Honoring Our Veterans
Roselind Pelech and Heidi Haverlah
Click here to see Veterans project picture

Kindergarten

Subject
Social Studies

Validity

The assessment measures what is intended to be measured in the content standard. Students could pass this task by truly knowing and being able to do what is asked for in the content standard.

(The rubric clearly relates to the specific content standard being covered and includes all of the skills needed to complete a quality product)
TEKS/Student Expectations: Insert the TEKS the lesson is covering

Social Studies The student understands that holidays are celebrations of special events. K1A Explain reasons for national patriotic holidays such as President's Day and Independence Day.
The student understands how historical figures and ordinary people helped to shape the community, state, and nation:
K2B Identify ordinary people who have shaped the community.
The student understands important customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs and principles and contribute to our national identity:
K10A Identify the flags of the United States and Texas.
K10B Recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Challenge

The task asks students to show their “know how” on something important and challenging, not just their knowledge. (Students develop the focus of the task by building on their own experiences to determine the problem and to look for possible solutions.)
Essential Question/s or Engaging Questions
What plan can we develop as a class to honor our veterans and soldiers both in Floresville and overseas?
What can you as an individual do to help America be a better place?

Feasibility

The task is worthy of the time and effort required to complete it. (The amount of time devoted to completing the task is very consistent with the complexity of the task or the embedded content standards)

Time Frame:
Ongoing

High Level Processes

The task requires complex thinking skills (critical/ creative thinking, decision- making, problem solving). (Students are operating at the synthesis/ evaluation levels involving one or more complex thinking strategies (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making, scientific inquiry) involving integrated concepts and big ideas.)
Bloom's Taxonomy:

Knowledge	Comprehension	Application
Analysis	Synthesis	Evaluation

List or describe activities that support the selected Bloom's Level(s):
Knowledge - The teacher will read the book The Wall and The American Flag and students will discuss characteristics of a soldier/veteran, and describe the American flag.
Comprehension - Using the Paint program, the students will illustrate the American flag and will write a brief description of the importance of Veteran's Day.
Application - Students will take photographs using the digital camera of the Floresville Veteran's Memorial and the American and various service flags to demonstrate local customs honoring our veterans/soldiers.Using this data, the students will organize and produce a power point to be shown at the campus Wall of Stars.
Analysis - The students will design a questionnaire to ask a soldier that will be visiting our classroom.
Synthesis - The students will develop a way for the class to honor veterans/soldiers locally and overseas.
Evaluation - The students will compare and contrast information gathered after taking a walking tour to the Floresville Veteran's Memorial and the virtual tour of the Vietnam Memorial.
The students will determine what they could do to make America a better place. This information will be included in the class book.

Process Skills

Reliability

The assessment is likely to elicit consistent scores over time. The scores on the task will reflect true achievement of the content standard not variance in testing conditions. (The criteria are explained clearly with measurable expectations. Criteria are consistent across all dimensions, and lend themselves to self-monitoring)
Assessment(s):
Veteran's Day Lesson Rubric

1. Students can describe a veteran.
(mastered/still developing)

2. Students understand why we celebrate
Veteran's Day.
(mastered/still developing)

3. Students know date of Veteran's Day.
(mastered/still developing)

4. Students will know three out of the
three colors of the United States flag.
(mastered/still developing)

5. Students will know there are fifty stars
in the United States flag.
(mastered/still developing)

6. Students will know that there are
thirteen stripes in the United States
flag.
(mastered/still developing)

7. Students can recite the Pledge of
Allegiance.
(mastered/still developing)

Important Content

The task incorporates the content standard and the big ideas and essential concepts of the discipline. (The culminating task is directly related to a well- defined and articulated set of content standards and essential concepts.)

Concepts/Topics:
Day 1 - The students will listen to the story The American Flag. The students will discuss the significance of the American flag. The students will describe the American flag. The students will discuss the meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance. The students will recite the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag. The students will create an American flag using construction paper.
Day 2 - After listening to the story The Wall, the students will describe what a veteran is and what celebrating Veteran's Day means to our country. The students will develop a questionnaire to ask a visiting soldier.
Day 3 - The students will interact with the visiting soldier by asking questions they designed. The students will email family soldiers overseas to gather information.
Day 4 - Using internet websites, the students will take a virtual tour of the Vietnam Memorial. The students will participate in a walking field trip to the Floresville Veteran's Memorial to gather data for a class book and a power point presentation by taking photos and making rubbings.
Day 5 - Using the information gathered throughout the week, the students will design a page on Paint for the class book by illustrating an American flag. This will include the student's description of a veteran and their choice of what they can do to make America a better place. The class book will be displayed at the campus Wall of Stars.

Authenticity

The task reflects what people might actually do in the real world- real life issues, themes, problems.
(The culminating task is relevant to students and involves creating a product that has a purpose beyond the classroom that directly impacts the students.)

E.B.A.M.(Click Here) Experiential-Based Action Model (Optional) is a good way to make sure your activities reach a LoTi level 4. Click here to View EBAM Power Point

Activities
These activities are relevant because the students are learning the importance of thanking our community soldiers and veterans by participating in classroom, campus, and district activities and by preparing and sending care packages to soldiers overseas. This directly impacts many of our students who have family members that are veterans and/or relatives currently serving overseas.
This lesson will also cover the following pillars of the Character Education program: Caring, Respect, and Citizenship.

Clarity of Task and Assessment Criteria

It is clear from reading the task that the student will know exactly what they are to do to complete it, including required products and scoring criteria. (The culminating task is clearly defined; the assessment criteria are given so that students understand the expectation of excellence throughout the process.)

Culminating Performance Task:
Students will design stars to honor local veterans/soldiers to be used on campus Wall of Stars. The students will create care packages to send to soldiers overseas. The students will design a page for the class book entitled "What is a Veteran?".

Technology Use

Technology (computers, handhelds, software applications, peripherals, Internet) is used in a seamless fashion to promote student learning. (Technology use is directly connected and needed for task completion involving a broad variety of applications.)
Technology Applications /How is technology integrated into your lesson?
The students will use the digital camera, microsoft paint, and microsoft power point. The students will use internet websites for research. The students will use email to communicate with soldiers overseas. The students will use classroom computers for interactive games and activities on patriotism.

Technology Applications Network Click here to find many technology resources

Differentiated Instruction

Instruction is tailored to the learning readiness, cultural background, interests, talents, and learning profile of the students

(Differentiation is clearly articulated and involves significant adjustments or alterations to the culminating task and surrounding
activities based on the interests, readiness, and learner profiles of the students.)
Differentiation:

Anchor Activities Tiered Instruction

Learning Centers Personal Agendas

Adjusted Questions Compacted Curriculum

Flexible Grouping Interest Based Investigations

Learning Contracts Graphic Organizers

Exit Cards

Describe your method of differentiation:
Anchor Activities - Designing of stars and making the classroom book.
Learning Centers - Creating the American flag, using the Paint program, and internet research projects.
Adjusted Questions - Different levels of questioning strategies during classroom discussions.
Interest Based Investigations - Internet research on locations of Iraq and Kuwait, previous American flags, branches of the Armed forces, etc.
While making the classbook, the lower level student will dictate information to the teacher. The higher level student may be able to include their internet research.
Differentiation Power Point