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Science and Social Studies Lesson Plan Sample

“Landforms”

Overview/Reflection…..2

Lesson Plan …..3

Whole Group Instruction Notes…..4-5

Photos of Play-Doh Inquiry …..6

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Overview/Reflection

When I originally researched different ways to teach children about

landforms, I was a little disappointed in my search. I could only find different

worksheets and slideshows: nothing very exciting, especially for my kinesthetic

second graders. I knew the only way I would be able to actually teach them

something that they would actually enjoy, I would have to create it myself.

I started with making a list of all the different landforms I wanted to

teach; then I started looking up pictures of different famous landforms that I

could show them: they loved seeing real life examples of everything and any-

thing we learned! The more I researched landforms, the more confused I be-

came with all the different types and definitions. I actually began drawing pic-

tures to help myself remember all the various landforms, which led me to think

of physically building all the different landforms with Play-Doh.

The lesson would start with me describing the landform to the children

and having them guess what it was. Then, we would write down its name, a

definition, and a real-life, famous version of that landform. Then, the students

would draw a picture of that landform and then create it out of Play-Doh. Be-

cause the process took a little longer, we completed about three days full of

landforms.

The students absolutely loved it! The Play-Doh creations helped give

them a break from all the information, while still helping them learn. In the few

days after we completed, I constantly had more requests to use the Play-Doh

in every subject possible! I also had students giving me examples of landforms

that they read in books or saw at home after the unit was over!

This lesson was possibly my favorite one to teach! The children really en-

joyed learning about landforms and being able to make their own creations!

During free time, the students created a game, where they would create a

landform out of Play-Doh and someone else had to guess what it was! It was

very rewarding to see the payoff of creating my own lessons structured specif-

ically for my students.

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Lesson Plan

Anne Beitler Wednesday April 23, 2014 (11:00-11:50)

Subject/ Unit Geography Unit (Landforms Day 1)

Objectives TSWBAT identify a landform and where it can be found.

TSWBAT compare and contrast different landforms.

State Standards 7.1.2.A: Identify how basic geographic tools are used to organize information.

7.2.2.A: Identify the physical characteristics of places.

Materials/

Resources

*Geography Packets *Landform Handout

*Play-Doh

*Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwNfvyCXh1k

Anticipatory Set

(5 min)

1. Pull down the large map in the back of the room. Review and show the bor-

ders of the different continents.

2. Ask about the different continents: Are they all the same? Do they have the

same weather or people?

Instruction/

Procedure

(20 minutes)

1. Just like the weather and people, these continents (and countries and cities)

have their own LANDFORMS. Landforms are natural physical features of the

earth (rivers, oceans, mountains, etc.)

2. Explain the directions of the activity. We will watch a portion of the video,

learning about a different landform. Then, we will create that landform with

play-doh and draw it on the Handout.

3. We will only complete about half of the landform list; then complete the oth-

Closure

(5 min)

1. We will go over each landform that we created today; Create a list on the

board and compare the sizes and where they could be (cold, hot, mild

lands).

Assessment Formative: Observation, Questions, Answers, Participation

Summative: Landform Handout

Adaptations

(if needed)

*During the independent work creating landforms, the teacher can answer

questions and provide more scaffolding for a struggling student.

*Students who finish early can help others complete their landforms or write

down where they have seen those landforms (in PA? maybe on vacation?)

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Whole Group Instruction Notes

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Whole Group Instruction Notes

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Photos of Play-Doh Inquiry