Lesson Information:

Subject: Social Studies

Grade: 5

Objective: Locate and research important places in the United States. Display the information on
the iPad application Story Buddy.

Summary: Each student will choose one important place in the United States. Each student will
research this place and locate pictures, facts, etc. Each student will create an informational book
about their chosen topic on Story Buddy 2. This lesson combines geography, language arts, and
technology.

Apps used: Tap Notes or Notes for ideas, Google Earth, Disaster Alert, Story Buddy 2

Time: 3 days, 1 hour each day.

Standards:

Geographic Understandings
SS5G1 The student will locate important places in the United States.
a. Locate important physical features; include the Grand Canyon, Salton Sea,
Great Salt Lake, and Mojave Desert.
b. Locate important man-made places; include the Chisholm Trail; Pittsburgh,
PA; Gettysburg, PA; Kitty Hawk, NC; Pearl Harbor, HI; and Montgomery,
AL.

Common Core Language Arts/Presentation on Knowledge and Ideas

ELACC5SL4: Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and
using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak
clearly at an understandable pace.

ELACC5SL5: Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in
presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.

ELACC5SL6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when
appropriate to task and situation.

Large group discussion: You will create a book on the iPad. You will choose an important
place/structure/natural landmark in the United States. You will research your topic choice. You
will combine facts and pictures to create a book about your topic.

Introduction: Give the students an example list of important places in the United States. Give
each student an ipad. Ask each student to research their chosen topic. Research must include one
satellite photo of the location (Google Earth), a detailed picture of the chosen topic and 2
additional photos. Students must research informational facts about the topic. Students must
describe why they chose this topic.

Whole group: Demonstrate the basic functions of the iPad. Demonstrate Notes and Tap Notes.
Students choose one to write ideas for their book.

Introduce websites to help with choosing a topic. Explore the information in each website
to narrow the research time: http://www.historyplace.com/tourism/usa.htm
http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/united-states-guide
Introduce Goolgle Earth and Disaster Alert
Introduce Story Buddy 2

The Assignment: For this assignment you will create a book on an important place in the United
States. You will research the chosen topic. You will take notes on the chosen topic in one of the
following apps (Tap Notes or Notes). You will find 3 pictures of your topic. 1 of the pictures
must be a detailed picture of the chosen topic. You will use Google Earth to obtain a satellite
picture of the geographical area of your topic. You will use Disaster alert to see if there are any
current disaster/issues in the geographical area. You will create a book in the following sequence.

Title page with author

Introduction of your chosen topic (include name, geography location, age, any historical
person connected)
Five pages of your chosen topic including 3 pictures, google satellite image, 2 basic facts
on each page (ie #1 the The Grand Canyon is made of limestones, cherts, shales, schists,
sandstones, and granites. The Grand Canyon is 277 miles deep and include picture).
Wht? Two pages with pictures/graphics. A minimum of 2 reasons why you chose this
topic.

Completing the Assignment: These are the steps for completing the assignment.

Choose a topic
Research the topic
Choose facts and make notes
Save pictures
Save satellite view
Choose reasons for the topic
Put the book together.

Assessment:
Requirement 1 point 2 points 3 points Total
Title Title page with Basic title page Title page
missing with name and includes
info/errors author graphics/pictures
and is visually
interesting
Introduction 1 Fact 2 Facts 2+ Facts
Pictures 2 Pictures 3 Pictures 3+ Pictures/Good
design
Google Sattelite Unclear Image Clear image Clear and
Image lacking details detailed Image
Reasons 1 Reason for 2 Reasons for 2 reasons for
choosing topic choosing topic choosing topic
plus
graphics/image
Uses Tap Notes Very minimal Average notes Oragnized and
or Notes notes detailed notes
Uses resources 1 resource used 2 resources used 3+ resources
used
Use Google Yes ///////////////////// /////////////////////
Earth
Used Disaster Yes ///////////////////// /////////////////////
Alert
Used Story Unorganized Organized book Organized and
Buddy 2 book entertaining book
with
images/pictures
Total Score ////////////////////// ////////////////////// //////////////////////