Lesson plans observation 1 2013-2014
Essential Question: How do you use topographic maps to interpret your
surroundings?
Activating Strategies: (Learners Mentally Active)
To activate student knowledge, I will utilize technology by showing the students
an interactive topographic map. After reviewing a few areas of New York State, I
will ask students to draw a 3d map of a mountain from a topographic map using
white boards. I will also ask students to write in their own words what a
topographic map is. Students have been exposed to the vocabulary words in the
past by Informational text.
Acceleration/Previewing: (Key Vocabulary)
Topographic map, Contour lines.
Teaching Strategies: (Collaborative Pairs; Distributed Guided Practice;
Distributed Summarizing; Graphic Organizers, Numbered Heads)
Students will be given a large topographic map of Camden, NY and work in
collaborative pairs to find locations of various geological significant areas
throughout Camden. (Rivers, Streams, ponds, Hills, roads, ect…)
Distributed Guided Practice/Summarizing Prompts: (Prompts Designed to
Initiate Periodic Practice or Summarizing)
Summarizing prompts are in the form of teacher verification checkpoints
throughout the handout. Students are prompted to check their work before
moving on to the next section, then ask for teachers initials to move on to the
next section.
Summarizing Strategies: Learners Summarize & Answer Essential Questions
The learners will gather back together as a class and will answer the essential
question using the white boards. The students will then collaboratively as a class
discuss the essential question. Summarizing the lesson will take place at the end
of the lesson or the start of the next class depending on time constraints.
Literacy Focus:
The literary focus of this lesson is vocabulary. The students have learned and
defined all the terms used in on the map in past lessons. By utilizing the learner
focused hands-on approach; the students can recognize more complex vocabulary
and concepts by using topographic maps of Camden, NY.
Observations Standard 1: Observation 1 2013-2014
1. How will your lesson address the different social, emotional, and
developmental needs of your students? (disabilities, gifted)
The topographic map of Camden, NY lesson will address social needs by working
in collaborative pairs. According to (Lewis,Laurel,2009), learning is heightened
by social interactions and builds “distributed practice” within a lesson.
Collaborative pairs also give the students opportunities to process the
information at different paces rather than all at once. This gives me the
opportunity to work closer with the students that might struggle with the concept
of topographic maps. I could also ask higher level questions to the gifted students
while monitoring the class. This will ensure that I challenge my diverse
classroom. I believe that using a lesson that involves places that most students
will recognize, will give the students a sense of pride by learning more about their
environment and will bring together the class socially.
2. Using current research and/or instructional strategies how will you or could
you use technology to enhance your students learning?
I start every day with a question of the day bell ringer using the projector to
incorporate technology. With so much information at student’s fingertips and
deep knowledge of computers, I would utilize the internet for teaching
topographic maps. I have researched and found an amazing web-site that utilizes
an entire map of the United States as a topographic map. The students can zoom
in or out at any location in America. I plan on creating a web-based topographic
map activity in the future to enhance student learning. I believe technology helps
students of all levels prepare for important skills required in today’s world.
Technology also motivates students and positively impacts attitudes toward
learning.
Knowledge of content and instructional planning
1. How will you or could you connect students’ prior understanding to this
lesson?
I will activate prior understanding of topographic maps by connecting the
students’ knowledge of their environment to a topographic map. By using a
topographic map of the students’ surroundings, the students will most likely
recognize actual places from the map. I will also pose questions about places on
the map to activate any prior-knowledge of locations from the map. I have found
that students respond very positive to learning when the learning is somehow
connected to their lives. Students have read informational text on topographic
maps up to this point. When activating prior-knowledge, I will reference the
topographic reading to activate prior-knowledge.
2. How will you or could you provide students with an opportunity to collaborate
and/or problem solve within this lesson?
This lesson on topographic maps was created to give the students the opportunity
to problem solve and work together in collaborative pairs. Students will be
viewing the topographic map and locating various places around Camden.
Students will be acting as Geologists and are going to be doing what any other
Geologist would do when locating geologic locations on a map. The students are
“scientists” in this lesson. In conclusion of this lesson the students will also be
summarizing the essential question in group summarizing activity to help the
students review and remember the information. I will also assessing student
learning by collecting the lab hand-out to check for student understanding.
3. How will you or could you demonstrate knowledge of your subject area?
The lesson is a process skill based on standard four of the New York State
Intermediate Science Standards. The standard states that the students will
interpret field maps including topographic maps. I will demonstrate my
knowledge of topographic maps by sharing my experience in the field using
Topographic maps to map out Snowy Mountain that’s located in the Adirondack
Mountains. When connecting real life experiences to the classroom, students can
bring their own experiences to the topic. This will warrant engaged learning and
student participation during the lab.
4. How will you or could you use a variety of instructional strategies, curricular
materials and/or other resources to promote student success?
This lesson includes a few different instructional strategies throughout the
activity. The lesson starts off with direct instruction. I will activate priorknowledge and share my own experiences on the topic of topographic maps. I
utilize direct instruction to provide the necessary information for completing the
lab and is a good way to transition into other teaching methods.
I will then switch to interactive instruction which involves discussion and sharing
information among peers to complete the task at hand. I believe interactive
instruction is a great way to develop social skills, social abilities, organize the
students thoughts and to use multiple resources to complete the topographic
activity. I chose to include actual topographic maps because I believe it is
extremely important to expose the students to what Scientists actually do in the
field and what equipment scientists actually use in real life.