Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Group Members/Group Name: _Katie, Megan, Karly, Hayley ______________________________

Thematic Unit Theme/Title/Grade Level: ___Geography ____________
Group Wiki/Weebly space address: __hmmkk.weebly.com_____________________________________________________
Daily Lesson Plan Day/Title: __ Landmarks ___________
Lesson Length (ie. 30 minutes): __120 minutes _______________

Rationale for Instruction
A rationale is an essential part of
thoughtful planning of classroom
instruction. This is a brief written
statement of the purpose for instruction
and the connection of the purpose to
instruction that has come before and will
follow.
Why this lesson is a necessary element of the curriculum? [An example from Broward County Schools Elementary students
should begin to understand that as citizens of the United States, they have both rights (privacy, speech, religion, movement,
assembly) and responsibilities (voting, obeying the law, helping in the community). Students should be willing to exercise
both their rights and responsibilities.]
Landmarks can be found all over the world. After this lesson, students should have a better
understanding of what natural and man-made landmarks are and where they can be found. In this lesson,
students will use key details to determine the main idea of informational text about landmarks.

NCSS Theme/Next
Generation Sunshine State
Standards/Common Core
Standards (LAFS/MAFS)
List each standard that will be addressed
during the lesson. Cutting and pasting
from the website is allowed. You must
have a minimum of 3 standards that
represent multiple content areas identified
in this portion of the lesson plan.
These can be downloaded from the
Florida Dept of Education
www.cpalms.org/homepage/index.aspx.
Learning Objectives
What will students know and be able to
do at the end of this lesson? Be sure to set
significant (related to NGSS Themes,
CCSS, and NGSSS), challenging,
measurable and appropriate learning
goals!
Do you cross the curriculum? What other content fields (language arts, science, math, the arts, physical education,
technology) do you address in this lesson?
SS.3.G.2.5 :Identify natural and man-made landmarks in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the
Caribbean.
LAFS.3.RI.1.2 :Determine the main idea of a text; recount the key details and explain how they support
the main idea
.
Depending on the topic, grade level and length of time required for lesson, 3-5 objectives may be acceptable. Remember a
learning objective is a statement in specific and measurable terms that describes what the learner will know or be able to do
as a result of engaging in a learning activity as well as how that learning will be demonstrated. All learning objectives
should begin with: The student will
The students will be able to identify one or two key details in each section of the text.
The students will be able to use the important details from the text to identify the main idea.
The students will be able to explain how to find the main idea of informational text by answering
the question, "How did we find the main idea of the name of the book?"

Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding


Student Activities &
Procedures
Design for Instruction
What best practice strategies will be
implemented?
How will you communicate student
expectation?
What products will be developed and
created by students?
Consider Contextual Factors (learning
differences/learning environment) that
may be in place in your classroom.
Social Studies Lesson Plan Template
This is the heart of the lesson plan. Be specific. Describe lesson in a step-by-step, numbered sequence, including teacher
and student activities. Be sure to include key questions for discussion, collaborative structures, etc. (This section includes
EVERYTHING and should be highly detailed!)
Teaching Phase:
1. Begin the lesson by reading Landmarks by Emma Nathan. Have the students come together for a
read aloud. Before beginning the read aloud ask, "What is a main idea?" The students need to discuss
the question and answer with their shoulder partner.
2. Tell the students that we are going to learn how to find the main idea of informational text by using
key details. Remind students that key details are important information about the text. Display the Main
Idea Pyramid on the board and discuss. Point out that the main idea triangle (the top of the pyramid) will
be left blank until we have found the key details. We will fill out the key detail sections on the pyramid
as we read the book.
3. Display the book and the table of contents. Review vocabulary (informational text, landmark, man-
made landmark, and natural landmark). Hint that many of the sections from the table of contents will
give us our key details. Begin reading the book. Do a think aloud to model choosing a key detail from
the first section and write it in a key detail section on the graphic organizer.
Guided Practice:
1. Tell the students that you are going to continue reading the book, but they are in charge of finding the
key details now. Explain that while you are reading they should be thinking about and choosing only the
most important information. After reading a section, students discuss with their shoulder partner the key
details. Have one or two students share the key details. Discuss the reasons why a detail they chose is or
is not a key detail.
2. Continue reading the book and recording the key details on the Main Idea Pyramid. When the book is
complete, ask, "What is the main idea of this book?" Allow shoulder partners to discuss and have a few
students share their answers. Do a think aloud to model using the key details to identify the main idea
and record on the graphic organizer. (There are two main types of landmarks, man-made landmarks and
natural landmarks.)
3. Briefly discuss the graphic organizer. Ask, "How did we find the main idea of this book?" Shoulder
partners discuss, then have a few students share their answer with the class.
Independent Practice:
1. The students will work in cooperative groups of two or three. Provide students with a book from the
list "Recommended for Student Use" found under the "Special Materials Needed" section.
2. Each student will have a copy of the Main Idea Pyramid. They will take turns reading the book aloud.
They will discuss and choose a key detail from each section of the book and record it on the graphic
Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding

