Cooperative Learning Lesson Plan

Social Studies — Historical Fiction (part of our unit on Women’s Suffrage)

Materials Needed:

• 
  Lyddie
  
  By: Katherine Paterson. Lodestar, 1991 ISBN 0-525-67338-5
  
• Rules chart for cooperative groups (see chart on pg. 2)
  
• Labor Laws Petition
  
• Self / Peer Evaluation Chart
  
• Teacher Evaluation Chart
  
• Dictionaries
  
• List of Vocabulary Words (see list on pg. 5)
  
• Flipchart Paper and Markers
  
• Blank paper; 4 pieces per group (I’d use parchment paper to make it more authentic) for journal entries and petitions

Prerequisite Skills: Students must have read the book

Lyddie

by Katherine Paterson and have had discussed the book in literature circles prior to this activity. Students must also be aware of the harsh labor, the need for revised labor laws for the mill workers and how to carry out a petition for changes. Students must have had some experience working in cooperative groups in various subject areas. These skills include being able to perform specified tasks, understanding accountability for their specific task, and being able to analyze as a group whether or not they have successfully completed their task.

Lesson Objective(s):

Academic: After reading the book

Lyddie

by Katherine Paterson, students will be placed in cooperative groups of 5 (called “Coalition Groups”). Within their Coalition Groups, students will create a picture of the current working conditions in the fabric mill by way of a typical day written in journal form by Lyddie from the time she wakes up to the time she goes to bed. Each Coalition Group will then be required to create a petition for reform of current working conditions in the mill and present it to the class for signing.

Social: After completing this lesson, students will have evaluated themselves and their peers as a team and will be required to explain in a one page paper (done as homework) what each of the roles were in their Coalition Group, why each of these roles are important in completing this task, the social skills necessary for completing their task (empathy, listening skills, peer help, role assignment, etc.) successfully and how they determined whether or not their Coalition Group successfully completed their task.

Present Objectives:

We’ve already read the book,

Lyddie

, by Katherine Patterson and we’ve discussed the book in literature circles. Today, we are going to look at one specific issue that was a very important theme in this book, and that is the issue of creating a Coalition Group and how we go about petitioning to change the harsh labor laws the women experienced in the mill. We are going to remain in the same groups we used for our literature circles, but before we get into our groups, we are going to go over some rules needed for successfully completing our petitions. At this time, I’d like everyone to come to the front of the room on the carpet for a brainstorming session where we will create our class list of skills for working in our Coalition Groups and post them on our flipchart paper.

*The list of rules should look something like this*

• Working Together
  
• Keeping on Track
  
• Move to your groups quietly and quickly
• Take turns
  
• Ask for clarification
  
• Bring all materials with you
  
• Contribute! Contribute! Contribute!
  
• Provide clarification when asked
  
• Stay with your group until the task is completed
  
• Support your point(s) of view with evidence
  
• Build on each other’s ideas
  
• Speak in quiet voices
  
• Ask for help when needed (first a teammate, then the teacher if necessary)
  
• Paraphrase to show under understanding
  
• REALLY listen to your partners
  
• Encourage each other
  
• Continue to analyze your progress
  
• Call your partners by their proper name
  
• Compliment each other
  
• Come to consensus
  
• Know and understand your individual task
  
• Check for understanding
  
• Rally your ideas together
  
• Use good eye contact when speaking and listening
  
• Stay focused on your task and encourage others to do so as well
  
• Evaluate your individual work and the group’s work

Organizing the Teams:

We will be working in the same groups we worked in for our literature circles during the reading of

Lyddie

. We will use our four “Centers” tables around the room for each group. Each table is labeled for groups 1-4. Please gather your supplies needed for this activity, which you will find on your individual desks. At this time I would like Amy’s group to go to table number 1, Tom’s group to go to table number 2, Chris’s group to go to table number 3 and Arturo’s group to go to table number 4 in the manner, which we stated when making our rules for our Coalition Groups. As soon as we are all at our appropriate stations, we will look at our assigned roles. (Teacher has pre-assigned each role based on student ability/strengths/weaknesses) The roles are as follows:

Coalition Group Roles       Description      Coalition Member Names

Coalition Group Chairperson

This person is the team leader/founder of the coalition group, in charge of keeping the group organized and making sure rules are followed


Minute-Taker

This person is in charge of taking notes          


Time Keeper

This person is in charge of keeping the group on task and giving time reminders          


Spokesperson

This person is in charge of presenting the petition to the committee (class)          


Cheerleader

This person is in charge of encouraging and ensuring participation by all group members           

Teacher Monitoring: While each Coalition Group is responsible for carrying out their roles and monitoring and recording their individual and group progress, the teacher is responsible for helping the students with questions and issues that may arise during the activity as well as assessing individuals and teams on how they work together in a group and whether or not they achieved their end-goal. The teacher will do spot-checks for each group by walking around the room. Notes can be made on individuals and groups by using either a clipboard method, or for those with higher-tech tools, a PDA may be used. Whatever the method, the teacher should have clear-set criteria for assessment (See Individual Group Check List).

Coalition Group Self and Team Monitoring: This will be done by each team member filling out a form to assess their own success in working with the group as well as a peer evaluation form after their journal and petition are complete (See Individual Group Check List). I would also encourage a space for additional comments to assess what could be done better, or what was done exceptionally well. The comment section should only be used for praise or constructive criticism, and not for cruel or demeaning comments.

Assessment/Closure:

Each Coalition Team will be assessed based on the following four things:

1. Individual Group Checklist which is filled out by the teacher
   
2. Group Work Evaluation which is filled out by the Coalition Team Members
   
3. Journal Entry (day in the life of a mill worker)
   
4. The petition to change the working conditions
   1. Verbal explanation given by the Spokesperson with convincing, supporting evidence on why the working conditions should be changed based on facts from the book
      
      Lyddie
      
      
   2. Actual format of the Petition
      1. Is it labeled (titled)?
         
      2. Is there ample space for signatures?

Adaptations:

For students who need extra help, they should have previously been placed in a cooperative group that would benefit them (i.e., students of varying abilities). They should also be assigned to a task that the teacher knows they are able to perform. For instance, if the student is not strong in writing, he/she should not be assigned the role of Recorder. However, for confidence, I would probably assign this student the role of Coalition Chairperson if at all possible. The teacher should also provide extra attention/monitoring to any students who may require additional help.

As an extension activity for those students of higher ability, they may choose to create a timeline of major events during the period of Women’s Suffrage which changed the way our society views women in the workforce today. In other words, who were the people who created change and how did they go about it? What other ways can we encourage change other than Coalition Groups and Petitioning?

Resources:

1.          

Lyddie

, by Katherine Paterson

2.          Curriculum and Pedagogy Packet, pages 33-34

3.          On-line Dictionary at

www.yourdictionary.com

Vocabulary Words

Chairperson:

the presiding officer of a meeting or an organization or committee

Cheerleader:

one that calls for and directs cheering for a person or group of people

Coalition:

a temporary alliance of distinct parties, persons, or states for joint action

Mill:

a building or collection of buildings with machinery for manufacturing

Minute Taker:

Person who writes down notes during a discussion or meeting

Petition:

a formal written request made to an official person or organized body

Spokesperson:

a person who speaks as the representative of another or others often in a professional capacity

Time-Keeper:

a clerk who keeps records of the time worked by employees (or group)

Women’s Suffrage:

the right, privilege, or power of expressing one’s choice or wish (as in an election or in the determination of policy)

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Jill Moreland

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