Name:
Grade Level:
Subject:
Brenda Boehlke
Grades 2-3
Social Studies
Name of Unit: Geography – Maps and Geographical Features
Content Standard (Geography):
Students in Wisconsin will learn about geography through the study of the relationships among people, places, and environments.
Performance Standard
A.4.2 Locate on a map or globe physical features such as continents, oceans, mountain ranges, and landforms, natural features such as resources, flora, and fauna; and human features such as cities, states, and national borders.
A.4.1 Use reference points, latitude and longitude, direction, size, shape, and scale to locate positions on various representations of the earth's surface
Benchmarks:
Students will be able to:

Identify the 4 oceans

Identify the 7 continents

Identify by pointing to islands, mountains, lakes, rivers and coasts on a map or globe.

Verbalize the purpose of a map or globe.

Find their continent, country, and location (along the western shore of Lake
Michigan) on Google Earth
Big Ideas:
Students will understand that their location in the world is recognizable by geographical landmarks and can be shown on a map.
Key Concepts/Key Questions:

Why are addresses important?

Why is it important to know how to read and use a map?

Where are we located on the earth?

How does knowing physical features help us understand our world better?

How can we use cardinal directions to help someone understand their location better?
Skills, Knowledge, and Vocabulary to Understand the Content:
Students w ill be able to…
Use a map to communicate to others and to navigate to a destination
Label continents and oceans on a world map.
Find United States of America on a political world map.
Find examples of various geographical features of the earth
Use a simple road map to communicate directions to a destination
Students will know:
The geographical landmarks that help us to find Sheboygan, Wisconsin, USA on a globe or map of the earth
Cardinal and intermediate directions
Names and locations of the continents and oceans
Geographical features of the earth

Content Vocabulary:
North, South, East West
Continents
Oceans
Cardinal & intermediate directions
Physical features of the earth
(landforms)
Mountain
River
-
-
Hill
Plateau
Canyon
Peninsula
Island
State boundaries
National boundaries
Address
Lake
Plains
Bay, gulf, cove
Shoreline/coast
City
State
Country
Border
Formative Assessments:
Formative Assessments
–
1. Students will verbally tell their city, state, and country.
2. They will be able to identify the continents and oceans, and the United States of America.
3. Students will view a pair of cities in google Earth and be able to determine which direction the second city is from the first.
4. Students will create a series of placemarks within a folder to be shared with others using
Google Earth (Placemarks will be turned into .kmz files.)
5. Students will use google image search and excel template to create flashcards of geographical terms
Informal Assessments – Throughout the unit, the teacher will informally assess students’ understanding of the importance of communicating directions accurately. Students will point out continents and oceans on classroom maps and individual desk maps. Students will use a map and cardinal directions to assist a person striving to reach a specific destination.
Learning Activities
Lesson 1- Whole Group Activity
—
1.
The teacher will start out by asking students what they know about Google Earth. “Who has ever seen it? Who goes on it at home? Whose teachers have used it in the classroom? Who knows what you can do with it?
2.
The teacher opens google Earth, spins the globe, zooms in a little, rotates and tips the view.
3.
Teacher points out that this is what our planet (Earth) looks like from outer space. (no political lines)
4.
Point out 4 largest bodies of water (oceans), largest land masses (continents). Show that “man” drew a line on a map between Europe & Asia and called it 2 continents giving us 7 continents to memorize.
5.
Hand out black line maps of the world. Use Google Earth to show students continents and oceans. Name them. Have children print these names on their maps. For homework, practice identifying the continents and oceans.

Lesson 2
Review--Partner and Whole Group Activity

Partner
—
Quiz your partner on names of continents and oceans

Whole Group Activity
—
Using Smartboard & GoogleEarth-have students try to name all of the continents and oceans.
New Learning-Whole Group-
Now we’re going to zoom in a little bit and also add some imaginary lines to show the borders (edges) of some countries.

Teacher adds political boundaries
 Teacher zooms in and shows countries, slowly spinning the globe. “Are there any countries you’ve heard of? Where’s ours? How did you know? Would you be able to find it if we took off the label?” (Remove political boundaries/labels and spin the earth.)
 Call on a student find the United States of America. Ask “How did you know that was the United States of America? (key in on answers resembling shape, located between the 2 oceans.)

Point out that the shape of our country helps us to find it. You looked for a continent that had some familiar peninsulas and a gulf and oceans on both sides, and maybe you looked for the Great Lakes and some mountains. (Point out these landforms as you say them.)

Discuss a landform that is easy to find on a map (peninsula)
 “Raise your hand if you can come up to the SmartBoard and find some other peninsulas on the globe.” Show us.

Repeat for these physical features: o gulf o coastline/shore o seas
–“not big enough to be called oceans. Where are some bodies of water that might be seas? Let’s check their names to see if we found some.” o Mountains —can be seen if we zoom in a little. (Model how to zoom in.) “Can you find some on your own by zooming in just a little?” (Look in Asia)
Partner Activity —Find a mountain or a mountain range on your desk map. Write down its name and be prepared to show us where it is on the Google Earth map. (Model how you are going to zoom out, and then spin the globe to make it more challenging for the students to find thei r mountain again. “Remember, the shape of the land, and the physical features near it will help us to be able to find it again.”

