Social Studies Field Placement Lesson

Lauren Sammon
I. Purpose:
It is important for students to learn about the world around them. Basic map skills
include identifying the 7 continents and 5 oceans. Students must develop this knowledge
before fully understanding how to find smaller regions on the map.
3.5 The student will develop map skills by
a) positioning and labeling the seven continents and five oceans to create a
world map;
b) using the equator and prime meridian to identify the Northern, Southern,
Eastern, and Western Hemispheres;
c) locating the countries of Spain, England, and France;
d) locating the regions in the Americas explored by Christopher Columbus (San
Salvador in the Bahamas), Juan Ponce de Len (near St. Augustine,
Florida),
Jacques Cartier (near Quebec, Canada), and Christopher Newport
(Jamestown,
Virginia);
e) locating specific places, using a simple letter-number grid system.
II. Objectives:
When given a blank world map, the student will be able to identify and label each of the seven
continents and five oceans according to the corresponding numbers with 83% accuracy.
III. Procedure:
a. Introduction
In this lesson, students will be reintroduced to the seven continents and five oceans
through several different representations. First, students will see the continents and oceans on
Google Earth, then students will see the continents and oceans on a traditional map, and finally,
the students will label their own maps. The students will also work together to read facts about
each of the 7 continents and 5 oceans, and share that information with the class. Prior to this
lesson, the students will have been introduced to the names of the different continents and
oceans, this lesson will develop the students knowledge gained during the introductory lesson.
This lesson is important to provide students with multiple representations of the
continents and oceans, and give them several opportunities to see and hear the names of the
continents and oceans. Students must first learn these large, basic regions of the map before
successfully identifying smaller regions, such as countries. The end goal is for identification of
the continents and oceans to become automatic.

b. Development
First, distribute sets of continent and ocean name signs to each table group. Present
students with Google Earth and briefly explain how it is a model of what the earth looks
like from space. Explain when a different continent or ocean is shown on Google Earth,
the students must work together with their table teams to correctly identify each continent
and ocean. One by one, show the students each continent and ocean on Google Earth.
When presenting a continent, ask the students to decide as a team the name of the
continent, and hold up the corresponding sign. If any groups have different answers,

allow them to justify and reason why they chose a certain name. Guide the class toward
coming to a consensus on the correct name, and move on. (a,v,k,t)

Next, divide the students in pairs and assign one student as the reader and one student
as the speaker. Hand out the 12 fliers, one for each pair of students. Ask the reader to
read the information aloud to the speaker. Instruct the speaker to listen to the reader and
choose one fact to share with the class. After the students have finished, ask the speaker
from each pair to share the fact they chose with the class. [Reading Strategy Paired
Reading] (a,v)

Return the class attention to the Promethean board. This time, present the interactive
traditional world map. Explain to the class that an ocean or continent will be highlighted
on the screen. Instruct students to raise their hands as soon as they know the name. Once
most/all students are raising their hands, ask the class to say the name aloud chorally. Fill
in the correct names as the students say them aloud. If there are any disagreements, guide
the class toward coming to a consensus. (a,v)

When finished, hand out the world map worksheets. Once each student has received a
map worksheet, hold up a worksheet in the front of the class and explain the directions.
Explain students will first read the continent or ocean name at the bottom, then look to
the map and find the corresponding number. As a class, read the first continent name,
North America, and ask the students what number is on North America. The students
should respond 11, then explain they will write 11 in on the blank next to North
America. (v,t)
For Strugglers: - Before the lesson, I will decide which students to pair together
based on their reading levels. The struggling readers will be assigned the
speaker role, as the text may be to complicated for these students to read aloud
to a partner.
- The struggling students will be able to learn from their table teammates during
the first activity, and will have extra time to distinguish the correct name during
the interactive map activity.
- I will monitor these students during the worksheet activity, and provide any
extra support needed.
For Advanced: - Ask advanced students to label the Northern, Eastern, Southern,
and Western Hemispheres on their maps. Instruct them to label the Prime
Meridian and the Equator.
- Assign more advanced students as the reader role, to read the flier to their
partner.
c. Summary
The final map worksheet activity will close the lesson, and will act as an
assessment tool. I will walk around and monitor students while they complete their
worksheets. I will focus attention to help guide struggling students, and to provide extra
activities to complete with the maps for more advanced students. Students will turn in
their worksheets to me. Students who have finished early may retrieve a flier they were
not assigned during the reading activity, and they can read quietly at their desks.

