Stefanie Carranza

Education Field Experience EDUC 230-01

Professor Suk
Fall 2014
Middle School Lesson Plan
Middle School Lesson Plan
Grade Level: 7

Duration: 2 periods

Subject: Middle School Social Studies

Topic: African countries, capitals

and major exports

Objective: SWBAT identify the location of African countries on the continent, recognize
its capital, and list one major export for each country.
Standards: NJCCCS for Social Studies 6.2.8.B.4.c (NJCCCS, 2014)
Determine how Africas physical geography and natural resources presented challenges
and opportunities for trade, development, and the spread of religion.
Materials:

Teacher
blank African continent map
African countries shapes
magnets
PowerPoint slides
projector and screen
PowerPoint handout
country handouts

Student

pencils
colored pencils (if own)
PowerPoint handout
African map handouts

Prerequisite Skills and Knowledge: Students have already learned how to use a map
when analyzing geographic related questions.
Anticipatory Set: As students walk into classroom instruct each student to take a
country shape from the Do Now bin, read the hints on the back of the country and
attach it to the larger blank map on the front of the board using the magnets provided.
Input and Modeling: As students walk in the teacher will provide an borderless outline
of Africa with defined country boarders for the students to color and reference and a
PowerPoint handout for students to complete throughout the discussion that will focus on

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the location of each country, its capital, its topography, a brief description of its culture,
and major exports and/or imports, and any challenges the country may face. During the
beginning of the conversation, the teacher will correct the location of the countries with
the students help and use this as a reference point during the duration of the class, and ask
the students to begin coloring in the countries. The teacher will then complete one
countrys synopsis from a reading about the country with the class and project the results
on its designated slide for students to note and mimic.
Student Practice and Checking for Understanding:
1. The class will break into groups of three or four to read and discuss their specific
countries focusing on its capital, its topography, main components of its culture,
imports and exports and challenges the country has in regards to development in
order to make a small presentation to the class. The teacher will visit each group
individually to oversee, advice, and provide feedback on their understanding of
the content and skill.
2. The groups will divide the work into subcomponents and complete they assigned
section of the outline as the teacher continues to monitor progress but offer less
support.
3. Then, the individual students will pair-share within their groups to check each
others work for accuracy of content. In order to be ready for their presentation
the following day.
Closure:
Lesson Wrap-up: Ladies and gentlemen, in the ticket out bin jot down one
interesting thing youve learned about an African country and compare it to America.
Please bring in your completed African maps tomorrow, this is your homework, and be
ready to present your specific country with the class. See you tomorrow!
Culminating Activity: At the end of the unit of study, the students will create their very
own country including a capital, topography, culture and major imports and exports it can
be a 3-D model, 2-D model, simply a descriptive essay, or any combination. Then the
students must write a one-page paper on any challenges their countries may face be it
topographical or culturally in respects to trade and development. This assignment will be
graded with two separate rubrics. One that assess the design of the country including
design presentation or descriptiveness, naming, if the imports/exports make sense with
their topography and a demonstration of culture presence. The other rubric will evaluate
the content, organization, grammar mechanics, and coherence of challenges to country.
References
New Jeresy Core Curriculum Content Standards for Social Studies. (2014, July 9).
Retrieved October 20,2014, from http://www.state.nj.us/education/cccs/2014/ss

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