Spring 2012
University of Montevallo Elementary Education Lesson Plan Format
Name: Jenna Morris
Subject/Grade level: Science/ Social Studies-landforms, 3rd grade Group size: 18
Date lesson taught: Wednesday, Mar. 7, 2012
School: CVES
Goals: TSW gain a better understanding of common landforms.
National Standards: NSES content standard 3.8 Earth and space science- properties of
Earth materials. NCSS: People, Places, and Environments.
State Standards: ALCOS: Science 3.11.) Describe Earth's layers, including inner and
outer cores, mantle, and crust.
Science 3.10.) Determine habitat conditions that support plant growth and survival.
Examples: deserts support cacti, wetlands support ferns and mosses.
Social Studies: 3.2.) Describe physical characteristics, including landforms, bodies of
water, soil, and vegetation of various places on Earth. Examples: landforms-mountains,
hills, plateaus.
Prerequisite Skills/Concepts: Students should be familiar with the earth’s crust, know
what land is, and be able to write, draw, and follow oral directions.
Objectives (action verb – Bloom’s)
Assessment
 TSW identify how mountains and
 Teacher observation, clay models.
hills are made by recreating it using
modeling clay.
 TSW identify what mountains and
 Teacher observation, Landform
hills are by making a landform
Books.
book with a definition for each.
Procedures (will vary depending upon
Materials & Resources
discipline, course, and/or content area)
Engage:
 TTW use the laptop and the
 Laptop, projector, Landforms
projector to display the Landforms
PowerPoint slides 1 and 2.
PowerPoint, slide 1.Get the class’s
attention and say, “Raise your hand
if you can tell me what a landform
is.” TTW click to slide 2. TTW take
volunteer’s responses. Responses
might include: “a piece of land in
different forms”, “a solid feature
formed on the earth’s crust”(desired
response), etc. TTW correct
misconceptions and give the correct
meaning (a solid feature formed on
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the earth’s crust). And say, “Today
we are going to talk about
landforms, specifically mountains
and hills.”
TTW click to slide 3, Mountains.
TTW read and discus slide 3 and
take any questions about mountains
TTW will explain that when the
earth’s crust moves together, it
makes a mountain. TTW tell them
that we are going to make our own
mountains.
TTW group students who sitting
together (groups of 3). And explain
the materials and rules to each
group before handing out materials.
They are not to “play” with the
clay. If they are caught using the
clay incorrectly on purpose, TTW
take it away and they will just
watch while the other students
make models.
TTW give each group a sheet of
wax paper and some modeling clay.
TTW remind them of how
mountains form and show them
how to make a mountain by laying
the clay flat and pushing the
opposite sides together. TTW
demonstrate how to make a
mountain using the clay.
TSW make a mountain for each
group. TSW show the teacher their
mountain. Each student will have a
chance to make a mountain.
TTW tell the groups to ball up the
clay and put it back in the
containers.
TTW move on to slide 4 of the
PowerPoint and go over hills. TTW
explain the difference between a
hill and a mountain and how hills
are formed.
TTW model how to make a hill out
of modeling clay.
TSW take the clay out again and
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Laptop, projector, Landforms
PowerPoint slide 3.
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Piece of precut wax paper for each
group and one for teacher (7),
container of modeling clay for each
group and one for teacher (7).
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Laptop, projector, Landforms
PowerPoint slide 4.
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Piece of precut wax paper for each
group and one for teacher (7),
container of modeling clay for each
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make a hill, then show it to the
teacher.
After all have made a correct hill,
TSW put the clay back in its
container and TTW call groups one
at a time to put materials on the
back table.
TTW pass out Landform Books
(already folded and stapled) and
explain that we will make our own
landform books. TTW show her
example. TTW guide the students
to make the first two pages in the
book, writing the titles and
information first, then going back
and drawing the pictures. The
students will copy page
1(Mountains) from PowerPoint
slide 2. Then, TSW copy page
2(Hills) from PowerPoint slide 3.
When students are finished, they
will place their books in the top tray
and silent read. They may choose
one of the Landform books from
the back table.
group and one for teacher (7).
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Landform books for each student
(18), teacher’s Landform Book
(already completed), pencil for each
student (18), markers/crayons for
each student, PowerPoint slides 3-4.
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Landforms books (at least 18).
Accommodations (e.g. alternate explanation of material, struggling readers, ESL,
special needs, enrichment for gifted students): PowerPoint Presentation accommodates
visual learners. Teacher may assist those with attention problems in making their models.
Modifications (IEP): Student with Autism will receive help from an aid to write his
book and may receive help forming his clay landforms.
Extensions (additional activity to reinforce lesson objective(s): When students are
finished, they may choose one of the landform books from the back table (because some
of them are small group books, there are enough for everyone to read one).