Assessment
How will student learning be assessed?
Authentic/Alternative assessments?
Does your assessment align with your
objectives, standards and procedures?
Informal assessment (multiple modes):
participation rubrics, journal entries,
collaborative planning/presentation
notes
Resources/Materials
Social Studies Lesson Plan Template
organizer.
3. When they are done reading the book, they will find the main idea using the key details. They will
write on the bottom of the paper this question and its answer. How did we find the main idea of the
name of book? The students could begin their answer with: We found the main idea of the name of the
book by ____________________.
*4. Monitor student involvement and provide guidance when needed. Place a list of these guiding
questions on the whiteboard for the students to answer to help find the key details:
Is this a man-made landmark or a natural landmark?
What are the major features of the landmark?
Where is the landmark located?
If it is a man-made landmark, who created or built it?
Why do you think the landmark is so special?
Closure:
Each group will use their completed graphic organizer to create a poster. The poster will be in the shape
of the landmark that they read about. The poster should include the Main Idea Pyramid, illustrations of
at least 2 of the key details, the answer to the main idea question, and the title and author of the book.
Display the posters around the room, groups will circulate to view and discuss the posters, or have the
groups present their work to the class.
Be sure to include Pre/Post assessment for your entire unit plan and progress monitoring/ alternative assessment for
individual, daily lesson plans!
The students will independently complete an anticipation guide. Begin by explaining to the students
that this is to show us what they already know. Then explain how the students will complete the
anticipation guide. Inform the students that they will read each statement on the anticipation guide (or
you may read it aloud as they follow along). They will circle or color a smiley face if they believe the
statement to be correct or circle or color an "X" if they believe the statement to be incorrect. (You could
also have the students place their answer for each statement on individual whiteboards for a quick
assessment of student need).
***Materials that will be used for assessment and examples of completed tasks and projects must be included with the lesson
plan.
ALL resources including but not limited too; internet sites, professional resources- books, journals (titles and authors),
childrens literature, etc. should be noted here. Citations should be in APA format.
Document Camera, Computer for Presenter, Interactive Whiteboard, LCD Projector
Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding
 Social Studies Lesson Plan Template

Read Aloud
Landmarks, Nathan, Emma, A.R.
Famous U.S. Landmarks, Ray, Liz,

Recommendations for Student Use

Man-made landmarks
Gateway Arch, Murray, Julie,
Eiffel Tower, Riggs, Kate,
Mount Rushmore, Ashley, Susan,
The White House, Braithwaite, Jill,
The Statue of Liberty, Nobleman, Mark Tyler,
The Lincoln Memorial, Binns, Tristan Boyer,
Natural landmarks
The Rocky Mountains, Zuehlke, Jeffrey,
The Great Lakes, Piehl, Janet,
Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Hall,
Death Valley National Park, Pancella, Peggy,
Grand Canyon National Park, Hall, Margaret,
Niagara Falls, Tieck, Sarah,

Exceptionalities ESOL; Students with Learning Differences:

What accommodations or modifications Allow special needs students to find less key details.
do you make for ESOL, Gifted/Talented
students, Learning/Reading disabilities, Provide an alternative graphic organizer.
etc. Pull the ESOL student's group to the small group table and provide guidance as needed.
These accommodations and/or
Gifted/Talented:
modifications should be listed within the
procedures section of the lesson plan as Provide high level students with more challenging text.
well as in this section of the document.

Additional Comments and Make comments here related to ideas for homework, parent involvement, extension to the lesson plan, etc.
Notes
Allow individuals/groups to choose a state or North American country. They research the
landmarks in that state or country and create a poster to present.

Modified 5/15 Van De Mark from document created by L. Spaulding