Geography

Carlena Grayson & Dan Elmeier

ED 629

Unit/Grade Level Lesson

• 5th Grade Social Studies

Objective

• Use maps to identify location of: Mexico, United States, and Canada, 50 states, Rocky and Appalachian Mountain Systems, the Mississippi, Rio Grande, and St. Lawrence Rivers and the Great Lakes.

Materials Needed

• Blank Maps of United States - 1 for each student• Textbook Maps• Colored Pencils• Classroom Maps• Pencil• Paper• Fifty Nifty Song• Fifty Nifty Lyrics - 1 for each student

Web Site (s)• Homework Center: United States Geography

http://www.factmonster.com/homework/geography-united-states.html• Place the State: Intermediate Online Learning

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/states_experiment_drag-drop_Intermed_State15s_500.html

• Jayzee Bear: United States Mapshttp://www.jayzeebear.com/map/usa_2.html

• Maps.com: Free Stuffhttp://www.maps.com/FreeStuff.aspx?nav=FF

• Maps of North Americahttp://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/na.htm

• Ray Charles: Fifty Nifty United States

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Fifty-Nifty-United-States-lyrics-Ray-Charles/0AE98363D8B3BD3B48256C24000F4F7B

Activity #1

• When the students walk into the classroom have the Fifty Nifty Song playing on repeat. Hand out the Lyrics to Fifty Nifty to each student. Have each student underline the name of the state as it is being called out. After listening to the song about 3 times, have the students try to sing along.

Fifty Nifty Lyrics• Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies;

Fifty Nifty stars on the flag that billows so beautifully in the breeze.Each individual state contributes a quality that is great.Each individual state deserves a bow, We salute them now.

Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original colonies,Shout 'em, scout 'em, Tell all about 'em, One by one,til we've given a name to every state in the USA in the USA in the USA, <- hold out all the A's for 3 beatsAlabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, ConnecticutDelaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, IndianaIowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine,Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan.Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana,Nebraska, Nevada,New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York,North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio,Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina,South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas,Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming

North, South, East, West in our common, objective opinion (Name of home State)Is the Best of the Fifty Nifty United States from thirteen original coloniesShout 'em, scout'em, tell all about 'emOne by One, till we've given a name to every state in the good old U....S...A (hold all notes very short)

Blank Maps of United States

Activity #2

• Give each student a blank map of the United States. Have them open their textbook to a map that shows Canada, U.S., and Mexico. Have the students locate the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains in their textbook. The teacher demonstrates on their blank map where the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains are located. Then have the students label the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains on their map. Show them the Rocky Mtns. are in the WEST -their left and the Appalachian Mtns. are in the EAST- their right. Tell them RA is a way to remember the Rocky Mountains and the Appalachian Mountains. The RA is the first part of a cheer we will chant at the end of the lesson.

Activity #3

• Have the students locate the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean in their textbook. The teacher demonstrates on their blank map where the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean are located. Then have the students label the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean on their map. Show them the Pacific Ocean is in the WEST -their left and the Atlantic Ocean is in the EAST- their right. Tell them PA is a way to remember the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean. Now our cheer consist of RA PA. Have the students repeat RA PA.

Activity #4

• Have the students locate Canada, U.S., and Mexico in their textbook. The teacher demonstrates on their blank map where Canada, U.S., and Mexico are. Then have the students label the 3 countries on their map. Tell them CUM is a way to remember the order for Canada, U.S., and Mexico. Now our cheer consist of RA PA CUM. Have the students repeat RA PA CUM.

Activity #5Have the students locate the Great Lakes in their textbook: Superior, Huron, Ontario, Michigan, and Erie. The teacher demonstrates on their blank map where the lakes: Superior, Huron, Ontario, Michigan, and Erie are located. Then have the students label the 5 Great Lakes on their map. Tell them SHO ME is a way to remember Superior, Huron, Ontario, Michigan, and Erie and that SHO ME is the order of the lakes from top to bottom. Now our cheer consist of RA PA CUM SHO ME. Have the students repeat RA PA CUM SHO ME.

Activity #6

• Have the students locate the Mississippi River in their textbook. The teacher demonstrates on their blank map where the Mississippi River is located. Then have the students trace and label the Mississippi River on their map. Tell them MR is a way to remember the Mississippi River.

Activity #7

• Have the students locate the 5 states that are to the left of the Mississippi River in their textbook: Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana. The teacher demonstrates on their blank map where the 5 states are located. Then have the students label the 5 states on their map. Tell them MIMAL is a way to remember Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana.

Activity #8• Have the students outline

these 5 states as a group of states along the Mississippi River. Tell them this is MIMAL. MIMAL is an elf who lives in the middle of the United States. Minnesota is his hat. Iowa is his face. Missouri is his top and belly. Arkansas is his pants. Louisiana can be his boot or toes. Have them color in MIMAL with colored pencils. Now our cheer consist of RA PA CUM SHO ME MIMAL & MR. Have the students repeat RA PA CUM SHO ME MIMAL & MR.

Activity #9

Have the students locate the Rio Grande River, Gulf of Mexico, and St. Lawrence River in their textbook. The teacher demonstrates on their blank map where the Rio Grande River, Gulf of Mexico, and St. Lawrence River are located. Then have the students label the Rio Grande River, Gulf of Mexico, and St. Lawrence River on their map. Tell them RG GUM SLR is a way to remember Rio Grande River, Gulf of Mexico, and St. Lawrence River. Now our cheer consist of RA PA CUM SHO ME MIMAL & MR. RG GUM SLR. Have the students repeat RA PA CUM SHO ME MIMAL & MR. RG GUM SLR.

Activity #10

• The teacher demonstrates the cheer.RA PA CUM SHO ME MIMAL & MR. RG GUM

SLR and reviews what each letter stands for. Have the students get into groups of 3 to 4 people

to come up with moves for the cheer. Then have the groups of students demonstrate their cheer to the whole class. While the students are demonstrating their moves to the cheer, the other students should be repeating the cheer out loud.

Assessment

• The teacher gives the students the same blank map of the United States. Each location is identified by a number. The map consist of word bank. The students should indicate the correct location for each corresponding number on the map.