Unit Plan: Where We Live

Lesson Plan for Tuesday

Grade: 1
st

Social Studies Strand: Geography
Submitted By: Laura Comstock


EDEL 453: Teaching Elementary School Social Science
Nevada State College Spring 2014
Instructor: Karen Powell
Lesson Plan for Tuesday Strand: Geography submitted by: Laura Comstock

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2
B. Summary of the Lesson Plan:
Teacher will lead a popcorn reading from Social Study textbook pages 82-85. After the
reading students will verbally discuss the lesson review questions as well as orally complete
a venn diagram comparing and contrasting mountains and plains.
C. Basic Information:
Grade Level: 1
st

Time to Complete this Lesson: 50 minutes
Groupings: whole group (popcorn reading); partners (discussing with shoulder or face
partners the lesson review questions)
D. Materials:
Social Study books
Chart paper
22 copies of the venn diagram worksheet for students to complete
E. Objectives:
o NV State Social Studies Standards
G8.1.2 Identify locations for accessing basic resources available to the
student, i.e., food, water.

o Student-Friendly Standards
I can identify locations of water and food.
F. Vocabulary
Mountain A land that is higher than the land around it.
Plain a large flat land area
River fresh water that moves across the land
Lake a body of water that has land around it.
G. Procedure:
1. Teacher will lead a popcorn reading from social study textbooks starting on page 82-
85.
2. During the reading teacher will discuss the talk about it questions from the teacher
edition book. Students will discuss each question with their shoulder partner before
sharing whole group as a class.
o What is a mountain? Tell how a plain is different from a mountain? What is the
name of the mountain in the picture on page 82?
Lesson Plan for Tuesday Strand: Geography submitted by: Laura Comstock

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 3
o What is the difference between a river and a lake? Look at the pictures on
page 84. What do you see?
3. After reading teacher will discuss with the class whole group the questions from the
lesson review section.
4. Whole group the teacher will lead a discussion using chart paper to document student
understanding of the difference and similarities between a mountain and a plain.
5. Using step 4 as a model, the students will then complete their own venn diagram of the
similarities and differences between a lake and a river.
H. Assessment:
What will you use to measure student understanding?
To assess student understanding they will complete the venn diagram explained in step
5 as well as discussing the guided and after reading questions.
Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson.
I will know students understand the concept by having the students complete study
guide/homework page 22 from their resource book.
I. Closure:
As a closure the students will have to identify weather a picture is of a lake, river,
mountain or plain.
J. Reflection:
1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach?
The easiest part to teach would be explaining the difference between a
mountain/plain and a river/lake.
2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach?
The challenging part would be making sure the CCSD standard aligns with the
lesson.
3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson?
To extend this lesson students can write in their writing journals about what they
believe a river would be good to use for.
4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts?
The students that do not grasp the concept can be taught using more visuals in a
small group setting during a center time.
5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change?
I think the lesson might not last the whole 50 minutes.
6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part?
Lesson Plan for Tuesday Strand: Geography submitted by: Laura Comstock

Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2014 Karen Powell- Instructor page 4
The most difficult part of this lesson plan was finding the standard that fit.