Land and Water

Lesson Plan #1
Grade: 2 Social Studies Strand: Geography
Submitted By: Patty Medeiros

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

Lesson Plan #1 - Geography

B. Summary of the Lesson Plan:

submitted by: Patty Medeiros

This social studies lesson is designed for 2nd grade students to learn about the many forms of land and water on the Earth. This lesson uses the Houghton Mifflin Social Studies textbook Neighborhoods (p. 74- 79). C. Basic Information: Grade Level: 2nd grade Time to Complete this Lesson: approximately 50 minutes Groupings: whole group reading and discussions, independent for activity and assessment

D. Materials: Houghton Mifflin Social Studies Book: Neighborhoods (p. 74- 79) for each student Reading Skill: Compare and Contrast (Unit Resources p. 19) for each student(sample at the bottom of TE 74) Paper, pencils, and crayons or marker E. Objectives: o NV State Social Studies Standards G5.2.6- Identify geographic information within media sources, i.e., maps, books, photographs. G5.2.6- I can find landforms and bodies of water in maps, books, and photographs.

Student-Friendly Standards

F. Vocabulary landform a natural shape of the land valley low land between mountains or hills island land with water all around it peninsula a long piece of land that extends into water on three sides lake a body of water with land all around it

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 2

Lesson Plan #1 - Geography

G. Procedure: 1. Refer to notes on TE 74- Get Set to Read.

submitted by: Patty Medeiros

Preview the pictures between p. 74 and 79 Identify & discuss the different kinds of land and water Introduce vocabulary (landform, valley, island, peninsula, lake) Ask questions: Are there hills, or is it flat where we live? Is there a lake, a river, or an ocean nearby?

2. Explain the Compare and Contrast chart students will complete as we read. 3. As a class, read p. 74- 79, stopping to ask questions as indicated in the margins of the TE. 4. Students should record information on their charts while we are reading. 5. Ask questions listed in the margins of the TE as an ongoing check for understanding. Focus on these questions about land and water: (TE 75) What word do we use when we talk about the different shapes of land on the Earth? (TE 75) How is a valley often formed? (TE 76) How are islands and peninsulas alike? (TE 78) Is there more salt water or fresh water on the Earth? (TE 78) In what way is a lake different from a river?

H. Assessment: What will you use to measure student understanding? (TE 79) Write one or two sentences that tell what you know about landforms. (TE 79) Draw a picture of how people use land and water in your community. Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson. Sentences should include the idea that landforms have many different shapes. Illustrations show people using land and water in ways that are relevant to their community. I. Closure: Review and Discuss tested objectives from the Review/Assess section of TE p. 79: What are some landforms? What are some bodies of water?

J. Reflection: 1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach? I think the easiest part of this lesson for me to teach will be the first part where I am introducing the concepts to the students and helping them make connections; previewing pictures, and identifying and discussing different landforms and bodies of water. This area we live in is so full of different landscapes with the desert under
Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 3

Lesson Plan #1 - Geography

submitted by: Patty Medeiros

our feet, hills just in the distance, the Sierra Nevada Mountains in view, the Carson River running through and Lake Tahoe, Lake Lahontan and Washoe Lake nearby it should be easy to provide students with plenty of examples of landforms and bodies of water they can personally relate to. 2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach? I think the vocabulary will be the most difficult to teach; trying to help students differentiate between terms such as peninsula and island, and valley and plain for example. I think if we add these terms to our content word wall with pictures, however it will help. 3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson? The Houghton Mifflin Social Studies Book includes an extension where students read a Cherokee legend about the formation of Earth. Afterwards students either talk or write about what they read, depending on the level of support they require. I would include this as an extension to the lesson and time permitting I would also like to include a small project that would further enforce the vocabulary concepts covered in the lesson. This would be a small group project where students work cooperatively to construct a 3d poster with painted oceans, lakes, rivers, and valleys and clay molded mountains, islands and peninsulas. 4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts? I think learning the vocabulary is the biggest concept to grasp with this lesson so if students arent understanding the terms, TE p. 75 under ELL has a great visual activity that helps students connect the words valley, mountain, peninsula, and island with the landform it describes. 5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change? I would not omit anything from the lesson; just add to it to make it a richer learning experience for students. These additions are what I mentioned previously; adding the small group project for students to complete a 3d poster with the landforms and bodies of water, and also spending some additional time on vocabulary at the beginning of the lesson, adding the terms to a Content Word Wall. 6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part? I had the most difficulty with determining the correct standards this lesson will meet. The 2nd grade Houghton Mifflin Social Studies Book lists the covered objectives as: Identify landforms and Identify bodies of water, however it was difficult trying to find a 2nd grade Nevada Social Studies Standard these would fall under.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2014

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 4