and random
appropriately when discussing the
trustworthiness of a given and article
describing the results of a poll.
describe the purpose of conducting a
poll.
*Multicultural Objectives:
list procedures that may lead to a poll
not being random.

Assessment (formal/informal)
HOW you will assess: WHAT you
will be looking for:
Observation of group discussion.

Think Pair Share

Assessment (formal/informal)HOW you will assess: WHAT you

will be looking for:
Exit Card

*Expand table as necessary.

**Will be required by Week 8 of the semester

Materials and Safety Precautions (if applicable):

News stories about polls in several different genres, perhaps using the phrase
margin of error. 150 copies of The Pollsters Dilemma.
Accommodations for students with special needs, advanced students and
English language learners:
1)
Visually impaired student will receive an enlarged text of news story and
activity handout
2)
Student with ADD will be placed at the front corner of the front group so
that I can monitor his on-task. (stress balls are also placed at all tables)
3)
Students who finish early/require will be asked to mention other issues
that can complicate the polling process, such as:
Eligible voters dont all vote.
People dont always tell pollsters their true opinions.
Opinions might change before the election.
There may be more than two candidates.
Procedures: THE FOLLOWING PARTS OF THE LESSON CAN BE IN ANY

ORDER
Pre Teach: Vocabulary
1. Provide definition of poll. Definition: A poll is a survey of the public or of a
sample of the public in order to acquire information. (Teacher Does)
2. Going beyond reciting a definition. A poll allows you to ask one multiple
choice question. Participants can choose from among answers that you
predefine. You can allow the voter to select just one answer or allow them to
choose multiple answers. You also have the option of adding an Other field to
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allow a voter to enter their own answer. Example on

right.
3. Ask students to create a non-linguistic representation
of the word (a picture, or symbolic representation).
(Students do it together)
4. Students will be asked to compare and contrast a poll
from a survey. (Students do it together)

Pre-Reading Activity: Anticipation Guide (Guided Instruction)

Please fill in the blanks, as directed, showing whether you agree (+)
or disagree (-) with the following statements:
Pr
Post
e
Polls are trustworthy/reliable because they are justified with
mathematics.
Polls are always accurate in determining a samples opinion or future
actions.
Polls are used only for political elections.
People always tell pollsters their true opinions.
Pollsters never slant results in the direction they want.
Focus Lesson (Students do it together): Think Pair Share
Prompt: What is the purpose of conducting a poll? (inference) I want to know if
students know that polls represent samples taken from some larger population and
that they are often used to form the basis for a decision about some future action. I
will bring out this point if it is not brought up during the sharing process.
Prompt: When a poll is conducted in order to acquire information about a specific
group of people, are all the people the group required to participate in the poll in
order to make a decision on a future action?
Independent Learning (Students do it alone): Close Reading
Give each group a news story from a newspaper, magazine, or the Internet
describing the results of a poll. Students will individually read and annotate the
story. The first read through students will focus on key ideas and details. The
second read through I will select a portion or chunk of the text that includes
complex elements or ideas that they should explore to arrive at a deep
understanding.
Collaborative Learning (Students do it together): Do The Pollsters
Dilemma activity.

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Students will work in groups of 4, each writing their own responses to the activity in
their notebooks. (I will be circulating the room during this activity.)
Guided Instruction (Teacher and Students do together): Class Discussion:
A class discussion will take place after completion of the activity The Pollsters
Dilemma. I will have volunteers share their results to all the questions from the
activity. I will allow students to Turn and Talk before giving the opportunity of
sharing with the entire class in order to allow students to gather their thoughts
(lower affective filter).
Independent Learning (Students do it alone): Closure: Exit Card
Students will be prompted to list procedures that may lead to a poll not being
random. I will utilize these results/responses in order to drive the next lesson.

Reflection
1. What specific examples of student learning do you have that showed
students met or made progress toward the learning goal?
a. Looking at this evidence, what were your (the teachers) actions and/or
strategies that contributed to and built on successful student learning?
2. What specific examples of student learning do you have that showed
students struggled to meet or make progress toward this goal?
a. Looking at this evidence, what were your (the teachers) actions and/or
strategies that interfered with student learning? Describe any missed
opportunities.
3. Using the evidence of student learning described and observed, what will be
your next steps in future instruction with the class, small groups, and/or
individual students?
4. Considering student learning, if you were to teach this lesson again, what
would you do differently?

SS-LPT/Rev 5-27-14