Title of Unit: Geography Title of Lesson: Cardinal Directions Submitted By: Isis Lopez Valdez

A. Summary of the Lesson Plan: This Social Studies lesson is designed for 3rd grade students to learn about cardinal directions on a compass rose to locate places on a map, the lesson also reviews standard features of a map, including map title and map key. This lesson uses the 3rd grade Houghton Mifflin Social Studies textbook Communities (p. 14-15). B. Target Population: Grade Level: 3rd grade Skill Level: students at all learning levels Grouping: whole group, partners, and independent work. C. Materials: Houghton Mifflin 3rd grade Social Studies Book: Communities (p.14-15) one for each student Pencils one for each student Maps - power point presentation, for teacher use Skill Practice (Unit Resources p. 5) one for each student see last page of lesson plan for sample Compass Rose worksheet one for each student - see last page of lesson plan for sample Social Studies Journals Every student has one D. Objectives: o NV State Social Studies Standards o G5.3.1 Identify and use cardinal directions on a compass rose to locate places on a map.

Student-Friendly Standards G5.3.1 I can read cardinal directions on a compass rose to locate places on a map.

E. Procedure: 1. Ask students: -Where in the USA is Nevada located? -How can we tell? -Introduce vocabulary (map title, map key, map rose) 2. Refer to notes on TE 14 Teach the Skill -Explain maps and their purpose
Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2013 Karen Powell- Instructor page 1

Title of Unit: Geography Title of Lesson: Cardinal Directions Submitted By: Isis Lopez Valdez

-Show different examples of maps through pre-arranged power point presentation, explain their purpose, demonstrate think alouds and stop to ask questions. -Demonstrate how a compass rose shows different directions on a map. 3. Call students attention to the map on pg. 15 -Allow students to practice the skill on pg. 15, students will work with a partner to answer the questions. -Allow students to apply the skill on pg. 15, students will work with a different partner to answer the second set of questions. -As a class, discuss the questions/answers on pg. 15, allow students to participate and build on student answers. 4. Students will complete the Skill Practice worksheet (Unit Resource p. 5) independently. 5. CLOSURE: Discuss student sentences on the apply section of the Skill Practice worksheet. F. Assessment: What will you use to measure student understanding? Fill out the possible directions on a blank compass rose. Students will independently record all possible cardinal directions on a blank compass rose, they will also write a journal entry explaining what direction to take if they would travel from Nevada to North Dakota, they will also identify where Florida, California and New York are located by referring to the US map on pg. 15 of their Social Studies book. Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson. Students must Identify and use cardinal directions on a compass rose to locate places on a map.Filling out the blank compass rose worksheet will measure understanding of cardinal directions and writing the journal entry will express their ability of locating places on a map. G. Reflection: 1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach? Locating places on a map will be the easiest to teach because the US map we will be using is labeled and by the time we get to locate the states or cities students will already know how to use the compass rose. 2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach?

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2013

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 2

Title of Unit: Geography Title of Lesson: Cardinal Directions Submitted By: Isis Lopez Valdez

The opening part will probably be the hardest because students have probably never heard of a compass. In todays world, GPS and all other technical devices have replaced compasses. 3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson? I will extend this lesson by introducing road maps and weather maps in more detail. Or for homework, I could have students find a different type of map than the one used in class. Students would print the map or bring in the book where they found it and we could share the maps and try to figure out how to read the map keys and what the maps are used for. 4. What will you do for students who dont grasp the concepts? For students who dont grasp the concept, I would go back to the basics: I would make sure they are able to identify the three basic elements of a map: the compass rose, the map key and the map title. I would then ask them the purpose of each and work from there. 5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change? If any, what may need to change is working in partners for the questions on pg. 15. Depending on the mood of the class, working in partners may not work. Perhaps working in groups may work better; some students may even prefer to work alone. 6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part? The most difficult part was finding a good closure to the lesson, but I think that by reviewing the activity on the skill practice worksheet, the lesson objective is summed up and students have a chance to clear up any confusion before the assessment.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2013

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 3