The West Region Unit Day 2

Third Grade
Tiffany Pugliese

I. Integration of Learning Outcomes:

The students will use maps to answer geographical questions regarding the
West region. The students will collaborate to show their understanding of the
life of a miner through song.

II. Standards:
NCSS Standards
7.1.3.A. Identify how basic geographic tools are used to organize and
interpret
information about people, places and environment
7.1.3.B. Identify and locate places and regions as defined by physical and
human features.
7.2.3.A. Identify the physical characteristics of places and regions.
PA Common Core Standards
CC.1.4.3.W. Recall information from experiences or gather information from
print
and digital sources; take brief notes on sources and sort
evidence
into provided categories.
CC.1.5.3. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on
A.
grade-level topics and texts, building on others ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
CC.1.5.3. Determine the main ideas and supporting details of a text read
B.
aloud or information presented in diverse media formats,
including visually, quantitatively, and orally

III. Anticipatory Set:

While the students are still seated at their desks, the teacher will connect to
prior knowledge by reviewing what was learned yesterday through the first
exploration of the web quest. The teacher will restate that we have been
introduced to these eleven states and started learning the history of them
and why people were attracted to this area, however we do not know much
about the geography yet. The teacher will display the two maps that are
featured in the students text: The West: a Region of Roadways and the
political map of the region on the Smart Board. The teacher will review the

information that the maps display and how we know what that information
means through the different features such as the legend.
The teacher will have the geography challenge activity already set up. The
class will be split into two groups to complete the activity. Students who have
special needs will be paired together.

IV. Procedures:
1. On the floor in the front and the back of the room will be a set of twelve
question cards, laid out in a large circle. The students will answer these
questions independently.
2. The teacher will explain that we are going to complete an activity to learn
more about the geography of this region. The teacher will explain the steps
of the activity:
There are twelve different questions laid out in a large circle in the front of
the room as well as the back of the room. Both circles have the same
questions and the class will be split into two groups to complete this. The
activity is like a scavenger hunt and you will be searching these maps for
different features, answering the questions. You will answer each question
independently unless otherwise told. Everyone will sit in the circle and start
on a different question. When you complete your question you may rotate to
the next question. It is okay if someone else is still there working on it, just
continue to complete the challenge quietly and independently.
3. The teacher will pass out the answer sheets and have a student read the
directions aloud. The teacher will then split up the class and start the activity.
After the activity, the teacher will go over the answers with the whole class,
having volunteers answer the questions.
4. After reviewing the geography challenge, the teacher will ask the students
how many of them had the opportunity to tour site 3, Leadville, Colorado?
The teacher will have the students recall the miners in the city of Leadville,
Colorado. The teacher will pull up the Honest Miners Song on the smart
board with the lyrics displayed. The teacher will explain that this song helps
us understand what the life of a miner was like.
5. The teacher will hand out the lyrics to each student with questions on the
reverse about the song. The teacher will play the song aloud for the students
while they follow along. After the song ends, the students will answer the
questions. After several minutes, the students will turn and talk with a
partner near them and share their ideas. The teacher will select several
volunteers to share.

6. The teacher will announce that we will make our own songs about being a
miner using a familiar tune. The teacher will explain that each verse, or line,
that they write will be about a different topic of a miners life. There will be
five topics: Grooming and Fashion, Work, Living Conditions, Weather, and
Leisure. There is information about each passage that the students need to
use to write their song. The students will be put into five groups and need to
collaborate to write the song together.
7. The teacher will hand out scrap paper and the topics to each group to
begin composing their song. Students who finish early may type up their
song on the computer, or come up with movement to go along with their
song.

V. Differentiation:
The teacher will have the students with needs, such as those in learning
support, paired together during the geography challenge. Students are also
able to work at their own pace so that there is no pressure for students who
take longer to process information.
For the Miners Song activity, students are working together in mixed abilities
groups. Each student can help generate ideas, one can be the recorder and
those who are not as strong in ELA can help come up with movement to the
song. Everyone will be accountable.

VI. Closure:
The students will have the opportunity to share their songs with other groups
at the end. After students had the opportunity to share, the teacher will have
the students settle back down in their seats and the teacher will ask
comprehension questions about what they learned about being a miner.

VII. Formative/ Summative Assessment of Students

The teacher will be observing students throughout both activities and
noticing those who participate. The students will be recording their
Geography Challenge Answers on the handout which can be collected, and
the lyrics will be collected. The lyrics will be graded using a rubric.

VIII. Materials / Equipment

Smart Board
Geography Challenge Questions for the West
Geography Challenge Answer Sheets
Social Studies Alive! Regions of Our Country text books opened up to the
maps in Chapter 12.
Geography PowerPoint

Life of a Miner PowerPoint

The Honest Miners Song
Life of a Miner Topics
Scrap Paper
Computers

IX. Technology
For this lesson the teacher will be using the Smart Board to review the
features of a map and to review the answers to the geography challenge.
The teacher will also play a song for the students to listen to as they read the
lyrics.

X. Reflection on Planning
I adapted this lesson from Social Studies Alive! In the beginning of each
chapter they have the geography preview using the maps of the region. I
added some of my own questions and changed the format to be similar to
the game of SCOOT! without the time restraint, so that students can work at
their own pace.
I also adapted the Miners song activity. I included the first portion of the
Miners Song lesson that is included in the teachers manual in my web quest
for the students so they already had some background knowledge, with
visuals.

XI. Reflection on Instruction