Lesson Planning Form for Accessible Instruction Calvin College Education Program

Teacher
Date

Grade ____4th___

Miss DeGroot

Subject/ Topic/ Theme Lesson #6 U.S. Regions

Sept. 30, 2016

I. Objectives
How does this lesson connect to the unit plan?
This lesson adds to the unit in that it continues to build students knowledge on how maps work. It expands
their knowledge of the U.S. by showing how and why the U.S. is divided into regions.
Learners will be able to:
State that a region is an area with at least one characteristic or feature that sets it apart from other
areas
Understand that regions make it easier to study large areas of land, such as the U.S.A.
Regions can be based on many different characteristics such as landforms or climate
Work collaboratively with a partner to divide the U.S.A into regions (two different ways)
Divide the U.S.A into its correct regions based off of the 4 landforms on their maps
Standards:
G2.0.1 Describe ways in which the United States can be divided into different regions (e.g., political
regions, economic regions, landform regions, vegetation regions).
ART.D.I.4.4 Define and demonstrate an understanding of general space.
II. Before you start
Identify prerequisite
knowledge and skills.

Students should understand that landforms can be spotted and

divided up onto a map. (Ex. Rocky mountains can have a circle
drawn around them; the great plains can have a circle drawn around
them as well-- they are easily separated).

Outline assessment
activities

Pre-assessment (for learning): Students will do the activity in the hallway. This will show me who
understands how to logically divide regions and who doesnt.
Formative (for learning): +
Diving USA maps into regions

Formative (as learning): +

Observations as groups do work in hallway and with USA maps
Summative (of learning): +
Hallway activity, USA maps activity

What barriers
might this lesson
present?

Provide Multiple Means

of Representation

Provide Multiple
Means of Action
and Expression

Provide Multiple
Means of
Engagement

Provide options for

perception- making
information perceptible
Written
maps

Provide options for

physical actionincrease options
for interaction
Individual activity
in the hallway

Provide options
for recruiting
interest- choice,
relevance, value,
authenticity,
minimize threats

Provide options for

language, mathematical
expressions, and symbolsclarify & connect
language

Provide options for

expression and
communicationincrease medium
of expression

Drawing
writing

Drawing
writing

Provide options
for sustaining
effort and
persistenceoptimize
challenge,
collaboration,
mastery-oriented
feedback

Provide options for

comprehension- activate,
apply & highlight

Provide options for

executive
functionscoordinate short &
long term goals,
monitor progress,
and modify
strategies

Practice in the hallway

individually
Practice with a partner
Complete with the whole
class

Provide options
for
self-regulationexpectations,
personal skills
and strategies,
self-assessment
& reflection

Copy my large
map onto your
small map
Divide the U.S.
into regions

Materials

Large landforms map in hallway

Map worksheet for students to fill in
USA topographical maps

How will your

classroom be
set up for this
lesson?

The first part of the lesson the students will be seated at their desks
The second part they will be in the hallway doing an activity
The third part, students will be around the room working with a
partner
The fourth part, students will be at their desks

III. The Plan

Compo
nents

Describe teacher activities

AND
s
tudent activities
for each component of the lesson. Include important higher order thinking
questions and/or prompts.

Time

5min

5min

Motivati
on
(opening
/
introduct
ion/
engage
ment)

Develop
ment
(the
largest
compon
ent or
main
body of
the
lesson)

Show students the short video clip that explains what a

region is
Who can guess what we are going to be talking about
today, based on the video you just watched?

1 student answers

Regions! Exactly! Today we are going to be talking about

how to divide the united states into regions. To give us a
little practice, I have an activity set up in the hallway outside.
When I dismiss you, I need you to grab a pencil and your
clipboard and meet me in the hallway
Once students are in the hallway, hand out worksheets and
explain the activity.
I created this big map that has different landforms on it. Up
on the wall is the key in case you arent sure what
something is.
Your paper has the same map on it, except it is blank. What
you need to do, is fill in your map just like mine is! You
should have rocks where I have rocks, and trees where I
have trees. You map use your colored pencils if you would
like.
Once your map is completely filled in, I want you to decide
what you think the best way to divide the map into regions
is.
Remember a region is an area of land with at least one
characteristic or feature that sets it apart from other areas.
Does anybody have any questions?
I will be walking around helping, so if you have questions,
come find me. You may begin.

Students ask
clarifying questions

(manage/monitor students in how they are working and the

noise level at which they are working. GIve reminders that
this is an individual activity and there should be minimal
talking)

20min

Students work silently

and independently.

Give students a three minute warning before it is time to

wrap up.
As students walk back into the classroom, collect their
worksheets to use as assessment.
Once students are seated, draw a quick sketch of the map
on the board. Have volunteers come up and show how they
chose to divide the map into regions. (take 3 or 4
examples). Talk about what each part of the map stood for.
(plains, great plains, mountains, lake)

Students volunteer to
show how they
divided the land into
regions

5min
Next, hand out to each student his or her topographical
map. Ask them to get a white board marker.
Show that regions can be divided based on landforms. Have
them divide their maps based on the landforms that they
previously drew.

5min

Ask the class for ideas on how else maps can be divided
(highlight the students who answer by saying direction
(north, south, east west) and weather.

15min

Pull up maps on different ways the US is divided into

regions and have students practice dividing by drawing on
their maps. Explain midwest region, temperate region, hot
arid region.etc.

5min

Closure
(conclusi
on,
culminati
on,
wrap-up)

Have students talk with a partner to come up with reasons

why it might be important to divide an area of land into
regions.
Have one or two students share with the class.
Remind them that dividing land into regions helps us learn
more about the land and helps us organize our thoughts
when talking about the land.

Students divide the

land into regions on
their individual maps

Students talk with a

partner about the
purpose of regions

Your reflection about the lesson, including evidence(s) of student learning and engagement, as
well as ideas for improvement for next time. (Write this after teaching the lesson, if you had a chance
to teach it. If you did not teach this lesson, focus on the process of preparing the lesson.)
Im finding that having my students out in the hallway doing an activity with the lesson is really beneficial. It
engages the students and really helps my many students who are tactile learners. It allows them to move
freely and interact with their classmates, even if it is an individual activity. As I review topics weve learned
previously, I am able to refer back to our hallway activities as a reference and I find that most students
remember the purpose of the activity and they remember what they learned from it. This lesson was the
same way. The students enjoyed working in the hallway and they even did it silently without me even
asking. They followed directions really well and were able to complete the activity in a timely manner. They
seemed to understand different ways to divide land into regions and the purpose of regions. If I were to do
this lesson again I think I would leave it even more open ended. It seemed pretty obvious to most students
that my map was to be divided into regions based on the landforms. If I did the lesson again, I would have
them create their own countries and have them divide it into regions. I would have them write a paragraph
explaining the regions as well. Overall, it was a really fun lesson and the students were really excited to
jump back into social studies and have already told me that theyre looking forward to the next lesson.

Name: ______________________________

Explain how you divided your region: ______________________________

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