Note: Some students may only be able to find the landforms on a map, while other students determine the correct name. Assign partners with this in mind.
 Assess students’ ability to identify a mountain and use physical features to locate their mountain on a new map. (Note: some students may need political boundaries to be present on the Google Earth map. Also, for students needing more support, assist them by pointing out a mountain that would be easier to find. (along coastlines, near political borders, etc.)
Lesson 3
Whole Group Assessment Activity- Computer LabHave children exhange papers with other partnerships. Have children type the specific names of landforms into the GoogleEarth search bar. See if it takes the students to an appropriate landform .

Small Group Activity- Computer Lab
—(1 ½ days)
Show the students how to find the Excel document, Physical Features flashcard t emplate in Mrs. Boehlke’s shared file. Model how to search images, and drag them onto flashcards. Assign each partnership the task of finding pictures to complete the flashcards. Note: Flashcards with the lightning bolt are more challenging. Students should print out their flashcards, trade them with another partnership, and reflect on whether their own needs any revisions.
*Assessment-Check for accuracy
Lesson 4
Whole Group Activity-SmartBoard
Mini-Lesson
—Creating a Placemark in Google Earth (see attached lesson plan from Google
Earth & GPS Elementary Classroom Actvities: Grades 2-6. 2008
*Assessment-assist students to ensure that each child is able to create placemarks
Lesson 5
Whole Group Activity —Computer Lab
Student Activity--Cardinal Directions (see attached lesson plan plan from Google Earth &
GPS Elementary Classroom Actvities: Grades 2-6. 2008
Differentiation note: Third graders will be creating new worksheets for their second grade partner while second graders will complete the existing activity worksheet with me.
*Assessment-3 rd grade: authentic assessment of created worksheet
2 nd grade: check for understanding on guided practice worksheet. Then observe progress on 3 rd grade generated practice worksheet
Lesson 6
Whole Group Activity- SmartBoard
Show students the GoogleEarth street view of Jackson School. Then zoom out to show a wider view of the neighborhood and eventually our city (Sheboygan). Use the smartboard tools to mark where I live. Show the video clip of me riding my bike and explaining that I want to ride my bike to school, but I need help finding my way.
Use the SmartBoard to project the map of the section of town from my house to Jackson School. Move the bicycle cursor along the roadway as students give directions. (South on Timberline Lane. West on Indian Mound
Road. North on S. 12th St. West on Weeden Creek Rd.)
Summative Assessment:
Performance Tasks
– Students will point to, and name the oceans and continents for the teacher.
Materials:

SmartBoard

Computer Lab with color printer

World desk maps

Activity Sheets

Social Studies:
Using Maps & Geography (Unit Assessment)
Student’s Name
:
I can show where these continents are:
North
America
South
America Europe Asia Africa Australia Antarctica
I can show where these oceans are:
Atlantic
Ocean
Pacific
Ocean
Indian
Ocean
Arctic
Ocean
Quality of Project
I made all of the flashcards correctly. I chose images that are helpful and easy to understand
I was mostly accurate, but some of my pictures weren’t easy to see, or didn’t match with the words
I had more than 2 mistakes matching terms with the correct pictures.
Quality of Behavior
My partner and I discussed our work quietly and didn’t interrupt others. We were on task and following directions.
My partner and I needed some reminding to keep us on task. We didn’t follow the directions exactly.
Problem solving
When we were stuck, we tried to figure things out on our own.
We talked through our ideas together. If we needed help from the teacher, we asked a question. We shared solutions with others.
We tried to solve problems, but we gave up quickly. We only heard part of the directions so we needed them repeated for us.
My partner and I needed help from others to finish this project. Our behavior distracted our classmates.
We complained that we didn’t
“get it” instead of first trying to figure things out. We didn’t ask a specific question. Instead we wanted others to fix things for us.

Social Studies:
Using Maps & Geography (Unit Assessment)
Name :
 I can show my teacher the 7 continents.
Write:
Yes No
 I can identify the 7 continents on a map.
Yes No
 I can show my teacher the 4 oceans.
Yes No
 I can identify the 4 oceans on a map.
Write:
Write:
Write:
Yes No
 I can show my teacher which way is north, south, east or west on a map.
Yes No
 I can name the 4 main directions on a map.
Yes No
 I can follow directions in the computer lab.
Yes No
Write:
Write:

Social Studies:
Using Maps & Geography (Unit Assessment)
Name :
 I can show my teacher the 7 continents.
Write:
Yes No
 I can identify the 7 continents on a map.
Yes
 I can show my teacher the 4 oceans.
Yes
No
No
Write:
Write:
 I can identify the 4 oceans on a map.
Yes No
 I can show my teacher which way is north, south, east or west on a map.
Yes No
Write:
 I can name the 4 main directions on a map.
Yes No
 I can follow directions in the computer lab.
Yes No
Write:
Write: