Social Studies Lesson Plans
Physical features of U.S. & prehistoric migration
Kelly Reasner
5th Grade
Objectives:
COS # 1.) Locate physical features that impacted the exploration and settlement of the
Americas.
Examples: ocean currents, prevailing winds, large forests, major rivers, significant
mountain ranges
• Locating states, capitals, and important geographic features east of the Mississippi
River
• Identifying major ports in the United States
Examples: Mobile, Boston, New York, New Orleans, Savannah
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Label and locate map skills
Examples: map keys, longitude, latitude, oceans, and continents
Procedures:
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Day 1
 Students will discuss their interactive notebook
 Each student will have a spiral notebook for this
unit.
 The first 2 pages will be for the table of contents
of the notebook.
 Teacher will discuss map keys as students as they
turn and look at page H16 in their social studies
book.
 Watch brain pop on Map Skills
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/geography/m
apskills/
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Students will label and color a U.S. map depicting
major rivers, significant mountain ranges, and
major ports on page 1 in their interactive
notebook.
Day 2
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Students will review ports, rivers, and mountain
ranges
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Students will take notes on ocean currents,
prevailing winds, and forests and their impact on
early settlement of the Americas by making
vocabulary flaps for Page 2 in their interactive
notebook
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Watch a brain pop and study jams on Ocean
currents and Wind
http://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/ocean
currents/
http://www.brainpop.com/science/weather/wind/
http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/jams/scien
ce/weather-and-climate/waves-and-currents.htm
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Day 3
Students will label a compass rose with cardinal
directions and then the students will label a map on
the regions of the United States on page 3 in their
interactive notebook.
Watch brain pop on cardinal directions and the
compass rose
http://www.brainpop.com/technology/scienceandindustr
y/compass/
Day 4
 Students will discuss the continents and oceans on
Earth. Students will make a 2 tab flipbook for the
following on page 4 of their interactive notebook.
 Discuss story about continents
Here's the story: North America and South America got married and went to
Europe for their honeymoon. They had four children and each child's name starts
with the letter A. The largest child has the smallest name.
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Then for homework students will color code and label
a map.
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Brain pop on continents
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/geography/conti
nentsoftheworld/
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Day 5
 Review continents using a song
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While my class is learning about the continents, I made up a song to the tune
of "The Adams Family." They point to each continent and ocean as they sing
the song.
Continents of Earth (snap, snap)
Continents of Earth (snap, snap)
There's Asia and there's Europe
There's North and South America
There's Africa and Australia
Don't forget Antarctica
Continents of Earth (snap, snap)
Continents of Earth (snap, snap)
Oceans of Earth (snap, snap)
Oceans of Earth (snap, snap)
There's Pacific and Atlantic
Indian and Arctic
They all salt water
The four oceans of the Earth
Oceans of Earth (snap, snap)
Oceans of Earth (snap, snap)
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Students will read and discuss page H14-H15 on latitude
and longitude.
Brain Pop on Latitude/longitude
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/geography/latitu
deandlongitude/
Students will create matchbooks on Lat/Long
Students will then decide the shape of their edible map
and a map key. Students will bring in supplies to create
their map.
Day 6
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Review song of continents
Read aloud pp. 55 in text book which discuss
prehistoric migration to the U.S.
On page 6 of the interactive notebook students
need to draw a vertical line dissecting it in half.
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On the top sections students will discuss with the
teacher the important aspects of how people came
to the Americas.
Before students and teacher read aloud have the
students write down the “purpose question” for
page 55
Take notes on the left side and present a purpose
question for each page.
Continue until you read pages 55-57 using notes
and purpose questions.
Discuss the skill of cause and effect.
Students will complete wb 15 for homework
Day
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7
Check wb 15
Review notes and purpose questions
Have the students perform an “archaeologist” dig using
chocolate chips cookies and toothpicks.
 Have the students write a what, why, how, and did you
like question on the top of page 7 in their interactive
notebook, to fill out after their dig.
 Discuss the skill of sequencing with the students. Have
them sequence an event out loud such as their morning
routine with their partner pal.
 Have students move the strips around first and put
them in place. Then have them turn to their partner pal
and see if they got the same order.
 Then have the students glue the migration to the
Americas strips on the bottom of page 7 in their
interactive notebook. Students will finish this for
homework
Day 8
 The teacher will check the student’s notebooks on
page 7 for the W questions and the sequencing strips.
 The students will complete a test on continents,
oceans, and lesson 1 in chapter 1.
 Hand out the first set of states and capitals to begin
the states and capitals test. Have the students cut
out the states and then tape an index card to the
states. The students will then label the states and
capitals.
Day 9 and 10
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Review states and capitals (Sparkle)
Make a 4 folded chart for notes on Lesson 2
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Day
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Day
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Label with Mound Builders, Anasazi, and Inuit
As a class turn each sub title into a “purpose question”.
Read pages 61-64 stopping after each paragraph to pick
out special points for our chart.
Put completed chart on page 8 in their interactive
notebook.
Brain pop on Inuit
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/culture/inuit/
Students will complete workbook page 17
10 and 11
Review states and capitals
Check work book page
Pass out construction paper and make a pyramid for
notes
As a class turn each sub title into a “purpose question”.
Read pages 67-69 stopping after each paragraph to pick
out special points for our pyramid notes
Put completed pyramid in the zip lock bag in the back of
the interactive notebook
Brain pop on Incas, Maya, and Aztecs
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/inc
acivilization/
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/azt
eccivilization/
http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/ma
yacivilization/
Students will complete workbook page 18
12
Check workbook page 18
Review
Test on Chapter 1 and first States and Capitals Test