ED 345 Calvin College Lesson Planning Form

Teacher:
Landforms

Ms. Emily Jeninga

Date: 9/30/16

Subject/ Topic/ Theme: Social Studies/Southeast/

(I teach social Studies only for 30 minutes each day, so I taught this lesson in a span of two thirty minute
sessions, separating the planning and presentation components into two separate days)
I. Objectives
What is the main focus of this lesson?
The main focus of this lesson is to learn about the key landforms that make up the Southeast Region
How does this lesson tie in to a unit plan? (If applicable.)
This lesson ties into the unit plan through introducing the key landforms that are present in the Southeast
Region.
What are your objectives for this lesson? (As many as needed.) Indicate connections to
applicable national or state standards. If an objective applies to only certain students write the
name(s) of the student(s) to whom it applies.
Objectives:

SWBAT define a wetland

SWBAT
SWBAT
SWBAT
SWBAT
SWBAT

describe what a barrier island does and how it is formed

identify on the map where wetlands are and where barrier islands are.
to describe the smoky mountains and explain why they are called smoky
highlight key information within an article.
create a presentation in which their landform is clearly described and defined.

National Standards

K-4 Benchmark II-B: Identify a region as an area with unifying characteristics (e.g., human,
weather, agriculture, industry, natural characteristics).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led)
with diverse partners on grade 4 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their
own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.B
Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.2
Determine the main idea of a text and explain how it is supported by key details; summarize the
text.

II. Before you start

Prerequisite knowledge
and skills.
Assessment
(formative and
summative)

The southeast region

What two bodies of water the southeast touches
Formative: student highlighting
Summative: student mini-presentation

Universal Design for Learning Networks/Domains (see UDL Guidelines)

RECOGNITION

STRATEGIC

AFFECTIVE

Multiple Means of Expression

(Action)
Options for action/interaction
Students work with their group to
create a presentation in front of
the rest of the class to teach their
topic.

Multiple Means of Representation

Options for Perception
Students are able to read about it, talk
about it, see the information through
pictures

Options for Language/Symbols

Options for Comprehension

Since the students have to teach the rest of
their class about their topic, they require a
greater level of comprehension.

Materials-what materials
(books, handouts, etc) do
you need for this lesson
and do you have them?
Do you need to set up
your classroom in any
special way for this
lesson? If so, describe it.
III. The Plan
Tim
Parts
e
Motivatio
n
(Opening/
Introducti
on/
Engageme
nt)

Developm
ent

Options for Expression

Students may choose any way
that they would like to present
their information.
Options for Executive Function

Multiple Means of
Engagement
Options for recruiting interest
The open-endedness of the
presentation is a key way of
recruiting students interests.
They are allowed to use whatever
means they would like.
Options for Sustaining Effort &
Persistence
Options for Self Regulation
Students have certain questions
that they need to answer as part
of their presentation, so that
ensures that they cover the
important information.

Articles for groups

Any materials the groups request
Sticky notes

no

The description of (script for) the lesson, wherein you describe teacher
activities and student activities
Today we are learning about the wonderful Landforms of the Southeast Region!
The Southeast is a very diverse region with many different landforms.
Introduce activity: they will become the experts.
Explain that they will be broken up into groups and will read through an article on a
special landform from the Southeast Region. After Reading the article, they need to
come up with a way to teach the class about their landform. Every person needs to
do something. They must:
1. Describe the landform
2. Identify where the landform is on the map
3. Any special features of the landform
4. Why does the landform have the name it does?
5. Fun facts about the landform?
Students will be broken into groups:

(Groups with Students names omitted for student privacy. Students were broken up
into 3 groups in each class)
Hand out article to students. Tell students that today they need to read through the
article and find the important aspects. On Monday they will have 5 minutes to
gather as a team to reconvene, and then they will come back and teach their
classmates about the landform that they have become experts about.
Collect articles back. Ask each group if they need any supplies or materials from me
for their presentation.
Give each student group 6 minutes to present. Before presentations review
expectations.
1. The listen to each other.
2. The ask important questions that are about what the group taught us.
3. When we switch between groups it is quiet so that we can move quickly.
Have each group present.
In their social studies journal have them write their three new vocabulary words
down with the definition adjacent to the word:
Closure

Wetlands: land that is covered with water at times

Barrier islands: a narrow island between the ocean and the mainland
Smoky Mountains: a mountain range along the Tennessee-north Carolina border.

Exit ticket: what was one thing you learned today?

Your reflection on the lesson including ideas for improvement for next time:
As a whole, I think this lesson went very well! The students really dove into their landform and learned as
much as they could about it. I think one thing that I would change next time, is to make the groups no
bigger than 4 people, maybe 5 if necessary. In my first class I had 6 students in a group, and that was too
many to have everyone involved and engaged. So I would have needed to create another group. I could
just have that group also do one of the three key landforms, or another solution is to have the 4 th group
study the Florida Keys as an additional landform of the Southeast. I also purposefully left it very openended, and for some students that was a major struggle, and for other students they soared with all of
the freedom. So in the future if I taught this again I would be sure to provide more structure to those
students that needed it.