Social Studies

Name: Rosie Gibbons

Grade Level: 2 Number of Students: 13
Instructional Location: Gaines Elementary Date (of implementation): 10/11/18

Lesson Goals
Central Focus of Lesson:
What is the big idea or focus question of the lesson?

Today’s focus is on the Coastal Plains region of Georgia. We will also play a game to
review the Appalachian Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge, and Piedmont regions.

Standard(s) Addressed:
What Georgia Learning Standards will be addressed during the lesson? (List number
and text)

SS2G1 Locate and compare major topographical features of Georgia and describe
how these features define Georgia’s surface.
a. Locate and compare the geographic regions of Georgia: Blue Ridge,
Piedmont, Coastal Plain, Ridge and Valley, and Appalachian Plateau.

Lesson Objectives and Demands

Essential Literacy Strategy (if an ELA/writing lesson):

Content Objectives:
What will the students know and be able to do by the end of the lesson? (use
observable language with measurable verbs)

- Students will be able to name all five regions of Georgia. This will be Day 4 of
a 5-Day unit. On this day, specially, students will learn about the Coastal
Plains region.
- Students will be able to state the location, landmarks, and animals of the five
regions of Georgia.
- Students will be able to identify certain features (landmarks, location, and
animals) as belonging to one of the five regions of Georgia.
- Students will be able to demonstrate the difference between a ridge, a valley,
and a plateau.

Language Objectives:
What language will students be expected to utilize when illustrating their
understanding?

Students will be able to discuss the characteristics of the regions, including their
cardinal location (northwest), their landforms (ridge, valley, plateau), and their animals
(variety).
Key Vocabulary in Lesson:

Location, landform, region, ridge, valley, plateau, agriculture

Lesson Considerations
Materials:
5 Regions Flipbook
5 Regions Powerpoint
5 Regions Map on Chart Paper
Link to Kahoot game

Prior Academic Learning and Prerequisite Skills:

List the prior knowledge that students will need to use and build upon to be successful
in this lesson

Students will have to think back to their first-grade knowledge of the cardinal directions
(north, south, east, west). Students will have to think about what they know about
maps and environmental regions.
Students will have to think back to the information they have learned the past three
days this week. They will need to recall what they have learned (landmarks, location,
animals) about each of the five regions of Georgia.
All students have played Kahoot before, so they will need to think back on their
knowledge of how to play the game.

Misconceptions: Identify common misconceptions regarding the concepts addressed

in this lesson

Students might mix up the cardinal directions when determining the location of each
region. They might confuse the regions, their unique characteristics, and the
differences between ridges, valleys, and plateaus.

Lesson Plan Details:

*Include what you and the students will be doing
Lesson Introduction - “Before”: 5 minutes

 Review the standard. (purpose)

The lesson will begin with the whole group of students sitting on the carpet at the
front of the class. I will recite the standard and essential question to the students,
which they will have heard 3 times prior to this lesson. This will remind students of
 the “what” for what we will be learning today (the purpose), and it will help them
stay on track throughout the lesson.
 Map Discussion and Prior Knowledge (purpose continued)
In order to build upon the prior lesson’s purpose, I will show students a map of
Georgia and ask them what they know about the 4 regions we have already
learned about. Students will point out what they know from their prior knowledge
(the Blue Ridge region is located in the northeast part of GA, etc., list the features
of each region, GA is big, a map has a compass, etc.). I will ask them to tell me
what a region is. After taking their answers, I will remind them a region is an area
of land that has common features (i.e. landforms, plant life, animals). I will remind
them to use the strategies I have given them to remember the difference between
a ridge, a valley, and a plateau (the song and the crumpled paper activity). I will
quickly review the first four regions of GA on the powerpoint and tell them that over
today, we will finally become experts on all 5 regions and their characteristics.
 Learning Activities (how)
I will emphasize the how by pointing out the chart paper map – as we learn about
each region, we have been coloring in that region on the map. We will be learning
about the final region (Coastal Plains) from a powerpoint, pictures, and hands on
activities. We will play a Kahoot game after learning about the Coastal Plains
region. This game will serve as a review of all five regions and their features.
Students will also complete their 5 Regions Flipbooks by filling out the last page on
the Coastal Plain. They may use their flipbooks as a resource during the game.
 Becoming Experts (why)
Students will know why it is important to learn about these regions because of our
earlier discussions. Since we live in GA, it is important for us to know where we live
and what our home looks like. We can act as experts on our state and teach others
from other states all about our home. We should especially be cognizant of the
region we live in (Athens belongs to the Piedmont region).

Learning Activities - “During”: 20 minutes

1. Powerpoint (Mini Lesson)

I will lead students through a PPT on the 5 regions of GA. We will quickly review/read
over the first four regions, which they will have already learned about. As we go over the
final region, we will color that region in on the chart paper map.
Students will help me read the facts about each region and we will examine the pictures
to virtually explore what the region looks like.
When looking at the animals in the new region (Coastal Plains), students will play a
game by guessing the name of the animal before its name is revealed.
Students will constantly be questioned to check for understanding.

2. Ridge, Valley, Plateau Song/Movement Exercise (review)

Prior to playing Kahoot, students will stand up and sing the 5 Regions Song that is
meant to help them memorize the differences between these regions. The song goes to
the tune of “YMCA” and is an energetic, engaging way to model the differences between
sometimes confusing regions:
It’s time to go to the ridge (hands high in a mountain shape), valley (hands connected in
a low U shape), plateau (hands flat straight ahead of you), it’s fun to go to the ridge,
valley, plateau!

This will help them during the Kahoot game.

3. Flipbook (Work Session)

After demonstrating that they know the song, and after going through the final
PowerPoint slides about the Coastal Plains region, students will return to their seats and
fill out the rest of their 5 Regions flipbook on the Coastal Plains region. I will stand at the
front of the class and fill it out with them using the Smart Board OR I will let them fill
them out independently and answer questions/give assistance as needed (this depends
on what happens Wednesday). During this time (if I write with them), I will take
suggestions from the students on what we should be writing, so they are teaching me
instead of me teaching them. Since they are writing at their desks, they are practicing
their writing skills individually while sharing their ideas with the whole class. For students
who need additional help, I will walk around and help them write or think of important
concepts. One of my students can’t read from far away, so I will provide him with a sticky
note that I will write the facts on as we think of them.

4. Kahoot (review game)

The Kahoot game gives facts about each region. Students will have to use their
knowledge of the five regions and their characteristics to correctly guess which region
the characteristic describes. They will be encouraged to use their flipbooks as a
resource during the game.

Closure - “After”: 5 minutes

“You are now experts on the Five Regions of the state of Georgia! Thank you for
working so hard with me this week.”

Formative:
I will be able to check for understanding various times throughout the lesson: in the
opening discussion, I check for prior knowledge (what we have already learned about
the first four regions of Georgia). In the mini lesson and work session, I check for
understanding by asking students to tell me what they know about all five regions.

After the lesson is over, I will again ask students what the name of the region we have
learned today is.

I will ask students if they have any questions or what they want to learn more about.
Summative:
Summative assessment will be seen through the completion of the flipbook at the end of
the unit (Students will have a chance to finish them on Day 5 of the unit. Some of my
students write slowly and will probably not complete their flipbooks today), as well as a
writing activity where students write about the characteristics of their favorite GA region.

The Kahoot review game will also serve as an informal summative assessment of
students’ knowledge because it will test how well they know the characteristics of each
region.

NOTE: How will you check for understanding during lesson (formative
assessment).

See above.