1. LASSO’n Readers through Social Studies Content
Jennifer Mackey
Dawn Fielder
This is field tested in K-5 within Title 1, bilingual, dual language, and more affluent campuses.

2. Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate
5-E Model
Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate
Historically this model has been used for science lesson plans.
However, after success in our district’s science curriculum, some teacher’s began using this same format for developing social studies instruction in the elementary grade levels.
The 5-E model was implemented in conjunction with a balanced literacy program already in place consisting of shared reading/writing, independent reading/writing, guided reading/writing and read alouds.
This model is fluid. Throughout a unit of study, transitions can occur between phases, even looping back several times to previous components-all within the Es. The only non-negotiable phase is Engage. It should always be first. There might be more than one engage, depending on the topics of study.
As you came in, you were actively involved in an Engage, step one of the 5-E model. (Show examples). This activity is a hook that we use to begin a Freedom Week study in the early elementary grades. In this particular case, the t-shirt design captures the students’ interest and allows teachers the opportunity to see misconceptions that should be addressed later.

3. ENGAGE Asks questions such as… Why did this happen?
STUDENT BEHAVIOR
Asks questions such as…
Why did this happen?
What do I already know about this?
What can I find out about this?
How can this problem be solved?
Shows interest in topic.
ENGAGE
TEACHING STRATEGY
Generates interest.
Generates curiosity.
Raises questions and problems.
Elicits responses that uncover students' current knowledge about the concept/topic.
The first phase is to engage the student in the learning task. The student mentally focuses on an object, problem, situation, or event. The activities of this phase should activate prior knowledge, connecting the past and future activities. The connections depend on the learning task and may be conceptual, procedural, or behavioral.
Asking a question, defining a problem, and acting out a problematic situation are all ways to engage the students and focus them on the instructional activities. The role of the teacher is to present a situation and identify the instructional task. The teacher sets the rules and procedures for the activity.
This is the introduction to the lesson that motivates or hooks the students’ interest in the learning to follow. It can be a demonstration, a discussion, simulation or role play. The primary purpose is to uncover what students know and think about the concept or topic and get them curious about what will follow.

4. Engage
First grade engage to Rules and Laws unit. Viola Swamp’s rules are presented to students individually in the pocket chart, students decide if that is a good rule. After the introduction of each rule, students hold up sticks to show whether they think it is not fair, too hard to understand, or impossible. (lesson adapted from Law Related Education)

5. More Engage Activities
Simulations
Quakertown Kick-out
Monarchy Game
Principal as Monarch Letter
Expert Visit
Career on Wheels
Simulations are a more abstract way to engage students. Simulations that involve unfairness. The activities tend to really stick with the students. It requires more than anything a straight face.

6. STUDENT BEHAVIOR
Thinks creatively within the limits of the activity.
Tests predictions and hypotheses.
Forms new predictions and hypotheses.
Records observations and ideas.
EXPLORE
TEACHING STRATEGY
Encourages students to work together without direct instruction.
Observes and listens to students.
Asks probing questions to redirect investigations.
Provides time for students to puzzle through problems.
Once the activities have engaged students, they need time to mull over the ideas and assimilate it for themselves. Exploration activities are designed so that all students have common, concrete experiences upon which they continue building concepts, processes, and skills. This phase should be concrete and meaningful for the students.
During the activity, the students have time in which they can explore objects, events, or situations. The teacher's role in the exploration phase is that of facilitator or coach. The teacher initiates the activity and allows the students time and opportunity to investigate objects, materials, and situations based on each student's own ideas and phenomena.
Students are encouraged to work together without direct instruction from the teacher. The child is observing, questioning, and investigating the concepts to develop fundamental awareness of the nature of the materials and ideas.
To sum it up in a few words, the teacher acts as a consultant in this phase.

7. Explore
Within the social studies content, the explore phase might be a student observing a model– manipulating and learning from hands-on experiences.
Or, it might be a student gathering information from a primary document. Either of these can lead to independent writing of what the student learned or observed from the materials that brought social studies into the classroom.

8. Explore
These Kindergarten students, as any primary class could, are using a science tool (hand lens) to observe various characteristics of maps for a geography study.
This is similar to making observations of animals in the science curriculum. This process makes the abstract as tangible as possible. Now we are incorporating Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science TEKS.

