Kristin Raper, Elena Clark, Virginia Fawcett Crestview Elementary School Lesson Title: Life in the Midwest Lesson

Objective: Fourth-grade students will be able to describe in complete sentences characteristics of the Midwestern land Fourth-grade students will be able to describe in complete sentences reasons why prices factor into needs and wants in the Midwest Fourth-grade students will be able to describe in complete sentences why immigrants leave home countries and settle in the Midwest, as well as challenges they face in resettlement Goals of Lesson: -Students can locate the states that make up the Midwest on a map -Students can identify the major landforms of the Midwest -Students understand immigrant life in the Midwest -Students understand why people have different needs and wants Grade: 4 NCSS Standard: People, Places, and Environments Iowa Core: Understand how geographic and human characteristics create culture and define regions Understand the characteristics of regions--physical and cultural. Understand ways regional, ethnic, and national cultures influence individuals' daily lives. Understand how people from different cultures think about and deal with their physical environment and social conditions. Understand that new inventions reflect people's needs and wants; and when these change, technology changes to reflect the new needs and wants. Prerequisite Skills: Students are able to work cooperatively in small groups Students are able to draw or write to represent their ideas Students have basic knowledge of where Midwest states are located Students have basic knowledge of how to spend money Vocabulary: Culture: way of life Economy: the way people manage money and resources Majors landforms of Midwest: Badlands, Great Plains, Black Hills

Materials Needed: 1 Map of the United States 3 posters that represent major land forms 12 Photos of American 5 Photos of ethnic food 10 Photos of Iowan refugees 60 small sheets of paper, 2 x 3 Extra sheets of 8 x 11 paper for extensions Lesson Procedure: 2:15 Opening: Brief personal introductions, introduction of stations 2:20-2:31- Break up into groups. Stations - Land, culture, economy 2:32-2:43 - Groups 2:44-2:55 - Groups 2:56-3:00 - Closing: Whole group reflection Stations: Land:

Show class map of the United States, point out Midwest region Bring attention to posters of the major landforms, discuss location, how they were formed. Have students compare/contrast the landforms. Look at rocks from Badlands/Black Hills. Do you see the layers in these rocks? Do you think they came from the same location? How are these rocks different? Record student response on Venn diagram for all to see. Major rivers of the Midwest, show students where these are located, what was their major use. How do you think the pioneers traveled on these rivers? What else were the rivers used for? How did these rivers influence where people lived? Record student response on web organizer. Crops, what is grown, where it is grown, compare/contrast. Why are different crops located in different areas? How did the pioneers plant these crops? What tools, animals, or instruments could have been used to plant crops? Record student response on web organizer.

Economy: Give reasons why prices change over time. Different prices of food itemsShow Pictures and Prices of grocery items; describe how these prices changed over a period of 3 weeks at Hy-Vee.

How do you think store owners decide what price to charge for products like a one-gallon container of milk, a pair of athletic shoes, or a gallon of gasoline? Have each group come up with three reasons that might explain why a store owner would raise or lower his/her prices. Ask the children to respond to the following: What were some of the reasons that your group discussed? If you were a store owner, what would be the most likely reason for you to raise prices? Write the following definition on the board: Inflation describes a situation when the prices of most of the things people buy are increasing. Ask children to respond to the following: Based on the information you found about prices, do you think we are in a period of inflation? In what ways would you and your family be affected if food prices, housing prices, and clothing prices were going up a lot? Suggest some of the products and activities that you would be less likely to buy if prices for them went up a lot. Along with the suggestions- show some pictures of different types of foods (Microwave mac and cheese vs. homemade mac and cheese) Why would it matter which one I would buy? o Which would be a need and a want?

Culture: Ask, Why do you think immigrants leave their home countries? Record student responses on computer. Ask, Over the last few years, the immigrant population has grown tremendously in the Midwest region. Why do you think that is? Record responses. Show pictures of Iowan refugees. Ask students, Where do you think these people live? Why? [Student responses.] State, these people all living in Des Moines, Iowa. Were talking about the Midwest today. Have students flip through the Zakerys Bridge by Kay Fenton Smith and Carol Roh Spaulding. o Discuss reasons why immigrants leave their home countries War Ethnic conflict Lack of economic opportunities Sometimes invited, to escape o Discuss reasons why immigrants like the Midwest Family-friendly atmosphere Laws o Challenges of being an immigrant in the fourth grade Language (Begin speaking in Greek to them. Ask them what it feels like not to know what Im saying!)

Food. Show food pictures. Ask students which food they would rather eat and why. Say that students who did not grow up in America might prefer the other items!

Grouping: Grouping will be based on the table groups provided in Ms. Costellos classroom. The back two tables will be split up and divided between the three tables in the front of the room. There will be three total groups. Modifications: Extensions: Gifted students will be encouraged to write a journal entry from the perspective of an immigrant, and how the immigrant would view the culture, land and economy of the Midwest. The journal entry should be three paragraphs and may include a drawing. Adaptations: Students who are struggling will be asked to draw pictures to represent student responses to questions. Assessment: Whole-group Reflection Students write three things they learned about the Midwest: one about the land, one about the economy, and one about the culture. Rubric is on the board: o Students write the name and date on their papers. o Students write in complete sentences. Minimum of two sentences per topic. o Sentences are on-topic. Other answers will not be credited. Dialogue: Have students share what they did not already know before about the Midwest Total Lesson Time: 45 minutes References: http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004035.pdf http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2004/2004035.pdf www.iptv.org/iowapathways http://www.scholarsstrategynetwork.org/sites/default/files/ssn_basic_facts_fennel ly_on_immigration_in_the_midwest.pdf Land - Clip Art from Heartland AEA Google Images