The following Civics/Eastern Shore lesson plan is designed to serve as a
template that can be adapted for learners of various levels. You may need to
simplify some of the material or make it more complicated. Choose the
activities listed in each section that best suit your learners’ needs, or design
your own. The vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar skills taught will
vary according to level, as will the benchmarks. If you make up additional
activities to go with the lesson and are willing to share them please let us
know ([email protected] or 757-442-6637) and we will include them.
Lesson Plan Template
Lesson Basics
Class level:
Length:
Topic: The Bald Eagle
Date: 6/2010
Objective(s) including Benchmarks from Virginia’s Adult ESOL Content Standards:
By the end of the lesson, learners will be able to name and describe the national bird ot the United States,
its habits, where it can be found, and its symbolism with 80% accuracy.
Suggested benchmarks:
Low Beginning: S2.3, L2.2, R2.3, W2.3
High Beginning: S3.3, L3.2, R3.3, W3.2
Low Intermediate: S4.3, L4.4, R4.2, W4.3
High Intermediate: S5.3, L5.3, R5.3, W5.3
ESL Advanced: S6.3, L6.3, R6.3, W6.4
Enabling skills:
Vocabulary
Pronunciation
Grammar
Language skill focus:
__X___ Listening ___X__ Speaking ___X__ Reading ___X__ Writing
Materials/Equipment:
Eagle picture
Photocopies
Computer (optional)
Dollar bill and quarter (real or play)
Stages of the Lesson Plan
Warm Up/Review
Tape a picture of an eagle to the board. Discuss the picture (what is this? Its a bird/eagle. What is it doing?
flying/sitting/hunting/etc. What color is the eagle? Etc.)
Benchmarks/Indicators Taught Practiced:
Introduction/Presentation
Review the objective orally. Explain that the bald eagle is our national bird. Use the discussion questions or
make up your own. Show the EL Civics presentation. Define new words as necessary and write them on the
board for future reference. Ask comprehension questions. Refrase or reteach if necessary. Look at a live
webcam of an eagle on the internet and discuss what is seen.
Benchmarks/Indicators Taught Practiced:
Guided Practice
Do the attached worksheet. Do a cloze exercise. Do the attached reading, answer the questions, and create
the dialog.
Benchmarks/Indicators Taught Practiced:
Communicative Practice
Work in pairs to ask and answer questions about the presentation. Do the Information Grid activity. Do an
Information Gap activity. Make up a dialog about eagles.
Benchmarks/Indicators Taught Practiced:
Application/Extension
Present the dialogs to the class. Do a role play. Write what they have learned about the bald eagle in
sentence/paragraph/essay form.
Benchmarks/Indicators Taught Practiced:
Evaluation/Assessment
Evaluate learners oral/written presentations for comprehension/language/concepts. Reteach as necessary.
Benchmarks/Indicators Taught Practiced:
Modifications/Accommodations
Adapt to learner level choosing appropriate activities from those listed.
Taken from www.elcivics.com and modified for Eastern Shore use
American Bald Eagle
by elcivics.com
The American Bald Eagle is the national bird of the United States. Since 1782, it has
represented the spirit and freedom of the American people. On today's journey, you will learn
interesting facts about eagles and see pictures them flying, eating, and building nests. Please
visit elcivics.com often for more great EL Civics and ESL Citizenship picture lessons. (4 pages)
What is the National Bird
of the United States?

The National Bird of
the United States is
the American Bald
Eagle.

It was adopted as the
National Bird in 1782.
Where do most bald
eagles live?

Most bald eagles live
in Canada and Alaska
but some live on the
Eastern Shore of
Virginia.

One half of the
100,000 bald eagles
alive today live in
Alaska. The eagle in
this picture is flying
above Davidson
Glacier in Alaska.
by elcivics.com
What do bald eagles look
like?

Bald eagles have
white feathers on
their heads and
brown feathers on
their bodies. Their
beaks are yellow and
curved.
Do eagles have excellent
eyesight?

Yes, they do.
What color are their feet?

Eagles have yellow
feet with sharp,
black, curved talons.
They use their talons
to catch fish.
What is the wingspan of
the bald eagle?

elcivics.com
The wingspan of the
adult female bald
eagle is 7 feet or 2.1
meters. For males it
is 6 feet and 6 inches
or 2 meters. Females
weigh about 12.8
pounds or 5.8 kg and
males weigh 9
pounds or 4.1 kg.
Do bald eagles live in
large groups?

No. They live in small
groups, and they
usually keep the
same mate for life.
Couples often sit
together in trees.
How old are female bald
eagles when they start
laying eggs?

Female bald eagles
are 4-5 years old
when they start
laying eggs. They lay
2-3 eggs a year.
Where do bald eagles keep
their eggs?

They keep them in
large nests that they
build from twigs.
They usually build
their nests in the top
of tall trees.
by elcivics.com
What do bald eagles eat?


They eat fish, small
birds, rats and mice,
and food in trash
cans.
When eagles see a
fish in the water, they
dive down and grab it
with their sharp
claws.
The bald eagle is protected by the government. It is illegal (against
the law) to injure, disturb, or capture a bald eagle, or take its eggs,
nests or feathers.
On the Shore bald eagles can be seen flying, perching in trees, and
sometimes in fields eating dead animals. Chincoteague National
Wildlife Refuge to the north and Kiptopeke State Park to the south are
good places to see bald eagles. The Herbert Bateman Center at the
Chincoteague national Wildlife Refuge has an eagle display.
What animal is on the
back of the American
quarter?

