California’s Physical Geography Lesson Plan, Grade 4

5.1.    Select a standard.  Write it here.

Standard 4.1

5.2 Write a portion of the standard here.

Identify the locations of the Pacific Oceans, rivers, valleys, and mountain passes and explains their effects on the growth of towns.

5.3 Evaluation

In this lesson, students will be able to located certain rivers, mountains, and valleys throughout California including the Pacific Ocean.  At this time, students will learn the names of the places mentioned along the state.  After several weeks of learning this lesson, students will be tested based on California’s geography.  This process will evaluate their knowledge of the geographic locations of the state’s major environmental resources.

V1.  In order to test their knowledge, each student will be evaluated as they are given two versions of the same exam provided by the teacher.  One version will be an oral exam while the other is a written text.  In the oral exam, the student will look at a map of California to determine the names of the specific locations of the state’s natural resources including rivers, valleys, mountains, and the Pacific Ocean.  This test is designed for students who are interpersonal, auditory, and visual learners.  All of the names will be covered with yellow Post-It Papers marked with a letter.  Every child will be asked orally the name of the river and its place on the map.  The student must respond by saying the letter.  Once the answers have been said, the teacher will correct the exam by unveiling the names of each river, mountain, valley, and the location of the Pacific Ocean along with the students response.

V2.  The second version of the test will be a written exam designed for students who are intra personal and verbal/linguistic.  In this exam, students are given a map of California with all of the names of the states mountain passes, valleys, rivers, and Pacific Ocean covered.  Each individual will write the name of the area at the blank spaces provided.  At the completion of the exam, individuals will submit the materials to the instructor, who will evaluate their skills based on input and vocabulary production.

5.4    Preview/Review

The two things that I can do to impart of activate prior knowledge are to read a book and ask questions about California’s natural resources. This lesson will be presented in two ways.

V1.  Reading a selected novel allows for the visual and linguistic students to explore the realm of California’s physical geography through pictures as students become familiar with the names of the locations of the states mountains, surrounding ocean, and valleys.  It also provides students new terminology, as they want to learn more about physical geography, human ecology, and environmental science as a whole.

V2.  A second version that I may present is by asking questions verbally and orally.  In order to do so, I will selectively ask students of what they already know about California’s natural resources, their names, and where are they located.  This process will help interpersonal, auditor, and intrapersonal learners who want to learn more about California’s physical geography.  At the same time, students are allowed to ask and provide outside information into the classroom.

For students who are interpersonal, they can write information on their journals.  Once finished, they are to submit their journals to the teacher who will provide a written response.  By having the students write in their journals gives them the opportunity to increase the quality of language production, broaden their vocabulary skills, and expand their comprehension of the lesson.

5.5    Explain, Model, Demonstrate

What 2 ways you could explain, model, or demonstrate what you want to teach?

The two ways I could explain, model, or demonstrate what I want to teach are to perform storytelling and music activities.

V1.  Storytelling is an excellent ways to expand student learning.  It is a form of communication and a way of connecting literature to the physical science world.  In this lesson, students will hear a story about California’s rivers, mountains, valleys, and nearby oceans.  Once the story has concluded, the children are to tell and act their own stories similar to what they have heard.  This process will help students be familiar with the states physical geography.

Storytelling helps for children who are verbal/linguistic, bodily/kinesthetic, logical/mathematical, and interpersonal students.

V2.  Music is another way to broaden learning.  It is a way of mixing music to geography.  As a part of the lesson, students will create their own songs by writing the lyrics and melodies about California’s natural resources.  When writing the lyrics, children increase the quality of language production related to California’s physical geography (rivers, mountains, valleys, and the Pacific Ocean while establishing a supporting learning environment within which students can acquire and practice language.

Music helps for students who are musical/rhythmic, interpersonal, and verbal/linguistic learners.

5.9    What 2 things can students do for independent practice?

The two things that students can do for independent practice are to write a letter to the state’s capital, politician, or a national environmental organization and taking a field trip to gather artifacts and write a report for a science project.

One way that students can learn independently is by composing letters.  As a part of a composition lesson, students can write letters to their local and state politicians regarding California’s physical geography (i.e. rivers, valleys, Pacific Ocean, and mountains) and environment.  Students must submit a series of drafts to be proofread by the teacher prior to sending the letter.  This will help students who want to expand their vocabulary and increase their language and content gains of the subject being taught.

The composition lesson helps students who are verbal/linguistic and intrapersonal learners.

Another way that students can educate individually is by taking a field trip somewhere in California where one of their major rivers, valleys, and mountains are located.  This helps students who are forming a safe and supporting learning environment that students can learn, acquire, and practice language as well as science.  They also can take a trip to a California beach where the Pacific Ocean is to be found.  In this trip, students are to obtain artifacts about the location itself.  They can get information at a local forest site or chamber of commerce headquarters.  Students may also collect science related materials such as rocks, shells, and leaves.  Once the trip has concluded, individuals must write a report based on their experiences.  This will assist them in increasing their understanding of content-related language input.

The field trip experience is made for individuals who are naturalists, logical/mathematical, and verbal/linguistic students.