a) Regions of the United States – 3rd Grade Geography Lesson Plan
b) Learning Objectives
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Students will be able to identify and name the five regions of the United States.
Students will be able to label the states in each of the five regions.
Students will be able to tell at least two to three facts of each different region.
Students will be able to differentiate between the five regions.
c) NCSS Theme and Sunshine State Standards
NCSS Theme #3: People, Places, and Environments
SS.3.G.2.2. Identify the five regions of the United States.
SS.3.G.2.3: Label the states in each of the five regions of the United States.
SS.3.G.2.4: Describe the physical features of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and the
Caribbean.
d) Student Activities and Procedures
Day 3:
- Use a map of the United States to point out to students the location of each region.
- Direct teach to students about each region. Provide them with the names of the states in each
region, descriptions of products/resources from each region, physical features, and climate. Use
pictures from each region throughout the lesson to show to students as you go along.
- Divide the students into 5 groups. Ask each group to select a group member to come to the
front to randomly choose a slip of paper that will have the name of a region on it. The group will
be assigned the region selected.
Day 4:
- Take students to the school library. Tell them to look at and to check out books related to their
assigned region.
- Once back in the classroom, depending on the number of computers available, allow one group
member from each group to use the internet in order to gather more information about their
particular region.
- While one group member is at the computer, ask the other members of the group to go through
their library books and gather/share information with one another.
- Permit for enough time for the group to come back together to discuss all of the information
they have been able to gather.
- Tell students to write their notes about their region in their social studies notebooks.
- Keep the library books in the classroom. Students will need to be able to refer to their books in
the days to come.
Day 5:
- Students will work in groups.
- Ask students to write about their region in their social studies’ notebooks.
- Inform students that they must include a list of the different states in their particular region,
descriptions of products/resources, physical features, and climate.
- Allow students to refer to their notes from the day before as well as their library books.
Day 6:
- Students will work in groups.
- Pass out blank maps of each region of the United States to the group that has been assigned it.
- Ask students to color and label their maps. When they are finished they will glue their maps
into their social studies notebooks.
- When they are finished, each group member must write a fact about their region on a sheet of
paper, and then draw a picture to illustrate their fact. Each fact and drawing must be different.
Day 7/8 (permit for 2 days for class presentations if necessary):
- Each group will come to the front of the class and present their region.
- Tell students they must be able to point to their region on a map of the United States. Also,
they must be able to list and point to the states in their particular region.
- Groups will select one student to read his/her writing sample from Day 3 to the class.
- Each student will present his/her drawing and fact about their region from Day 4.
- During presentations, ask the students not presenting to write down facts about the other
regions in their notebooks. They must list at least two to three states from each of the other
regions in their notebooks.
- When presentations have been completed, students will write about what they have learned
about the other regions in a page in their notebook. Allow them to refer to their notes.
e) Resources and Materials
- Large map of the United States to show to the class.
- Individual blank outline maps of each of the five regions for students to label and color.
- Various photos of the five regions, including photos that show physical features, resources,
climate, vegetation, etc. to show to the class on an overhead or as a computer slide show (must
be large enough for everyone to see)
- Access to classroom or school computers with internet access
- Access to the school library and permission for students to check out books
- Three ringed spiral notebooks to use as a social studies writing notebook
- Glue sticks
- Pencils
- Crayons
- Markers
- Colored pencils
f) Assessment
- Students social studies notebooks will be collected in order to check for:
- Class/group participation.
- Stayed focused and kept to the assignment.
- Students must have one page of writing dedicated to their group’s assigned region. This page of
writing must include:
- A list of all of the states in their region.
- A total of at least ten descriptive sentences about their region.
- Students must also have one page that discusses the other four regions of the United States.
This page should include:
- A list that includes at least two to three states of each of the other four regions.
- A total of at least 8 sentences that describe the other four regions (a minimum of two for each).
- Spelling/grammar errors will be checked for on each page.
- Region maps students worked on Day 4 will also be checked over for accuracy.
g) Exceptionalities
- Allow students to take social studies notebooks home if they need extra help with writing.
- Provide students with extra one on one help if necessary.
h) Discussion Notes
Mrs. Novak. Regions of the US. Nashua, NH Elementary Technology Integration Website.
Retrieved from: www.nashua.edu/novakc/regions/region.htm