EDIT 610 FINAL PROJECT 1

Part I: Original Lesson Plan

Target Audience: This lesson is designed for third graders in a general education Social Studies

classroom.

Objective: Students will be able to identify and describe the cultural characteristics of different

countries around the world.

Standard: 3.4.1.PR: Investigate the cultural characteristics of places and regions around the

world.

Materials Needed:

• World map

• Pictures or books about different countries and their cultures

• Blank paper and pencils

Lesson Plan:

1. Begin the lesson by showing the students a world map and asking if they know what it is.

Explain that a map is a picture of the world, and it helps us understand where different

countries are in relation to each other.

2. Ask the students if they know what culture means. Explain that culture includes things

like food, clothing, language, and traditions that are unique to a particular group of

people.

3. Show the students pictures or books about different countries around the world. Ask them

to describe what they see in the pictures and explain that these are examples of different

cultures.
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4. Have the students choose a country that they are interested in learning more about. They

can do this by pointing to a country on the map or by looking through the pictures or

books.

5. Give each student a piece of blank paper and ask them to write the name of the country

they chose at the top. Then, have them write down the cultural characteristics they

learned about that country. Encourage them to be detailed and specific.

6. After the students have finished writing, have them share their findings with the class. As

each student shares, point out the location of the country on the map.

7. As a wrap-up activity, have the students work in pairs to create a poster about a country

they both find interesting. They can include pictures and descriptions of the country's

cultural characteristics on the poster.

Part II: Revised Lesson Plan

Target Audience: This lesson is designed for third graders in a general education Social Studies

classroom.

Lesson Objective: Students will be able to identify and describe the cultural practices and

traditions of different countries around the world using technology.

Standard: 3.4.1.PR: Investigate the cultural characteristics of places and regions around the

world.

ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Standards:

• 1.2.b: Students engage in positive, safe, legal, and ethical behavior when using

technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices.

EDIT 610 FINAL PROJECT 3

• 1.6.a: Students choose the appropriate tools and platforms for meeting the desired

objectives of their creation or communication.

• 1.7.a: Students use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds

and cultures, engaging with them in. ways that broaden mutual understanding and

learning.

Materials Needed:

• Computers or tablets with internet access

• World map or globe

• Headphones or speakers

• Google Earth or similar software installed

• Worksheet for notetaking and reflection

Introduction (10 minutes):

1. Begin by showing the students a world map or globe and ask them if they know of any

countries outside of the United States.

2. Ask the students if they know what a culture is. Discuss the different aspects of culture

(language, food, clothing, etc.).

3. Introduce the lesson objective and explain that they will be using technology to explore

different cultures around the world.

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Body (35 minutes):

1. Have the students log onto their computers or tablets and open Google Earth or similar

software.

2. Instruct the students to explore the different countries and cultures by zooming in and

clicking on different landmarks or locations.

3. Have the students use headphones or speakers to listen to audio clips or watch videos that

showcase different aspects of the culture such as music, dance, or celebrations.

4. Instruct the students to take notes on their worksheet about the different cultural practices

and traditions they discover.

5. After exploring for approximately 20 minutes, bring the class back together and discuss

some of the different cultural practices they discovered.

6. Ask the students to share about a cultural practice they found interesting or had never

heard of before.

7. Have the students reflect on their learning by filling out a worksheet that asks them to

identify one thing they learned and why it was important.

Conclusion (15 minutes):

1. Recap the lesson objective and discuss how they used technology to learn about different

cultures.

2. Ask the students if they think they could use technology to learn more about other

cultures in the future.

3. Answer any questions the students may have.

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Before and After

Introduction

By integrating technology, diversity, and digital citizenship into this explore different

cultures lesson, each student will gain knowledge learned throughout this lesson. By using

technology, students can interact with the lesson material in new and innovative ways, increasing

their engagement and understanding (Bitner, 2002). Introducing diverse perspectives and

experiences allows students to broaden their understanding of the world around them. Teaching

digital citizenship promotes responsible and ethical behavior online, ensuring that students are

equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to navigate the digital landscape safely and

responsibly. Overall, incorporating these components into this lesson plan helps students become

more well-rounded, informed, and responsible learners.

