ALEX Lesson Plan

What Makes a Leader?

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  This lesson provided by:  
Author:Rebecca Sas-Winnicki
System: Huntsville City
School: Jones Valley Elementary School
  General Lesson Information  
Lesson Plan ID: 33458

Title:

 What Makes a Leader?

Overview/Annotation:

In this lesson, students will learn about various leadership qualities and historical American leaders. Each student will research an American leader of their choice and create a presentation about their life and impact on our country using the iPad app Educreations. Students will then participate in a class discussion about their thoughts on the researched leaders and how they can show leadership in their everyday lives. 

 Associated Standards and Objectives 
Content Standard(s):
Character Education
CE (1995)
Grade: K-12
1 ) Courage
Character Education
CE (1995)
Grade: K-12
2 ) Patriotism
Character Education
CE (1995)
Grade: K-12
3 ) Citizenship
Counseling and Guidance
CG (2003)
Grade: K-12
33 ) A:C1.5 - understand that school success is the preparation to make the transition from student to community member
Social Studies
SS2010 (2010)
Grade: 2
Living and Working Together in State and Nation
2 ) Identify national historical figures and celebrations that exemplify fundamental democratic values, including equality, justice, and responsibility for the common good.

•  Recognizing our country's founding fathers, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Patrick Henry, John Adams, John Hancock, and James Madison
•  Recognizing historical female figures, including Abigail Adams, Dolley Madison, Harriet Tubman, and Harriet Beecher Stowe
•  Describing the significance of national holidays, including the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Presidents' Day; Memorial Day; the Fourth of July; Veterans Day; and Thanksgiving Day
•  Describing the history of American symbols and monuments
Examples: Liberty Bell, Statue of Liberty, bald eagle, United States flag, Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial

Alabama Alternate Achievement Standards
AAS Standard:
SS.AAS.2.2- Describe the significant national holidays, including the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Presidents' Day; Memorial Day; the Fourth of July; Veterans Day; and Thanksgiving Day.
Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 2
R5) Locate and curate information from digital sources to answer research questions.

Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 2
R6) Produce, review, and revise authentic artifacts that include multimedia using appropriate digital tools.

Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 2
12) Conduct basic keyword searches to gather information.

Digital Literacy and Computer Science
DLIT (2018)
Grade: 2
13) Create a research-based product using online digital tools.

English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
R1. Utilize active listening skills during discussion and conversation in pairs, small groups, or whole-class settings, following agreed-upon rules for participation.
English Language Arts
ELA2021 (2021)
Grade: 2
1. Participate in conversations and discussions with groups and peers utilizing agreed-upon rules.

Local/National Standards:

  

Primary Learning Objective(s):

  • Students will define the term leader.

  • Students will identify several leadership qualities.

  • Students will choose an American leader to research through books and technology.

  • Students will collect facts and information about their leader in order to create a presentation on Educreations.

  • In a class discussion, students will relate the leadership qualities to their own lives and explain how they can model these behaviors in order to cultivate positive character traits in themselves and those around them.

Additional Learning Objective(s):

  
 Preparation Information 

Total Duration:

Greater than 120 Minutes

Materials and Resources:

  • If students do not each have a device, tablets, laptops or other types of devices need to be checked out.

  • Make sure to have the necessary tables or counter space available for research centers.

Technology Resources Needed:

  • iPads are necessary for this lesson. If each student does not have their own iPad, make sure to reserve some from your school in advance. If there are not enough iPads for each student to have their own, create research centers for students to use. Laptops can also be used to supplement the number of devices in the research centers.

  • Educreations app

Background/Preparation:

  • Students must be familiar with the Internet.

  • The teacher should have pictures and information of famous American leaders to present to the class during the opening phase of the lesson so the students can better recognize the leaders being discussed. 

  • Each iPad should have Educreations downloaded on it.

  • The teacher should be familiar with Educreations in case students have questions or need help.

  • The books and laptops for the research centers need to be checked out from the school prior to the lesson.

  Procedures/Activities: 

Before Strategy:

  • Open the lesson by asking the students the following questions, scaffolding, redirecting, and supplementing when necessary. Write their answers on the chalk or dry-erase board. Treat this as a class brainstorming session.

What is a leader?

What does it mean to be a leader?

What are some leadership qualities?

Why are these qualities so important to have?

  • After thoroughly discussing leadership qualities (such as honesty, vision, charisma, intelligence, creativity, passion, loyalty, persistence, drive, ability to inspire, courage, confidence, ability to inspire, etc.), locate pictures of a few well-known American leaders, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Ben Franklin, Rosa Parks, and John F. Kennedy. Discuss their accomplishments, the impact they had on our country, and the leadership qualities that they possess.
  • Ask students if they can name any American leaders. Create a list of their answers.
  • Ask students to compare the leadership qualities with the names of the leaders they listed. Ask students if each of the leaders possesses those qualities.

During Strategy:

  • Hand out a rubric to the students and explain that they will pick an American leader to research, learn, and gather information about. Give them between five and ten minutes to decide which leader to choose.
  • Let the students spend around 35 minutes doing research on their leader.
  • Let the students spend around 60 minutes creating their Educreations presentation.
  • After the students have finished their presentation, have them share it with the class using your preferred learning management platform.

After Strategy:

  • Have students move to a rug and sit in a circle. Discuss what the research portion of the project was like.
  • Ask students why leadership at all levels is so important (local community, state, and nation).
  • Go around the circle and have each student tell the class the name of the leader they researched and something interesting they learned about them.
  • Discuss how everyone can be a leader and practice leadership qualities in their day-to-day life.
  • Ask the students how they can model behavior like the leaders they researched. What can they do to encourage others to act as leaders also?

  Assessment  

Assessment Strategies

This lesson can be assessed through a rubric or checklist.

Acceleration:
 

Intervention:

If you feel that some of your students will need extra preparation before or extra assistance after the lesson, you can spend one-on-one time with the students, as well as place them in a small group to further discuss the American leaders and leadership qualities in depth.


View the Special Education resources for instructional guidance in providing modifications and adaptations for students with significant cognitive disabilities who qualify for the Alabama Alternate Assessment.