Samantha Mulford-Phillips
Instructional Designer
3rd – 6th grade
SS Lesson Plan for Virtual Schoolhouse Simulation
‘Grabbing the Globe’
Purpose: To examine and manipulate geography of planet Earth with virtual software.
Objectives:
 Locate geographic, historic and scientific points on globe using Google Earth layers.
 Define geographic locations of continents on Earth using digital vector mapping.
 Identify geography of communities that are remote, rural, urban, or suburban.
 Create a presentation slideshow of continents and points on the globe.
Lesson summary: Students will be challenged to manipulate the globe with virtual geography software
(Google Earth). They will identify continents and country locations by creating digital vector maps to
enhance their awareness of planet Earth. Overall students will create a visual presentation slideshow
and narrative of geographic maps with historical and scientific points.
Modifications:
Students will work in cooperative learning groups and foster collaborative team work ethic. Senior team
members assume leadership roles and are responsible for assisting and peer mentoring junior group
members.
Groups:
Junior Group: (8 – 9 years old) 14 y.o (mentor leader) will focus on Google Earth basic mapping skills and
understanding layers of history and scientific points on globe. They will be assisted by mentor leader
with acquisition of photos to create slideshow. Mentor leader is not considered a babysitter, but a
learning facilitator. This will help her gain awareness of others LDs and help her develop teaching skills
and empathy.
Senior group: (11-13 years old) students are mainly responsible for digital vector mapping to develop
understanding of longitude and latitude. They will also work together to create slideshows of maps.
They will have to work together equitably to solve the problems without mentor leader doing all the
work for them.
Virtual guest presenters: Steve Jobs, and Dr. Joseph Kerski
Resources: Laptops with internet access, Software: MSWord, GoogleEarth,
GoogleEarth - Geography mapping 3D layers
Planiglobe – Digital Vector globe mapping
Terraserver – Mapping software
NASA – Blue Marble Earth photos
Shutterfly – Photo Gallery
Slideshare – Photo presentation
YouTube for Google Earth video instruction
NY State SS Standards:
Standard 2 - World History: The skills of historical analysis include the ability to investigate differing and
competing interpretations of the theories of history, hypothesize about why interpretations change over time,
explain the importance of historical evidence, and understand the concepts of change and continuity over time.
Standard 3 - Geography: Understand geography of the world including the distribution of people and
places on the Earth’s surface.
Common Core Literacy Standards:
Reading Informational Text:
Analyze how two or more authors writing about the same topic shape their presentations of key information by
emphasizing different evidence or advancing different interpretations of facts. a. Use their experience and their
knowledge of language and logic, as well as culture, to think analytically, address problems creatively, and
advocate persuasively.
Speaking and Listening Standards:
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse
partners on topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own.
ISTE’s National Educational Technology Standards for Students
The International Society for Technology in Education has created National Educational Technology Standards for
Students (NETS-S) that encompass a full range of technology competencies. The NETS standards include
• Communication and collaboration. Students should be able to work collaboratively, both in person and at a
distance, and to communicate ideas effectively to multiple audiences using new media.
• Research and information fluency. Students should be able to use a variety of digital media to locate, organize,
analyze, and evaluate information from a variety of sources.
• Critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. Students should be able to define problems, plan and
conduct research, and identify solutions or appropriate decisions using digital tools and resources.
Procedure:
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Teacher should set up a Slideshare and Shutterfly accounts for classroom use prior to the lesson.
Students should utilize a computer lab or laptop cart computers within classroom.
Access to a printer or capability to save maps to personal student accounts would be helpful.
Students and teacher should be able to save maps located on Google Earth or Maps Live.
Teacher should login to Google Earth or Maps Live and demonstrate how to use the software (free
software but should be downloaded prior to the lesson).
Students login and start searching for maps of continents/countries.
Teacher should divide students in groups of four and ask students to select different
continent/country maps and share the maps they find with their groups.
Teacher should assist students in locating appropriate maps and regions.
Students will need to save map pictures and regional pictures as Slideshare slides. The maps can
also be saved in the photo galleries on Shutterfly.
Students copy and paste continent/country maps into MS Word and Google images journals in
their student accounts for later type-written reflection of maps.
Teacher should assess and check that students have map images into SlideShare or Shutterfly
image galleries prior to logging off.
Assessment:
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Continent/country Google image online map journals will be graded by rubric for content.
Group presentation of Slideshare show with continent/country maps being studied will be
assessed for accuracy and content presentation.
Written reflection evaluation about Google Earth maps and geography in Word journals.