Lesson Design Template: MAT/Certification Elementary

Candidate Name: Courtney Beckham Host Teacher Name: Casey Harmon

School: Chugach Optional Grade Level: 5/6 # of Students: 22
Date & Time of Lesson: 4/20/22 Length of Lesson: 45 minutes
Topic of Lesson: Global Geography Content Area: Geography

Materials: Include all materials including types of technology used:

- Google Slides:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1AAyTrX5ULlMLyZae1uaE7kw69YY8N1M9_AuBbXsyVWs
/edit?usp=sharing
- Computer & projector to display slides
- Chromebooks (one per 3 person group, or 1/1)
- 10 printed copies of the NatGeo worksheet

ALASKA CONTENT STANDARD

(A) A student should be able to make and use maps, globes, and graphs to gather, analyze, and report
spatial (geographic) information.

1) use maps and globes to locate places and regions;

4) use graphic tools and technologies to depict and interpret the world’s human and physical systems;

(B) A student should be able to utilize, analyze, and explain information about the human and physical
features of places and regions.

1. know that places have distinctive geographic characteristics

Alaska Cultural Standard for Educators

E. Culturally-responsive educators recognize the full educational potential of each student and provide the
challenges necessary for them to achieve that potential.

Educators who meet this cultural standard:

1. recognize cultural differences as positive attributes around which to build appropriate educational
experiences;

TRANSFER GOAL(S) (transferability)

Students will be able to independently use their learning to…

Use online maps/globes to research geographical attributes of a specific location

Received 1/9/2019
Recognize and define different geographical characteristics and their significance

STAGE ONE – Essential Questions and Enduring Understandings (meaning)

Enduring Understanding(s): What Essential Questions will be Considered?
Students will understand that….
How can we use technology to explore communities
Different cultures may have their own cultural, and locations outside of our own communities?
environmental, and/or historic significance to geographical
features

STAGE ONE: Objectives STAGE TWO: Assessments

Evidence of Learning/Accountability -
Formative/Summative/Performance

Knowledge - What students should know…. Assessment(s)/Other Evidence:

- Students should understand and recognize - Students will use this vocabulary in 20Q to
geographical language determine the location of place

Skills - What students should be able to do……. Assessment(s)/Other Evidence:

- Navigate GoogleEarth as a tool for understanding - Students will log geographical features on their
Geographical features worksheet for locations found on Google Earth

- Navigate GoogleEarth to determine where a - Students will use Google Earth’s zoom feature to
location is by its surrounding features (land masses, navigate and determine the relative location of a
rivers, neighboring countries/states, etc.) place (logged on worksheet)

STAGE THREE: Opportunities to Learn (Acquisition)

Introduction/Hook

Look up 3 specific locations in Alaska for students to review the importance of (let the students choose the second
two!)

First location to look up and review: Chugach Optional (1205 E. Street, Anchorage, AK 99508)
- Backup locations if students are hesitant… Girdwood

Processes and products for Learning Opportunities Strategies for Differentiation/ Multimodal
Instruction/Universal Design for Learning

- Work through slides on GoogleSlides (link above)
- Introduce “geography” and discuss if students
know about it/have learned anything about it/know
the definition
- Discuss definition and discuss the geography of
AK
- Review the geography of AK through the AK gov
website linked in slides
Received 1/9/2019
- Lesson is accompanied with Google slides to allow
for students to follow along visually
- Using many modes of teaching, via auditory,
visual, hands-on, group work, full-class
- Many different ways to demonstrate
understanding/knowledge via their exit ticket,
through the worksheet, through conversations
during groupwork
 - Using GoogleEarth, look at the geography of AK & - Students will have access to their laptops during the
discuss it, were we right or wrong? What did we 20Q to help find the right geographical questions to
not mention that we see now? ask/language to use
- Display worksheet image and demonstrate how we
are going to fill it out
- Click through key points of filling out worksheet
- Specify that they can use the randomizer (or not!)
- Use AK as an example to fill out the worksheet
- Let the students know that post-research of 5-7
locations, they will get to play at least one round of
20 questions with the class
- 20 Questions: students “on deck” will facilitate a
round of 20 questions where class can ask
geographic questions to narrow down a location
that they chose/researched
- Go over “remember” slide to clarify
- Students fill out sheet, knowing that one of the
teachers will be selecting a location for them to do
20 questions with
- Walk around and select each location for students
- Give students 4 minutes to review that location and
the details they had written to prepare
- Randomly select a group to host a 20Q round
- Take notes on the questions that have been asked
(on the projector)
- Students ARE welcome to use their laptops to help
guess

Closure:

Exit ticket including answers to 2/4 questions:

1. Did you use the randomizer or hand-pick a location? Was it easier to research with one over the other?

2. How did using Google Earth help you find out the geographical features of a location?

3. Name two locations. How are their features alike and different?

4. Name 5-10 geographical features in Alaska.

Reflection:

This lesson was incredibly fun and engaging, and was the first time that the students’ response at the
beginning was, “We’re going to use GoogleEarth? Woohoo!”. Though I think the students enjoyed the other
lessons, they were very eager to get this one started. Overall, the lesson went very smoothly, but I am still
learning how to manage my time and the students’ time. At this point I’m regularly under and over estimating
(which I know is a talent that will come with time and experience!), so I needed to make some big adjustments

Received 1/9/2019
in the moment (make the lesson a two-part activity). The students were very flexible in this, and excited to dig
into it another day.
At the beginning of the lesson, I used Alaska’s geography as a hook. This was helpful in tying in some local
knowledge, as well as warm the student’s geographical thinking up. This also gave me an opportunity to assess
how much the students understood about geography, and what geographical terms they were comfortable using
(thanks to Alaska’s vast geographical features). In the worksheet itself, students were required to research the
potential cultural significance of whatever location they chose, giving them the opportunity to explore the
deeper meaning of a place.
For the group work, most students were very successful in their outcomes. They took the lesson seriously,
and had a great balance of wanting to explore while still moving forward on their goal to finish 3+ locations on
their worksheet. I felt that there was a full spectrum of student work, but it leaned toward the successful
category. One group of students that struggled with the group work was a team of two. Both students needed to
be continually encouraged to fill out the necessary categories (even though they were very excited to be
exploring GoogleEarth!). Through encouragement, this specific group moved from blank categories to one
word categories. The frustrating part is that they are very capable, but didn’t have the motivation to fill it out. I
tried to move by their workspace twice as often as the more dedicated groups to help keep them on task.
Though I see the value of the students looking up multiple locations, I think that it would have also been
beneficial for the students to have focused on one specific place, giving them the opportunity to dig deeper into
the culture of those communities. If I was to reteach this lesson, I would break it into three sessions; one for
introducing the task and starting research, one for doing research on the three locations and narrowing it down
to one, and making it more in depth, then using the third session for 20 questions. The last thing I would have
changed would be to refine the vocabulary that I introduced to them. I found a lot of geographical vocabulary
lists, but many felt too “young” or not ample enough. If I was to reteach I would have created my own. Other
than that, the lesson was fun, dynamic, and the students were begging to “keep playing!” when the lesson was
over.

Received 1/9/2019