Primary Type: Lesson Plan
Status: Published
This is a resource from CPALMS (www.cpalms.org) where all educators go for bright ideas!
Resource ID#: 47976
In Order to Understand, You Must First Understand the
Order!
In this lesson, students will learn how to effectively read a timeline and understand its purpose within a text. Students will also be able to create a
timeline by extracting key details from within a grade-level text on a given topic.
Subject(s): English Language Arts
Grade Level(s): 3
Intended Audience: Educators
Suggested Technology: Document Camera,
Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection,
Overhead Projector
Instructional Time: 1 Hour(s) 30 Minute(s)
Resource supports reading in content area: Yes
Freely Available: Yes
Keywords: inventions, timeline, graphic organizer, toys,
Instructional Design Framework(s): Direct Instruction, Cooperative Learning
Resource Collection: CPALMS Lesson Plan Development Initiative
ATTACHMENTS
A History of Toys 2.txt
Timeline Rubric 2.docx
Timeline Formative.docx
Toilet Lesson 2.docx
LESSON CONTENT
Lesson Plan Template: General Lesson Plan
Learning Objectives: What should students know and be able to do as a result of this lesson?
Students will be able to read a grade-level text and identify important details regarding how something specific was invented or improved over time.
Students will be able to use information learned from a timeline to answer specific comprehension questions.
Students will be able to read and analyze text to create a timeline.
Prior Knowledge: What prior knowledge should students have for this lesson?
The students should be able to:
identify the graphic presented as a timeline
determine key details within a text
use a graphic organizer
interpret text features
work in cooperative groups
Guiding Questions: What are the guiding questions for this lesson?
How can timelines help you formulate conclusions?
How have toys changed in 50 years?
page 1 of 3 Why would it be important to study a timeline?
What suggestions do you have for toy makers of the future based on the timeline?
How did your group determine the order of events for your timeline?
Why do you think the events on the timeline occurred in the order they did?
Teaching Phase: How will the teacher present the concept or skill to students?
1. Teacher will pass out Timeline Formative Assessment and students will complete. Teacher will monitor students responses.
2. HOOK: The teacher will say "Everyone got ready before they came to school today. Let's make a list of EVERYTHING we did, no matter how mundane, before the
school bell rang at 8:25." The teacher randomly calls on students to list what they did before they came to school, writing down student ideas as they are given.
(i.e. eat breakfast, go to the bathroom, brush your teeth, get dressed, get in the car, etc) Do not worry about the sequential order and write everything down as the
children share ideas.
3. Once everything is written down, ask 1 child to come up and read the list as written on the board. Ask them if what they are reading is easy to follow, why or why
not? Students should be able to determine that when steps are written out of order, they are harder to understand rather than when written in sequential order.
4. As a class have students determine the correct order of all the events that occurred before the students came to school that day and number the steps accordingly.
5. Tell the class that while writing a numbered list of steps is one way to show chronological order of something, we can also use a graphic/illustration known as a
TIMELINE to show sequential order of something in an easy-to-follow format.
6. The students will TURN AND TALK to their shoulder partner to answer the following question "When have you seen a timeline? Why would you use one?" Give
students about 3 minutes to answer this question and then share a few responses with the entire class.
7. The teacher will discuss how timelines effectively organize information in an easy-to-understand format that should be familiar ( left to right like a number line, can
be vertical or horizontal) Teacher will present some examples of timelines for discussion with the students:
example 1 http://cdn.vertex42.com/ExcelArticles/Images/timeline/timeline-template-example.png
example 2 http://cache.gawker.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2009/04/gameboy-timeline-HD.jpg
example 3 http://www.kars4kids.org/earthday/images/earthday-timeline.gif
example 4 http://cache.gawkerassets.com/assets/images/gizmodo/2008/10/roadtocellphonecall.jpg
Guided Practice: What activities or exercises will the students complete with teacher guidance?
1. Teacher will organize students into cooperative groups of 3-4 students.
2. In these small groups, students are given an envelope with the Toilet worksheet (880 Lexile) which has been printed on cardstock and cut apart inside.
3. Teacher instructs students to sort the events in sequential order. Come together as a whole and call on groups to report the order they put their steps in and why?
Ask other students if they agree or disagree.
