Learning Environment Lessons

Lesson Plan 1:
By Kyle Yamnitz

Title of lesson: Which Continent is next?

Description of lesson (Summary):
Grade Level: 3-5, Geography
Materials: Index cards, encyclopedias, online encyclopedias, and other reference materials.
Performance Expectation: Students' awareness of basic geographic and demographic data will increase and students will learn the ordering of continents based upon certain criteria.
Directions: Lead a brief review of the continents with the students, writing the names of the continents on the board in alphabetical order. Ask how they were ordered and follow this by requesting other ways that the list could be ordered, recording them on the board.
Now ask students to predict the order of the continents in terms of total land area. Allow each student to represent a continent and to order themselves by area. After they get in order, provide them with index cards with the actual areas on them and ask them to rearrange themselves. Repeat this process for other categories such as population, population density, annual growth, etc. The actual statistics for these criteria can be found in Grolier's New Electronic Encyclopedia and other similar CD-ROM resources, not to mention internet resources and atlases or almanacs.

Description of Lesson Goals and Standards: Students will begin by guessing what order they think the continents go in based on population, land mass, growth, etc. The students will work in groups and research a particular continent using reference and online resources. Once they gather the information for the different categories/criteria for their continent, they will share with the class and put the continents in order based on their research.
QCC: Social Studies: Geography
18 Topic: Location
Standard: Names the Earth's seven continents, four hemispheres, and four oceans.
QCC: Technology Integration: Basic Skills
5 Topic: Basic Skills
Standard: Operates basic technology tools and applications.

Rationale for Technology: The technology for this lesson uses the internet as a research tool for the students. Students will have to choose keywords that will help narrow the search for the information they need. This lesson also helps students use more than one research tool. It combines online and book research. The advantage of the technology in this lesson is that is provides a wide range of information. It also presents the disadvantage to the students of trying to sort out the information that can help them and the material that can’t.

Description of Lesson Implementation: This information combines class participation as well as group work. The steps of the lesson are straightforward. The teacher must decide what criteria she wants the class to focus on when putting the continents in order. One problem that may arise in the lesson is how long it will take for the students to gather the information. Another problem may be the lack of computers for the students to use.

Assessment: I wouldn’t have an individual assessment. But if the teacher wanted to, she could determine how well a student worked with other and their help on gathering the information. A teacher could even quiz the student on the information they heard from the other groups about their continent. To assess the class, the teacher should already have a correct order the continents go in based on the different criteria.

Other Places to Use this Solution: This lesson can be used for grades three thru fifth with some modifications.

What I Learned and What I Would Improve Next Time: I like this lesson because it allows the students to guess what they think, and then allows them to gather information that may prove or disprove their original guess. Maybe next time I could improve the length of the lesson.

References/ Resources Used: http://www.lessonplanspage.com/Geography2.htm

Evaluation: The activity helps to carry out the objective of the lesson very well. I feel that after the students complete the activity, they will have a better understanding about the continents of the world. Not just based on knowing the names and location, but they will have learned the population, growth, and many other key factors that classify continents.
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Lesson Plan 2:
By - Jim Knight

Title of lesson: Traveling The World

Description of lesson (Summary): Grade Level: 1-4, Geography

Each month the teacher will pick a country out. Have a map of the world on a bulletin board and for each month have a string that is attached to your hometown and stretch it to the country you are visiting. For that month have that as a "theme" and you are able to incorporate science, social studies, and language arts into the lesson. Once a week have that as a specific topic to talk about and then at the end of the month have a "small" cultural party and then at the beginning of the next month leave that country and travel to a new country. Example: France Language Arts: Have students write about pictures and observations they have seen in the picture. You can have the students read a book about the country or something that has to do with the country for example: Madeline. Science: You can take a look at the landscape the earth features in France. Social Studies: Look at the culture, the map and areas of France. *Also you can make the students make a "passport" at the start of this lesson with their picture and at the beginning of the month make them go through "customs" and get their passport stamped.

Description of Learning Goals and Standards: Each month the students will learn about a different country. They will learn about its culture, population, landscape, etc. This will help students become more aware of other countries.
QCC: Social Studies Geography
20 Topic: Physical Characteristics
Standard: Uses physical characteristics to describe regions (e.g., Europe, which may include Eastern Europe: climate zones, mountain ranges, Great European Plain, peninsulas, river systems, and natural resources).
QCC: Social Studies Geography
22 Topic: Cultural Characteristics
Standard: Identifies the cultural characteristics of a region (e.g., Central Eurasia: Slavic; Turkic languages; Orthodox Christianity; Islam; Russian Empire; Soviet Empire; communism; modernization;, and nationalism).
QCC: Technology Integration: Basic Skills
5 Topic: Basic Skills
Standard: Operates basic technology tools and applications.

Rationale for Technology: The technology for this lesson can play a big part. Students can not only use the internet for information about the country, but they can also look at pictures of the country instead of just reading about it.

Description of Lesson Implementation: The lesson itself is very board. The teacher would have to determine what lessons to use to help the students learn about the country. To begin the activity, the teacher will allow the students to make their own passports. Every time they study a new country the teacher can stamp the students passports as if they visited the country. Some problems that may arise is determining what countries to study, what important facts the students should know about the country, how to limit the number of countries, etc.

Assessment: At the end of each country studied, the students should have a test to assess their understanding of the country. They should know things such as the countries flag, population, capital, location, etc.

Other Places to Use this Solution: This lesson can be used for a number of grades.

What I Learned and What I would Improve Next Time: I would limit this lesson to four or five countries and are in different parts of the world. I would also clearly state what facts about the country the students will learn.

Evaluation of lesson: This lesson is a great way to incorporate different cultures and countries into your everyday lesson. The students are learning the basics with added interest. Although this lessons objectives, and the activities are board, you can expand on the idea in any direction you want.