Lesson Plan #3: Integrating Language Arts & Social Studies Grade: 3rd Social Studies Strand: Geography

Submitted By: Nicole Sheehan

EDEL 453: Teaching Elementary School Social Science Nevada State College Spring 2014 Instructor: Karen Powell

Lesson Plan #3 - Geography

submitted by: Nicole Sheehan

B. Summary of the Lesson Plan: This social studies lesson is designed for 3rd grade students to learn about the Geography of The United States and landforms along with bodies of water within the nation. This lesson uses the Houghton Mifflin Social Studies textbook Communities (p. 36-41).

C.

Basic Information: Grade Level: 3rd Time to Complete this Lesson: 50 Minutes Groupings: whole group, partners and individual.

D. Materials: Houghton Mifflin 3rd Grade Social Studies Book: Communities (p. 36-41)- for each student. Pencil /Social Studies Journals

E. Objectives: o NV State Social Studies Standards o G6.3.2 Identify characteristics of neighborhoods and communities, i.e., physical geographical differences, land use, population density. G6.3.2 I can explain and point out (on a map) physical differences of land forms.

Student-Friendly Standards

F. Vocabulary Coast- land next to the ocean. Desert- dry area where little rain falls and few plants grow. Region- an area that shares one or more features.
EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2

Nevada State College

Lesson Plan #3 - Geography

Landform- a natural feature of a land surface.

submitted by: Nicole Sheehan

G. Procedure: 1. Refer to page 36 notes on TE - Get Set to Read Direct students attention to map page 37. Identify the different landforms on the map.(Introduce vocabulary words desert, region, landform, coast) Discuss with a partner the landforms in Alaska and Nevada. Categorize landforms and bodies of water by location whole group.

2. As a class, read p. 36-38, stopping at p.38 to have students individually read the first two sentences on p.39. Have students Question Observe and Infer about the affect the Mississippi River has on the people living in the central part of the United States as indicated in the margins of the TE. I will have students write this in their journals. 3. Have students work on lesson review on p.41individually to hand in for assessment. 4. Complete closure activity (refer to I. Closure). H. Assessment: What will you use to measure student understanding? I will use the answers from the lesson review on p.41. Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson. Students must answer question from the lesson review with accuracy. I. Closure: In discussion we will go over question 4 of the Lesson Review they just completed.

J. Reflection: 1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach? I think that the easiest portion to teach of this lesson would be the categorizing of the landforms and bodies of water. I feel its straight forward and students will understand quickly. 2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach? I think the Question Observe and Infer portion will be the most challenging as the students will need to really analyze to come to an inference. Teaching how to do this will be a challenge. 3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson?
Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 3

Lesson Plan #3 - Geography

submitted by: Nicole Sheehan

For a follow up lesson I will have students group together and create a model of the United States as listed on p.39. 4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts? During the model activity I will go to each group and do mini review of the concept (Possibly grouping most together so I am able to get more in depth while others are working. 5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change? I might want to add to assessment in order to be able to better plan future instruction. 6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part? I had a difficult time incorporating the strategy from Integrating Language Arts & Social Studies that you included because lesson components are already listed in book. 7. Explain the strategy from Integrating Language Arts & Social Studies that you included in this lesson plan. I did my best to fit in the Question Observe and Inference strategy by using a portion of the lesson that was similar and elaborating to mold to elements of Question Observe and Inference.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 4

Lesson Plan #3 - Geography

submitted by: Nicole Sheehan

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 5