Lesson to be taught on: Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Lesson Plan Template

Student Name Jennifer Carle
Grade Level 6th Grade Social Studies
Topic: Review- Geography of the United States
Enduring Understandings: (What big idea(s) will students understand as a result of this
lesson?)
Students will understand that the United States is a vast physical area composed of
diverse regions and natural landforms.
Essential Questions: (What question(s) will students grapple with as they learn through
this lesson?)
What is the most important information from this unit? (daily essential question)
How can maps tell a story? (unit essential question)
Primary Content Objectives:
Students will know: (facts/information)
The location of the 8 geographic regions of the United States
The unique characteristics of each of the 8 geographic regions of the United States
The location of the major bodies of water in the United States
The significance of the major bodies of water of the United States
The location of the 7 continents and 5 oceans
Students will be able to do: (skills and behaviors)
Locate and identify the 8 geographic regions of the United States
Describe the characteristics of the 8 geographic regions of the United States
Locate and identify the major bodies of water of the United States
Describe the significance of the major bodies of water of the United States
Identify the 7 continents and 5 oceans

Related state or national standards: (Examples include State Standards of Learning,

Common Core State Standards, Next Generation Science Standards or National
Curriculum Standards for Social Studies)
From the VA SOLs US History to 1865:
USI.2b: The student will use maps, globes, photographs, pictures, or tables to
b) locate and describe the location of the geographic regions of North America: Coastal
Plain, Appalachian Mountains, Canadian Shield, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, Rocky
Mountains, Basin and Range, and Coastal Range.
USI.2c: The student will use maps, globes, photographs, pictures, or tables to
c) locate and identify the water features important to the early history of the United
States: Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio River, Columbia River,
Colorado River, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence River, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and
Gulf of Mexico.
Assessment: (How (and when) will students be assessed? What evidence will you collect to
determine whether students have met the lesson objectives? Will the assessment(s) be a
pre-assessment (diagnostic), formative (ongoing feedback) or summative?)
Formative:
Mapping of Regions and Rivers station: the students work on their whiteboard (Mr.
Reilly will be at the regions station to monitor and I will be circulating the whole room)
o Shows whether than can both recognize the description of the region and river and
where it is located
Students answers to practice multiple choice questions about all of the content of the unit
Students use of the compass rose on the globe during the continents and oceans station
Free Response Questions:
o Why was it so important for early settlers to settle near water? Provide examples
from your knowledge of history.
o Which 2 regions do you think are the most alike? Why?
Which 2 regions do you think are the most different? Why?
o What is your favorite region? What would it be like to live there? how would you
be dressed? What would you bring?
o Do bodies of water still play a significant role in the world today? Justify your
answer with real life examples
o What are the positives and negatives of living near a body water? Make real life
connections and provide examples
These free response questions are to be completed if a group finishes a
station early
They will complete these questions together as a group out loud
(responses do not need to be written down)

Materials and Resources: (List here all materials that you will need in order to successfully
teach this lesson. Include technology and website links, texts, graphic organizers, student
handouts, physical manipulatives, etc.)
US Maps in plastic covers (so students can use dry erase markers on them)
Dry erase markers
Hand-outs of multiple choice questions
o Answer keys
Hand-outs of back-up free response questions
Hand outs of back-up exit slip
Laptops where students log-in to Black Board (internet)
Groups (pre-made) under Document Camera
Timer projected on the screen
Direction sheet for each station
File Folders to put the materials all in
2 envelopes
Strips of paper with river prompts on them
o Answer key
Sheet with Regions prompts on them
o Answer Key
Globe
Continents and Oceans Directions Sheet
Continents and Oceans blank map
Looks Like, Sounds, Like Feels Like chart
Key Vocabulary and Definitions:
Region: a large geographic area with unique physical characteristics
Coastal Plain Located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico Broad lowlands
providing many excellent harbors (taken from Curriculum Framework on VDOE
website)
Appalachian Highlands Located west of the Coastal Plain, extending from eastern
Canada to western Alabama; includes the Piedmont Old, eroded mountains (oldest
mountain range in North America) (taken from Curriculum Framework on VDOE
website)
Canadian Shield Wrapped around the Hudson Bay in a horseshoe shape Hills worn
by erosion and hundreds of lakes carved by glaciers (taken from Curriculum Framework
on VDOE website)

Comment [JC1]: Pre-made groups helped to set students up

for success by putting them with peers who would help
motivate them to complete the work and by keeping some
students away from peers who could be a negative influence.
Comment [JC2]: This served as a way for students to selfmonitor and keep on track.
Comment [JC3]: Students knew exactly what their job was
at each station which helped to keep students on-task

Comment [JC4]: See explanation under procedures for

detailed rationale.

