Anna Brancheau
3 rd
Grade Social Studies Unit Plans
University of West Georgia
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Table of Contents
Lesson Plan 1: Prime Meridian and Equator……………………………………….pg 3
Prime Meridian and Equator Worksheet…………………………………...pg 4
Lesson Plan 2: Longitude and Latitude ……………………………………………pg 5
Longitude and Latitude Worksheet………………………………………...pg 6
Lesson Plan 3: Major Rivers………………………………………………………..pg 7
Lesson Plan 4: Major Mountain Ranges……………………………………………pg 8
Mountain Ranges Questions………………………………………………..pg 9
Lesson Plan 5: WebQuest………………………………………………………….pg 10
Assessment…………………………………………………………………….. see wiki
Web Quest……………………………………………………………………….see wiki
Google Earth Scavenger Hunt…………………………………………………..see wiki
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Lesson 1
Prime Meridian and Equator
Time needed: One 45 minute block
SEATS format
(Standard, Essential Question, Activator, Teaching, Summarizer)
S: SS3G1: The student will locate major topographical features.a. Identify major rivers of the United States of America: Mississippi,
Ohio, Rio Grande, Colorado, Hudson. b. Identify major mountain ranges of the
United States: Appalachian, Rocky. Locate the
Equator, Prime Meridian, and lines of latitude and longitude on a globe
.
E: What is the importance of the Prime
Meridian and Equator? Where are they?
A: Students will watch a Brain Pop video that discusses the Equator and Prime Meridian.
T: Students will follow along with an interactive PowerPoint and fill out questions on a worksheet. The PowerPoint will end with questions where students will Think-Pair-Share to answer aloud.
S: Students will use a paper plate and ribbon to label the Equator and Prime Meridian. They will also label hemispheres. This will be an ongoing activity until after we learn longitude and latitude.
See next page for worksheet.
The end product formative assessment should look similar to this:
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Prime Meridian and Equator
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1.
Label the Equator.
2.
The Equator divides the world into ______________ and _______________ hemispheres.
3.
Which two continents are completely in the Northern Hemisphere?
___________________ and _____________________
4.
Which two continents are completely in the Southern Hemisphere?
___________________ and _____________________
5.
What continents does the Equator run through?
6.
Color all of the land on the continents in the Northern Hemisphere red.
7.
Color all of the land on the continents in the Southern Hemisphere green.
8.
Label the Prime Meridian.
9.
The Prime Meridian divides the world into __________________ and ______________ hemispheres.
10.
Which two continents are completely in the Western Hemisphere?
_________________ and _______________________
11.
What continents does the Prime Meridian run through?
12.
Color all of the land in the Western Hemisphere blue.
13.
Color all of the land in the Eastern Hemisphere yellow.
14.
Which hemispheres to we live in?

Lesson 2
Longitude and Latitude
Time needed: One 45 minute block
SEATS format
(Standard, Essential Question, Activator, Teaching, Summarizer)
S: SS3G1: The student will locate major topographical features.a. Identify major rivers of the United States of America: Mississippi,
Ohio, Rio Grande, Colorado, Hudson. b. Identify major mountain ranges of the
United States: Appalachian, Rocky. Locate the
Equator, Prime Meridian, and lines of latitude and longitude on a globe
.
E: How can we find locations using longitude and latitude coordinates?
A: Review Prime Meridian and Equator and
T: Students will work in an interactive Notebook will be something similar to this: notebook as the teacher presents the information using Promethean.
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S: Formative Assessment: Students will be given a worksheet with coordinates. Their job is to find the coordinates on the map and mark them. We will complete the first two together.
See pg. 6

Name: ________________________________________
Latitude and Longitude
Write the letter of the position that each coordinate marks.
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1.
15ﹾN, 45 ﹾW ____
2.
30 ̊N, 180 ̊E ____
3.
0 ̊, 150 ̊ W
____
4.
60 ̊ N, 60 ̊ E ____
5.
15 ̊ S, 75 ̊ E ____
6.
60 ̊ S, 120 ̊ W ____
7.
45 ̊ S, 150 ̊ E ____
8.
75 ̊ N, 90 ̊ W ____
9.
60 ̊ N, 120 ̊ E ____
10.
30 ̊ S, 0 ̊
____

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Lesson 3
Major Rivers of the United States
Time needed: One 45 minute block
SEATS format
(Standard, Essential Question, Activator, Teaching, Summarizer)
S: SS3G1: The student will locate major topographical features.a. Identify major rivers of the United States of America:
Mississippi, Ohio, Rio Grande, Colorado,
Hudson. b. Identify major mountain ranges of the
United States: Appalachian, Rocky.
Locate the Equator, Prime Meridian, and lines of latitude and longitude on a globe
.
E: What are the major rivers of the United
States? Where are they?
A: Students will view a video about the major rivers of the United States.
T: Students will read US Rivers chapter from text aloud. They will then label the worksheet and answer questions.
S: Formative assessment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qft_CEYwfYM
See wiki for attached rivers document
Students will use a blank USMap and yarn to glue and label major rivers.

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Lesson 4
Major Mountain Ranges of the United States
Time needed: One-two 45 minute blocks
SEATS format
(Standard, Essential Question, Activator, Teaching, Summarizer)
S: SS3G1: The student will locate major topographical features.a. Identify major rivers of the United States of America:
Mississippi, Ohio, Rio Grande, Colorado,
Hudson. b. Identify major mountain ranges of the
United States: Appalachian, Rocky. Locate the Equator, Prime Meridian, and lines of latitude and longitude on a globe
.
E: Where are the major mountain ranges in the United States? What are their names?
A: Students will view a Youtube video about the major mountain chains in the
United States and fill out a worksheet with it.
T: Students will complete the Google
Earth Scavenger Hunt with partners.
S: Students will use their blank map to glue construction paper triangles to represent the major mountain ranges.
See pg. 9 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmxY8_AE0s0
See wiki

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Mountain Range Video Questions
1.
List the five major mountain ranges:
________________, ______________________, _________________,
_________________, _____________________
2.
What is the tallest mountain in the United States?____________________
Which range is it in? _________________
3.
The Rocky Mountains run ____________ miles from Western Canada to the state of
___________________.
4.
The Appalachian Mountains run from the state of _______________ to Canada. They are
___________ miles long.
5.
The Blue Ridge Mountains are part of the _____________ Range.
6.
The Sierra Nevada Mountains are ____________ miles long.

Lesson 5
Review Day
Time Needed: One – Two 45 minute blocks
Students will use this day to complete the Review WebQuest individually with the class set of laptops. This WebQuest covers all topics related to the geography standard.
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