The American Bald
Eagle is on the back
of American quarters.
What is the American Bald
Eagle on the Great Seal of
the United States holding?


It is holding an olive
branch and arrows.
The olive branch
represents peace and
the arrows represent
war.
American Bald Eagle
A. Write the correct letters on the lines.
1. round symbol of the USA _____
2. sharp body parts used to grab fish _____
3. coin worth 25 cents _____
4. weight of males in lbs. _____
5. favorite food of eagles _____
6. body parts used to fly _____
7. color of beak _____
8. number of eggs females lay _____
9. age when females lay eggs _____
10. color of feathers on head _____
i. wings
h. 4-5 years old
g. claws
f. fish
d. Great Seal
c. nine
b. quarter
e. white
j. 2-3 per year
a. yellow
B. Circle TRUE or FALSE.
1. Bald eagles do not eat meat.
2. Eagles have great eyesight.
3. Bald eagles have many mates.
4. A turkey is on the Great Seal of the USA.
5. The back of a penny has a bald eagle on it.
TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
TRUE
FALSE
FALSE
FALSE
FALSE
FALSE
C. Put the sentences in order.
1. First _____
a. Its picture is on the Great Seal.
2. Second _____
b. You can see the seal on the back of dollars.
3. Third _____
c. Next time you have a dollar, turn it over.
4. Fourth _____
d. The bald eagle is a symbol of the USA.
5. Fifth _____
e. You will see a picture of the Great Seal.
Note: Permission granted by elcivics.com to store, modify, and reproduce for classroom use.
Thanks!
Bald Eagle Photos
A. Reading
Alfonzo is going to the Eastern Shore of Virginia with his father. His
father is a nature photographer. He takes photos of wild
animals for a popular magazine in Mexico.
The magazine Alfonzo’s father works for wants
photos of wild bald eagles building nests, flying, catching
fish, and eating. Alfonzo’s father is a serious
photographer, and he doesn’t want Alfonzo to be a
nuisance while he is working. He wants him to stay at the
hotel and play or go to the beach.
Alfonzo wants to impress his father with how much
he has learned about animals and photography. He wants
to go with his father when he takes pictures of bald eagles.
His father taught him about lighting and camera settings. Now, he wants to help his
father with his photography assignment. Alfonzo doesn’t want to stay at the hotel while
his father is working.
B. True or False
1. ________ There are bald eagles on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
2. ________ Alfonzo works for a magazine in Mexico.
3. ________ Eagles build nests, fly, catch fish, and eat.
4. ________ The bald eagle in this picture caught a fish.
5. ________ A nature photographer uses a camera to take photos of animals.
C. Writing – What should Alfonzo say to his father? Write the conversation.
Alfonzo: Dad, can I talk to you for a moment?
Father: Sure, Alfonzo. What is the problem?
Alfonzo:
Father:
Alfonzo:
Father:
Alfonzo:
Father:
Discussion questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Have you seen a bald eagle?
Where did you see it?
What was it doing?
What is the national bird of your country?
Is it protected?
Information Grid
Here is a sample information grid that can be used to get learners to ask each other
questions. If you have a large class they can discuss there results in small groups and
then report back to the class. You could draw a large information grid on the board to
compile the results.
NAME
Where are
you from?
What is the
national bird
of your
country?
Have you
seen an
eagle?
Where?
Have you
seen an
eagle’s nest?
Information Gap Activity
Copy and cut the three versions of the story. Have learners work in pairs. Give one
learner A and the other B. They will take turns reading every other sentence, with B
reading the first sentence. As B reads A will fill in the blanks, reversing the procedure
for the second sentence, and so on. When they are finished give them the completed
version so they can check their answers. You can simplify the story (or make it more
complicated) according to the level of your learners.
Francisco and Erika went for a walk. They saw two large birds in a field. The birds had
white feathers on their heads and brown feathers on their bodies. Their feet were yellow
and their beaks were yellow and curved. The birds were eating a dead deer. Erika was
scared. Francisco said not to worry. The birds were eagles, the national birds of the
United States. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar. He showed Erika the
Great Seal on the back with an eagle holding an olive branch and arrows. He also
showed her a quarter with an eagle on the back. The eagle represents the spirit and
freedom of the American people.
Information Gap A
Francisco and Erika went for a ____. They saw two large birds in a field. The birds had
white ________ on their heads and _____ feathers on their bodies. Their feet were
yellow and their beaks were yellow and curved. The birds were ______ a dead ____.
Erika was scared. Francisco said not to _____. The birds were eagles, the national birds
of the United States. He _______ into his ______ and pulled out a ______. He showed
Erika the Great Seal on the back with an eagle holding an olive branch and arrows. He
also showed her a _______ with an eagle on the ____. The eagle represents the spirit and
freedom of the American people.
Information Gap B
Francisco and Erika went for a walk. They saw two large _____ in a field. The birds had
white feathers on their heads and brown feathers on their bodies. Their feet were ______
and their _____ were yellow and ______. The birds were eating a dead deer. Erika was
______. Francisco said not to worry. The birds were ______, the ________ birds of the
United ______. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a dollar. He showed Erika the
Great ____ on the back with an eagle _______ an olive ______ and ______. He also
showed her a quarter with an eagle on the back. The eagle represents the ______ and
_______ of the American ______.
.