Interior Lowlands Located west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Great
Plains Rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad river valleys, and grassy hills (taken
from Curriculum Framework on VDOE website)
Great Plains Located west of the Interior Lowlands and east of the Rocky Mountains
Flat lands that gradually increase in elevation westward; grasslands (taken from
Curriculum Framework on VDOE website)
Rocky Mountains Located west of the Great Plains and east of the Basin and Range
Rugged mountains stretching from Alaska almost to Mexico; high elevations Contains
the Continental Divide, which determines the directional flow of rivers (taken from
Curriculum Framework on VDOE website)
Basin and Range Located west of the Rocky Mountains and east of the Sierra Nevadas
and the Cascades Varying elevations containing isolated mountain ranges and Death
Valley, the lowest point in North America (taken from Curriculum Framework on VDOE
website)
Coastal Range Located along the Pacific Coast, stretching from California to Canada
Rugged mountains and fertile valleys (taken from Curriculum Framework on VDOE
website)

Lesson Procedures:
1. Introduction and goal orientation:
a) Greet Students at the Door
a. As students enter the room, I will greet them and tell them to look onto the screen
to find their groups
b. Students will settle in and sit with their groups
b) Explanation and Importance of Review Day (2 minutes)
a. As the students have settled into their new groups (They have not been assigned
groups yet, so I suspect the students will need a little bit extra time to settle in) I
will explain to the students that since it is the day before a test, we will be
spending time reviewing what theyve learned in the unit
c) Expectations for station work (10 minutes)
i. I will tell them that all they need is a pencil or pen
1. All other materials will remain under the desk they started at
2. Students will be instructed to take out their writing utensil and to
put away everything else
ii. Together, we will develop a looks like, sounds like, feels like chart for
station work
1. I will highlight that groups need to stay at their stations until they
hear the timer go off

Comment [JC5]: Greeting students at the door helps to

foster teacher-student connections and promote on-task
behavior.

Comment [JC6]: Since it was the students first time doing

station work, I felt it was especially important to establish
clear expectations. Students were already familiar with a
looks like, sounds like, feels like chart from other classes.
During the lesson, I had students generate their own ideas for
what was expected. I simply paraphrased what they said into
positively stated expectations. This chart was especially
helpful during the 2nd block of students. During the stations,
they were using language that brought other group members
down. We used the chart to remind them of what the
expectations were for station work.

2. If groups have a question, they are to raise their hand, not get up
out of their seat
3. When there are 2 minutes left, I will tell students to start checking
their work, even if they are not finished
4. If they finish early, there is an extension activity at the station (see
formative assessments)
Looks like

Students sitting with their group

Students transitioning when the timer goes off
Students raising their hands when they have a question
Students carrying their papers when they transition

Sounds like
Indoor voices
Conversations that are about the topic of the station
Ms. Carle answering questions
Feels like
A space to learn
A place to ask questions
d) Brief explanation of what is supposed to happen at each station (3 minutes)
I will explain the directions for each station
o Each station is relatively straightforward so hopefully this will not take too
long
o I will explain the directions while Mr. Reilly demonstrates

2. Connecting to prior knowledge and experiences: (Questions or activities that help

students make links) (What learning strategies are you using in this lesson? How
will students get opportunities to respond (OTRs)?)
I will explain to students that they are going to pull together everything theyve learned
this unit and apply their knowledge
o I will explain to them that it is their turn to take the lead in their learning rather
than me or Mr. Reilly leading their learning
However, students will have multiple opportunities to respond because of the nature of
the stations:
o All students will be filling out their own answer sheets
o Students will be responding to

Comment [JC7]: These were some pre-generated ideas in

case students got stuck. I definitely was happy I had ideas
ready for feels like because both blocks of students
struggled with putting their thoughts into words.

Multiple choice questions

Prompts to trace maps (Regions and rivers)
Interactive online games
Mini informal debate

3. Tasks and activities: (What challenging tasks and activities will students engage in
as they construct knowledge, learn new skills or behaviors and develop
understandings? In what ways will you provide high-quality feedback to students
about their engagement, behavior, and content mastery?)

