Core Decisions of Teaching
What?
Students will become more familiar with the genre of biography by learning about Ruby Bridges and the bravery she showed while in an adverse situation. The goal is for students to identify the characteristics of someone who is brave, and to understand why Ruby is known as a brave historical figure. A goal is for students to engage their prior knowledge of people they know who are brave and to use this knowledge as a framework for understanding the importance of Ruby’s experience. I will document this discussion with a web chart that has ‘brave’ in the center.
In addition to reading The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, I will show historical documents in the form of a photograph and Norman Rockwell’s painting titled The Problem We All Live With. To strengthen their understanding of Ruby’s experience, I will lead students in a discussion about their observations of both the book and the images. I will record their observations on a chart visible to everyone. Culminating the lesson, students will write about a time when they were brave. With Ruby’s experience as a framework, the goal of the writing activity will be to engage students in articulating why they felt brave during a particular situation, or to write about someone they know who is brave.
How?
I will teach the lesson about Ruby Bridges by engaging students’ prior knowledge, introducing new biographical information about someone who is brave, and asking students to write about a time when they personally identified with the concept of bravery. The read aloud will be followed by the showing of a photographic document as well as Norman Rockwell’s painting. These multimodal documents illustrate Ruby as brave, and do not offer conflicting accounts. The repetition of Ruby’s portrayal will help students to solidify their perception of her as an important historical figure. Following the documents, students will work on a writing prompt. By learning about Ruby’s experience through a read aloud, discussion, and creation of an observation chart, the goal for the writing activity is to work on the retention of knowledge, and in turn, transfer. It will also act an individual assessment for each student.
Why?
I am interested in doing a lesson on Ruby Bridges because the concepts that she represents tie into the first grader’s current unit. Students are learning about civics and American symbols, and recently learned about Veteran’s Day. In addition to building upon their existing knowledge, the goal for using Ruby’s experience as the framework for the lesson is for students to identify with bravery on a personal level. Objectives for students are to strengthen their comprehension of the importance of Ruby Bridge’s experience through the discussion and observation chart, and through the writing activity, which will prompt them to articulate a connection with the concepts highlighted in the lesson. Engaging students’ prior knowledge of civics along with asking students to relate to a personal experience with bravery underscore my principal pedagogical belief that engaging individual interests and prior knowledge are essential to maintain active participation and inquiry into one’s own learning.
Students will become more familiar with the genre of biography by learning about Ruby Bridges and the bravery she showed while in an adverse situation. The goal is for students to identify the characteristics of someone who is brave, and to understand why Ruby is known as a brave historical figure. A goal is for students to engage their prior knowledge of people they know who are brave and to use this knowledge as a framework for understanding the importance of Ruby’s experience. I will document this discussion with a web chart that has ‘brave’ in the center.
In addition to reading The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles, I will show historical documents in the form of a photograph and Norman Rockwell’s painting titled The Problem We All Live With. To strengthen their understanding of Ruby’s experience, I will lead students in a discussion about their observations of both the book and the images. I will record their observations on a chart visible to everyone. Culminating the lesson, students will write about a time when they were brave. With Ruby’s experience as a framework, the goal of the writing activity will be to engage students in articulating why they felt brave during a particular situation, or to write about someone they know who is brave.
How?
I will teach the lesson about Ruby Bridges by engaging students’ prior knowledge, introducing new biographical information about someone who is brave, and asking students to write about a time when they personally identified with the concept of bravery. The read aloud will be followed by the showing of a photographic document as well as Norman Rockwell’s painting. These multimodal documents illustrate Ruby as brave, and do not offer conflicting accounts. The repetition of Ruby’s portrayal will help students to solidify their perception of her as an important historical figure. Following the documents, students will work on a writing prompt. By learning about Ruby’s experience through a read aloud, discussion, and creation of an observation chart, the goal for the writing activity is to work on the retention of knowledge, and in turn, transfer. It will also act an individual assessment for each student.
Why?
I am interested in doing a lesson on Ruby Bridges because the concepts that she represents tie into the first grader’s current unit. Students are learning about civics and American symbols, and recently learned about Veteran’s Day. In addition to building upon their existing knowledge, the goal for using Ruby’s experience as the framework for the lesson is for students to identify with bravery on a personal level. Objectives for students are to strengthen their comprehension of the importance of Ruby Bridge’s experience through the discussion and observation chart, and through the writing activity, which will prompt them to articulate a connection with the concepts highlighted in the lesson. Engaging students’ prior knowledge of civics along with asking students to relate to a personal experience with bravery underscore my principal pedagogical belief that engaging individual interests and prior knowledge are essential to maintain active participation and inquiry into one’s own learning.