4. Teachers will record on a timeline, or on the board or overhead projector, the correct order for how a toilet was invented based on students' organization of the
facts. Use the Timeline graphic organizer provided. timeline.pdf
5. Students will now work with a partner only. Teacher will display a prepared text, A History of Toys (840 Lexile) and ask students to read the text with their shoulder
partner (person sitting beside them)
6. After reading the text, students are required to create a timeline from the information given in the text using a format of their own choosing.
7. Teacher will monitor student pairs and give guidance and feedback as students complete their timelines.
Independent Practice: What activities or exercises will students complete to reinforce the concepts and skills developed in the
lesson?
1. Students are individually given a page from 53 1/2 Things That Changed the World and Some That Didn't by David West (Lexile 890) to read. After reading their
page each student will be required to create a Timeline http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/timeline.pdf based on the information.
2. Some suggested pages to use from this book include the page on: the road, clock, piano, pillow, map, camera, printing press, electric light, and the sail.
3. Once the timelines are completed, they will be assessed using the Timeline Rubric.
Closure: How will the teacher assist students in organizing the knowledge gained in the lesson?
The students will present their timeline to the class. Students should also be able to speak in clear, concise sentences to verbally explain the chronological order of
events. The students will also create a Class Timeline by hanging up their timelines on the designated wall in the order the inventions were invented. As each student
shares, he/she determines where on the class timeline his/her invention should fall.
Summative Assessment
Students will be given specific text to read (specific pages regarding each invention will come from 53 1/2 Things That Changed the World and Some That Didn't by
David West (Lexile 890) about a specific invention.
Based on the text read, students will use the http://www.eduplace.com/graphicorganizer/pdf/timeline.pdf provided to create a timeline of events for the particular
invention, from past to present.
The completed timelines will be assessed using the Timeline Rubric. Students should receive a score of 80% or higher to show an understanding of this concept.
Formative Assessment
Students will complete Timeline Formative Assessment so teacher can quickly gauge whether or not students are familiar with how to use a timeline.
The teacher should collect the assessments and determine if modifications to instruction are needed.
Feedback to Students
Students will receive feedback orally throughout the lesson from both the teacher and peers as they complete tasks.
Students will be given an activity during the Guided Practice in which they work with a partner to put specific events in sequential order.
The teacher will walk around to observe student learning.
Teacher can ask the following questions:
Which event came first?
How did your group determine the order of events?
Why do you think the events occurred in the order they did?
page 2 of 3 ACCOMMODATIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
Accommodations: For students reading below grade level, the book Inventors Making Things Better by Andrew Clements (Lexile 450) will be easier to understand.
Students can also use the suggested text in small groups, instead of pairs, to make sure that everyone is still getting text on the intended content of inventions.
Instead of oral presentations, students can do a gallery walk around the room to quietly read each other's timelines.
To differentiate the lesson to meet the needs of the students, teachers can check books out of the school or public library on specific inventions that are of interest and
on appropriate reading levels for children, such as the telephone, computer, camera, bicycle, etc...
Extensions: Students can:
create a timeline of their lives so far
create a timeline of important events from the current school year
Research a famous person and create a timeline of important events in that person's life
Create a PowerPoint as a timeline for an idea or event
Suggested Technology: Document Camera, Computer for Presenter, Internet Connection, Overhead Projector
Special Materials Needed:
53 1/2 Things That Changed the World and Some That Didn't by David West (Lexile 890)
What a Great Idea! Inventions That Changed the World by Stephen Tomecek (Lexile 1250)
The teacher can check books out of the school or public library about how specific child-friendly items have been invented.
A History of Toys for Guided Practice (Lexile 840)
Toilet Worksheet for guided practice (Lexile 880)
Further Recommendations: If students are unfamiliar with what a timeline is, you can use this website
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/timelines.htm to model how to make one and why they are helpful.
Additional Information/Instructions
By Author/Submitter
This is Lesson # 2 of a 3-part unit on inventions.
SOURCE AND ACCESS INFORMATION
Contributed by: Tracey Albert
Name of Author/Source: Tracey Albert
District/Organization of Contributor(s): Seminole
Is this Resource freely Available? Yes
Access Privileges: Public
License: CPALMS License - no distribution - non commercial
Related Standards
Name
LAFS.3.RI.1.3:
LAFS.3.RI.3.7:
Description
Describe the relationship between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical
procedures in a text, using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.
Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate
understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
Attached Resources
Student Center Activity
Name
Comprehension: Research
Roundup:
Description
In this FCRR Student Center Activity, the student will use resources to identify information about a topic.
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