Leah Michajluk

EDUC 620: Practicum Unit Plan

Subject: Landforms
Grade Level/Course: 2nd Grade
Title: Identifying Earths Landforms
Objectives:
The students will
The students will
The students will
The students will
The students will
The students will
The students will
The students will
The students will
The students will
(mountains of PA
The students will
The students will
measurements.

distinguish between a map and a globe.

use a map to answer geographic questions
define cardinal directions.
develop an understanding of various landforms that make up the Earth.
define what a landform is.
identify characteristics of landforms.
compare and contrast landforms.
locate landforms on a map.
identify water, wind, heat, and cold as forces that alter Earths surface.
differentiate between local (PA) landforms and distant landforms
versus the deserts of Arizona).
analyze the impact of weather on landforms.
measure distance and calculate the difference between two

Unit Essential Questions:

What landforms make up Earths surface?
What are the features of landforms?
How and why does the Earths surface change?
How do you read a map?
How are maps used to identify landforms?
Standards/Alignments:
S.K-2.D.1.1.1 Identify different types of Earth materials (e.g. rock, soil, sand, pebbles).
S.K-2.D.1.3.1 Identify features on Earths surface (e.g. lakes, rivers, oceans,
mountains, plains, volcanoes).
S.K-2.D.1.3.2 Describe natural events that alter Earths surface (e.g., volcanic
eruptions, floods, hurricanes, earthquakes).
S.K-2.D.1.3 Understand that Earths surface is constantly changing.
3.2.2.B2 Explore and describe how different forms of energy cause changes. (e.g.,
sunlight, heat, wind)
3.3.1.A4 Identify and describe types of fresh and salt-water bodies.
3.3.4.A1 Describe basic landforms.
3.3.4.A6 Identify basic landforms using models and simple maps.
3.3.3.A5 Explain how air temperature, moisture, wind speed, and direction, and
precipitation make up the weather in a particular place and time.
7.1.2.A Identify how basic geographic tools are used to organize information.
7.1.2.B Describe regions in geographic reference using physical features.
7.2.2.A. Identify the physical characteristics of places.
7.2.2.B. Identify the basic physical processes that affect the physical characteristics
regions.

Leah Michajluk
EDUC 620: Practicum Unit Plan
7.4.2.A Identify how environmental changes can impact people.
CC.1.4.2.W Recall information from experiences or gather information from provided
sources to answer a question.
2lNBT.A.4 Understand place value. Compare two three-digit numbers based on
meaning of the hundreds, tens, and ones digits, using >, =, and < symbols to record the
results of comparisons.
2.MD.A.4 Measure and estimate lengths in standard units. Measure to determine how
much longer one object is than another, expressing the length difference in terms of a
standard length unit.
Big Ideas:
There are physical processes that shape the surface of the Earth to create unique
geographic features.
Identifying specific landforms can provide indicators to an areas history and
climate.
Concepts:
Earth processes occur over long periods of time and affect large areas.
Maps and models are used to help understand how these processes shape our
planet.
The physical features of Earths surface are not static and will continue to change
over time.
Competencies:
Apply terminology associated with maps and globes such as key, scale, and
cardinal directions.
Describe the relationship between natural processes and the structures of our
planet.
Explain the cause and effect of physical geographic features.
End of Unit Assessment:
Review of Landforms flipbook
Multiple choice and fill in the blank test with a draw and label portion
Related Materials and Resources:
Topographical Map
Globe
Laptops
National Geographic landforms images
Transparency: Landforms in the Continental United States
Landform cutouts for flipbook
Worksheet: Landforms (cut and paste)
Videos:
Landforms, Hey! (3:57) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FN6QX43QB4g
Exploring Landforms (9:18)

Leah Michajluk
EDUC 620: Practicum Unit Plan

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=BsqKTJtK_vw&ebc=ANyPxKoTI2LaM9MbcmuqJniJNLCnAiNQloQpaWb92hLnzkvYvrccjW0tKT8RGgvdq0HMJ2IxT6wG57WMMId219zo6s3_IXDUQ
Mr. DeMaios video about landforms (4:40 and very funny)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWTDmg8OI_Y
(Covers mountains, valleys, plateau, peninsula, island, plain, lake, and river)
Bill Nye Weathering and Erosion (5 min.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-ULcVdeqgE
Pangea (25 seconds)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaUk94AdXPA

Websites:
National Geographic
http://education.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/landform/
BrainPOP Jr. (Landforms picture matching game)
https://jr.brainpop.com/science/land/landforms/matching/
Match the Memory (Image matched with words; timed)
http://matchthememory.com/mrpolum
Types of Land (Interactive landform regions of the US)
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/typesofland/typesofland.html
Real-time satellite view of the earth from space
http://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/uncgi/Earth/action?opt=-p
Maptivation Interactive Map Creator
http://mrnussbaum.com/maptivation-ipad.html#video
World Atlas
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/us.htm
Landforms for kids
http://mocomi.com/landforms/
Overview of Lesson Plans (attached)
Day 1 Focus: Introduction to maps, globe, and definition of landforms
Day 2 Focus: Features and formation of landforms
Day 3 Focus: Local and national landforms
Day 4 Focus: Applying knowledge of landforms and building comprehension
Day 5 Focus: Culminating project: Landforms flipbook
Day 6 Focus: Review and end of unit assessment
Vocabulary:
Landform a natural feature on the earths surface.
Continent one of the 7 main landmasses of the earth.
Hill a raised mound of land smaller than a mountain.
Plain a flat smooth area at low elevation
Mountain a large piece of raised land with steep sides. They are usually taller
than 2,000 feet.

Leah Michajluk
EDUC 620: Practicum Unit Plan
Valley a low area of land between hills or mountains, usually with a river or
stream flowing through it.
Island a piece of land surrounded by water on all sides.
Peninsula a piece of land that sticks out into a body of water but only has water
on 3 of its sides.
Desert an area with less than 9.75 of rainfall each year.
Lake a body of water surrounded by land on all sides.
Ocean a huge body of salt water that covers 71% of the earths surface.
Stream a body of flowing water that moves across Earths surface
River a large stream of flowing fresh water (smaller streams of water are called
creeks).
Gulf a deep inlet of the sea that is almost surrounded by land and has a narrow
opening.
Cardinal directions directions on a map labeled N, E, S, W and stand for North,
East, South, and West.
Map a diagram of land or sea that shows the physical features.
Key explains what the symbols on a map represent. It is sometimes called a
Legend.
Globe a 3 dimensional, round map of the Earth.
Border a line that separates two different areas.
Scale a measuring ruler on a map that helps you measure distance between
places.
Weathering when natural processes such as water, wind, or ice, breaks down
rock into smaller pieces of sand or soil.
Erosion when water, wind, ice causes the movement of sand or soil from one
place to another.
Pangea a supercontinent made of all 7 present day continents that began
drifting apart somewhere between 200 and 300 million years ago.
13 Types of Landforms:
Continent
Mountain
Hill
Valley
Plain
Island
Peninsula
Lake
Ocean
River
Stream
Gulf
Desert
Culminating project:

Leah Michajluk
EDUC 620: Practicum Unit Plan
The culminating project for this unit is a multi-layered Landforms Flipbook. Students will
make a graphic representation of various landforms in the form of a layered flipbook.
Students will be required to identify and label the landforms in their book as well as write
a brief description of each landform. The class will participate in a gallery walk of finished
books as a way to close the lesson.