Students will spend about 12 minutes at each station (about an hour).

o The last 2 minutes of each station will be reserved for checking over work, even if
the group did not finish
o I will make an announcement to the class when there are 2 minutes left for them
to check their work
This announcement is mainly for the oceans and continents station,
mapping rivers station, the multiple choice station,
The remaining 15 minutes will be used as time for clarification about misconceptions and
wiggle room, as transitions typically take longer than expected
As students are completing each station, I will be circulating the room
o In terms of behavior management, I will try my best to exhibit with-it-ness and
redirect off-task behaviors as needed
I will also try to provide even more positive reinforcement when groups
are doing what theyre supposed to be doing
o I will also be answering questions as needed
o I will interject when appropriate (if a group clearly has the wrong idea about a
certain topic)

Station 1: Oceans and Continents

The first part of this station involves students using a globe to navigate the world
o They will follow a written set of directions that will tell them where to travel to
(see supplemental materials)
The second part of this station is the traditional labeling of the continents and oceans
o They will use the globe as their answer key
o See separate document from supplemental materials because I had to change the
orientation
Station 2: Mapping Regions:

Comment [JC8]: Circulating the room while students were

completing their work helped to keep students on-task for I
could provide discrete redirects when needed. While I
circulated, I was able to answer specific questions students
had about content or procedures.

Students will be provided with maps of the United States in plastic covering
With dry erase markers, the students will trace each of the 8 regions
o The main purpose of this station is for students to apply the use of their mnemonic
for remembering the location of the 8 regions (Chris Burps Really Great In A
Class Car) (Coastal Range, Basin and Range, Rocky Mountains, Great Plains,
Interior Lowlands, Appalachian Highlands, Canadian Shield, Coastal Plain)
Students will be given verbal prompts such as
o Trace the region that is known for its many lakes and old eroded rocks
o Trace the region that is known for grassy flatlands

Station 3: Multiple Choice Practice

In order to help prepare students for the nature of SOL-multiple choice tests, at this
station, students will answer multiple choice questions varying in content from this unit
Students will work together to answer the questions and then use the answer key provided
to check their own work
See supplemental materials for the actual questions
Station 4: Mapping Rivers
This station will be similar to the mapping regions station
Students will be provided with plastic covered maps of the United States with the rivers
on them
Students will be provided written prompts and an answer key to know which river to
trace (see supplemental materials for all the prompts)
o Trace the river that Lewis and Clark explored
o Trace the River that creates our border with Mexico
Station 5: Online Station
The first direction on the directions sheet will be go get your laptop and come back to
your group
Students will login to Black Board and access Review Games from Mr. Reillys Social
Studies review section
Students will be allowed to choose which game they want to play and can either play
independently or with a partner
Mr. Reilly will be at the mapping regions station, as this is something that students often confuse
and need adult support on. He will be able to provide immediate feedback to the students about
their work.

I, however, will be circulating the room. This is vital because I will be listening in for common
misconceptions that I will go over at the end of class. I will also be available to answer questions
that students may have and maintain the timer. In terms of behavior management, I will provide
both positive reinforcement and redirection when needed
4. Closure: (How will you wrap up the lesson and reinforce key ideas? Closure may
include some form of assessment or exit slip) (the last 15 minutes)
Students will return to the desks they started at so they can gather their things.
Students will hold onto all papers from the stations to use as study guides for review at
home.
I will address common misconceptions I heard during the stations and/or highlight
common mistakes and things to watch out for on tomorrows test.
During this time, students will be encouraged, but not required, to write down some of
the things I am saying and writing.
I will also address any lingering questions.
Accommodations for individual differences:
Opportunity to complete an extension activity if a group is going through the stations
faster than other groups
Multiple levels of cognitive demand:
o Mapping: medium cognitive demand
o Multiple choice- low cognitive demand
o Ranking the bodies of water: high cognitive demand
o Online games- depends on the game
Behavioral and organizational strategies:
Reviewing the expectations for group work at the beginning of class
o Developing a looks like, sounds like, feels like chart with the whole class so
everyone is on the same page and the students have some ownership over the
expectations
Providing positive reinforcement/feedback during group work as individuals/whole
groups meet these expectations
o This will occur while I am circulating
Pre-assigning groups so each group has a mix of more motivated students with more
challenging students
Stationing Mr. Reilly at a station that typically gives students a hard time (they often have
time keeping the regions straight)

Comment [JC9]: Circulating the room allowed me many

opportunities to positively reinforce groups who were doing
the right thing.