9. More Explore Activities
Children’s literature
Role play
Webquests
Non fiction reading skills
Note taking
Technology
Varied Content
Webquests are a great way for older students to experience the world beyond the classroom. Students can use live webcams to observe far off places. They can also access information about their own community; and events and people of the past and present.
-read aloud
-independent reading
-Independent writing

10. EXPLAIN Explains possible solutions or answers.
STUDENT BEHAVIOR
Explains possible solutions or answers.
Listens to other students’ explanations and questions them.
Listens to explanations offered by the teacher.
Refers to previous activities. Uses recorded observations in explanations.
EXPLAIN
TEACHING STRATEGY
Encourages students to explain concepts and definitions.
Asks for evidence and clarification from students.
Provides definitions, explanations, and new vocabulary.
Uses students' previous experiences for explaining concepts.
The Explanation phase is the time for students to process concepts, processes, or skills in order for it to be plain, comprehensible, and clear. The process of explanation provides the students and teacher with a common use of terms relative to the learning experience. In this phase, the teacher directs student attention to specific aspects of the engagement and exploration experiences. First, the teacher asks the students to give their explanations. Then, the teacher introduces the explanations in a direct and formal manner. Explanations are ways of ordering and giving a common language for the exploratory experiences. The teacher should base the initial part of this phase on the students' explanations and clearly connect the explanations to experiences in the engagement and exploration phases of the instructional model.
The "explain" stage encourages students to explain concepts and definitions in their own words. Students are asked to justify and clarify their ideas. Formal definitions, explanations and labels are provided. This is done through such activities as discussions, films, etc..

11. Explain Brainstorming—shared writing good/services
key ideas about inventors

12. Savings and Loan
Savings and loan is a note taking strategy that allows students to record their own learning while sharing with three different partners.
-read aloud/shared reading/independent reading
-independent writing

13. Extend STUDENT BEHAVIOR
Applies new labels, definitions, explanations, and skills in new situations.
Uses previous information to ask questions, propose solutions, make decisions, design experiments.
Draws conclusions from evidence.
Records observations and explanations.
Extend
TEACHING STRATEGY
Expects students to use vocabulary, definitions, and explanations in new context.
Encourages students to apply the concepts and skills to new situations.
Reminds students of and refers to alternative explanations.
The cycle continues to the extend phase. At this point, it is important to involve them in further experiences that apply, extend, or elaborate the concepts, processes, or skills. Some students may still have misconceptions, or they may only understand a concept in terms of the exploratory experience. Elaboration activities provide further time and experience that contribute to learning.
The "extend" stage allows students to apply their new labels, definitions, explanations and skills in new, but similar situations. Students use previous information to ask questions, propose solutions, make decisions, or design experiments. It often involves experimental inquiry, investigative projects, problem solving and decision making. Students frequently develop and complete their own well-designed investigations, using the evidence to draw conclusions.
The teacher refers students to existing data and evidence and asks "What do you already know?" "Why do you think.....?" and reminds students of and refers to alternative explanations.

14. Extend
Class constitution—shared writing

15. More Extend Activities
Biography map
Vocabulary application
Frayer Model
Bingo games
-independent writing

16. EVALUATE Demonstrates an understanding of the concept or skill.
STUDENT BEHAVIOR
Demonstrates an understanding of the concept or skill.
Evaluates his or her own progress and knowledge.
Asks related questions that would encourage future investigations.
EVALUATE
TEACHING STRATEGY
Asks…
What do you already know?
What do you think?
Observes students…
Assesses students' knowledge and/or skills.
Looks for evidence that students have changed their thinking.
Allows students to assess their learning and group process skills.
At some point, students need to receive feedback on the adequacy of their explanations. It is imporatant to note that informal evaluation can occur from the beginning of the teaching sequence. The teacher can complete a formal evaluation after the extend phase. As a practical educational matter, teachers must assess educational outcomes. At this time students have an opportunity to use the skills they have acquired and evaluate their understanding. This is the phase in which teachers administer tests or nontraditional methods of assessment such as student products to determine each student's level of understanding.
The teacher asks open-ended questions, such as "Why do you think...? "What evidence do you have?" "What do you know about x?" "How would you explain x?"
The "evaluate" stage assesses both learning and teaching and can use a wide variety of informal and formal assessment strategies. Teachers frequently observe students as they apply new concepts and skills to assess students’ knowledge and/or skills, looking for evidence that the students have changed their thinking or behaviors. The opportunity to allow students to assess their own learning and group-process skills is often provided.

17. Evaluate
Picture of students creating community on butcher paper

18. More Evaluate Activities
Posters
Scripts
Interviews
Panel discussions
Idea maps
*DF
Presentations can come in many forms for the older student. These are all great opportunities for students to show what they have learned.
-independent writing

19. Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate
5-E Model
Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend, Evaluate
**Dawn