IV. Materials
Promethean Board
Google Earth
Interactive World Map (from
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/World_G4_name_input.html)
4 sets of 12 signs (7 continents and 5 ocean names)
12 Fliers, each with information about one of the 7 continents, or one of the 5
oceans
20 World Map Worksheets
Pencils
V. Evaluation Part A:
I will be informally assessing the students knowledge during the technology
activities. I created the continent and ocean signs so that I would be able to observe the
students at each table during this activity. I will be able to see which students answer
correctly, how fast they answer, etc. I will also be able to assess the class as a whole
during the second technology activity. I will be able to hear if students are incorrectly
naming a certain ocean or continent, and what names they are answering. The final
activity will allow me to assess the students knowledge of the continents and oceans on a
traditional map. Each continent and ocean is labeled with a number, and the students
much match the number with the correct name at the bottom of the page. I will consider
students who answer 3 or more incorrectly in need of further instruction. The answers
they mark incorrectly will provide insight as to which continents and oceans they need
extra support in learning.
VI. Evaluation Part B:

Did the students meet your objectives?

Of the 16 students present at my lesson, 12 students met my objective. Ten students got
all 12 correct and two students got 10 correct. There were four students who did not meet
my objective, two students got 3 incorrect, one student got 5 incorrect, and one student
got 7 incorrect.

How do you know?

I know this from the assessment map worksheet the students completed. This provided
insight to which students are struggling with identifying the continents and oceans. More
specifically, the assessment showed me which continents and oceans the students are
getting confused. I discovered all of the students who did not meet my objective
struggled with the Southern, Arctic, and/or Indian oceans. This shows me I need to go
back and provide further instruction to these students.

Did your lesson accommodate/address the needs of all your learners?

Yes, I believe it did. Before the students arrived to the classroom from recess, I studied
the reading levels and reading placement groups of the students in the class. From there, I
decided which students I would pair up. I paired up students who are reading on the
primer/1st/2nd grade level with students who are reading on more advanced levels. The
students on more advanced levels were assigned the role as the reader and students on
the lower reading levels were assigned the role as the speaker. Students seemed to
enjoy the roles they were assigned.

What were the strengths of the lesson?

The strengths of the lesson were the different interactive activities and use of technology.
The students enjoyed and were engaged during both the interactive map activity and the
Google Earth activity. The students eagerly participated during the Google Earth activity,
and were smiling and laughing while trying to find the correct signs to raise up with their
teams. The map worksheet ended up being a great assessment tool for me. I was able to
clearly identify which students have mastered the topic, and which students were in need
of further instruction. I was also able to identify which specific continents and oceans
students were having trouble identifying, or which the students were mixing up.

What were the weaknesses?

One of the major weaknesses of the lesson was the directions I provided before the
partner reading activity. I should have taken my time and explained the directions much
more explicitly at the beginning of the lesson. I had been worried about the amount of
time I had, which ended up not being an issue at all. The students were confused by the
instructions I gave, so I had to go to each partner group individually to make sure they
understood the directions. There were a few times during the lesson I wish I had instilled
better management techniques, as the students got a little too excited during different
areas and could not contain their excitement.

How would you change the lesson if you could teach it again?
If I could change the lesson, I would have not worried so much about keeping on
schedule and would have taken my time when explaining instructions. I would practice
explaining directions a few times before teaching the lesson. A lot of students were
confused by the directions I gave for the partner reading activity, so if I were to do it over
again, I would slow down and provide very explicit directions for that activity. If I taught
the lesson over, I would also spend more time employing good management techniques
Ive learned.