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Lesson Plan for Free Rice How can One Person Make a Difference? Grade: 7 Subject area: Language Arts Unit: Strength and Perseverance in the Face of Adversity Introduction: This lesson plan is designed to transition between two related topics within the unit. This unit incorporates the reading of Four Perfect Pebbles, a Holocaust memoir, and the play; The Diary of Anne Frank. Throughout the unit students will be working on various service projects to bring relevancy to the underlying theme that one person can make a difference. They will organize and facilitate the collection of money for the charity Pennies for Peace. They will also create butterflies from “nothing” to emulate the creative efforts of the children of Terezin whose poetry and artwork we will explore. These butterflies will become part of a museum exhibit to honor the Holocaust’s youngest victims. These seventh graders should be developmentally ready to expand their scope and move outside of their own community. These activities, including this lesson, will help them to do that. Free Rice is a sister website of Poverty.com. It strives to improve vocabulary while feeding the hungry. It offers a vocabulary game where students must choose between four definitions for each word. If the student answers correctly twenty grains of rice are donated. If the student answers incorrectly s/he will be shown the correct answer and retested on this word later. The program adjusts to each student’s needs based on if they answer correctly or incorrectly. This provides differentiation and also ensures that all students will be successful in donating rice. Students will play the game to practice test taking skills, improve vocabulary and make a difference in the lives of others. The site also offers information on world hunger and on what individual countries have pledged to do about it. Students can explore the site accessing information, watching videos and even printing off letters to send to their representatives. CT. Standard addressed: 1.3 Students select and apply strategies to facilitate word recognition and develop vocabulary in order to comprehend text. Objectives: Students will apply strategies to develop vocabulary. Students will practice critical test taking strategies. Students will take part in a service project. Instructional Materials: Computer lab with a computer for each student-with internet access Copies of exit slips Lesson Sequence: (one class period, 45 minutes) Initiation: Question on the board: What can we do right now to make a difference in the lives of others? Show students a half cup of rice in a bowl. Tell them that the average serving of rice is approximately 3,000 to 4,000 grains of rice. A half cup of rice is about 3,600 grains or the equivalent of a half cup serving. Ask students if there was a way that they could donate rice to feed the hungry right now would they do it? (5 minutes) Lesson Procedure: Access prior knowledge by discussing as a class what students know about the world hunger problem and if they have been involved in any projects in the past. (5 minutes) Introduce Free Rice. Point out the following: –how the program works –features of the site including how to access answers to questions, news clips and videos.(5 minutes) Have students log on to the site and give them time to explore the site. (5 minutes) In preparation for playing the vocabulary game review strategies for defining words: –word structure -prefixes -roots -suffixes Also review test taking strategies: -Reading all choices before answering -Eliminating unacceptable choices (5 minutes) 5. Have students play the vocabulary game while circulating around the room to check on progress of all students. (10 minutes) 6. When time is up have each student complete an exit slip where they can enter the highest vocabulary level that they reached, the level they finished at, how much rice they donated and a brief reflection on the game with the prompts: How did this experience make them feel? Would they do it again? Did they learn new vocabulary and if so what strategies did they use while playing the game? Did they make a difference? (5 minutes) Closure: After collecting exit slips ask students for their reflections on the lesson. Ask for any questions. Tell them that I will add up their donations and have a class total ready for them tomorrow. (5 minutes) Assessment: Exit slips which will supply vocabulary level attained as well as each student’s reflection on his/her own learning. Supplemental Materials: EXIT SLIP Name: Date: Grains donated:__________ Highest vocabulary level:__________ Ending vocabulary level:__________ Please write a brief reflection on your experience with Free Rice. Consider the following questions: How did this experience make you feel? Would you like to do it again? Did you learn new vocabulary? What strategies did you use that you found helpful? Did you make a difference?
Homepage | Review of Free Rice ©Michele Dafgek | Last revised June 10, 2008 | e-mail: mdafgek@sjc.edu