Technology Decisions

When I created this lesson plan, I knew that Google Earth would be an incredibly

powerful tool for exploring cultures from around the world. Since students are provided with

their own iPad, each student will have a unique experience while ‘visiting’ a country of interest.

To their surprise, with just a few clicks, students can virtually visit any location on Earth, from

the bustling streets of Tokyo to the vast deserts of the Sahara. This makes it an ideal program for

exploring cultures, as it allows students to see and experience different parts of the world without

ever leaving the classroom.

One of the key benefits of using Google Earth while learning to exploring cultures is that

it allows for a highly interactive and engaging learning experience. Students can use the program
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to explore different parts of the world, zooming in on specific locations and learning about the

history, culture, and customs of the people who live there. They can also use the program to

create their own virtual tours, selecting specific landmarks or locations to visit and sharing what

they have learned with their classmates. Overall, Google Earth is an incredibly versatile and

valuable tool for anyone looking to teach students about different cultures and parts of the world.

Diverse Needs of Learners

Every class has a diverse group of learners. There are students who are visual learners,

auditory learners, and kinesthetic learners. Some students may have disabilities that require

specific accommodations, while others may come from different cultural and linguistic

backgrounds (Kameenui & Carnine, 1998). As a teacher, it is important to plan lessons that are

inclusive and accessible to all students.

When planning a Google Earth lesson for exploring different cultures, it is important to

consider the needs and backgrounds of all learners. For example, providing captions or

transcripts for any audio or video content can help students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Google Earth is an excellent program because with just a click of a button in settings, closed

captions will be provided on the screen. Similarly, providing translations or visual aids can help

students who are English language learners or have visual impairments (Kameenui & Carnine,

1998). Since Google Earth is a very visual program, it caters to those who are needing visual

aids. Incorporating hands-on activities or group work can also engage kinesthetic learners and

foster a sense of community in the classroom (Kameenui & Carnine, 1998). Students will be

engaged by exploring Google Earth on their own iPad: however, maps are provided to students

who prefer a hands-on map experience. By planning for diverse learners, teachers can create a
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learning environment that is welcoming and supportive for all students, which Google Earth

offers.

Targeted Digital Citizenship

Digital citizenship is a relatively new concept for third graders. In third grade, students

are often exploring many new programs for the very first time. Such as, PowerPoint, Word, and

in this lesson, Google Earth. My priority in this lesson correlated very closely to ISTE standard

1.6.a: Students choose the appropriate tools and platforms for meeting the desired objectives of

their creation or communication. Since students gain much more online responsibility in third

grade, they tend to veer off the path of what is being asked of them while completing online

assignments. Therefore, it is important to ensure students are always on appropriate and safe

platforms. During this lesson, I monitored students iPad usage on Google Classroom to confirm

they stayed on task while exploring Google Earth.

Part III: Assessment Plan

Activity ISTE South Lesson Assessment Format of

Standard Carolina Objective Type Assessment

Grade 3

Standard

Google Earth 1.2.b: Students 3.4.1.PR: Students will Formative Students will be

Exploration engage in positive, Investigate the be able to Assessment assessed by

safe, legal, and cultural identify and (Exploration how they

ethical behavior characteristics describe the Activity) participate

when using during the

of places and cultural
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technology, regions around practices and duration of this

including social the world. traditions of activity.

interactions online different Students are

or when using countries given

networked devices. notetaking

around the
1.6.a: Students paper where
world using
choose the they will write
technology.
appropriate tools down

and platforms for interesting facts

meeting the desired throughout their

objectives of their researching

creation or process. Then,

communication. students will

1.7.a: Students use come together

digital tools to as a class and

connect with share their

learners from a findings.

variety of

backgrounds and

cultures, engaging

with them in. ways

that broaden mutual

understanding and

learning.
EDIT 610 FINAL PROJECT 9

References

Bitner, N., & Bitner, J. O. E. (2002). Integrating technology into the classroom: Eight keys to

success. Journal of technology and teacher education, 10(1), 95-100.

Kameenui, E. J., & Carnine, D. W. (1998). Effective teaching strategies that accommodate

diverse learners. Prentice-Hall Inc., Order Processing, PO Box 11071, Des Moines, IA 50336-

1071.