Closing Lesson: Day 12

Danielle Van Wyk and Janna Silverberg

1.0 Lesson Plan Details
Southeast Region Brochure
Grade 4
60 minutes
Concepts
o Southeast Region
Skills
o Researching on a computer, brochure making
1.1 Integration of Learning Outcomes/Objectives
SWBAT: create a brochure on a state in the Southeast region.
SWBAT: identify major cities, tourist places, natural resources, historical events, and the
capital of their specific state.
1.2 Standards PA Civics, History, Economics, Geography &
NCSS Themes I - X with subthemes
6.3.4.A: Explain how government responds to social needs by providing public goods
and services.
7.1.4.B: Describe and locate places and regions as defined by physical and human
features.
7.2.4.A: Identify the physical characteristics of places and regions.
8.3.4.B: Locate historical documents, artifacts, and places critical to United States
history.
NCSS.1.2.c ...ask learners to identify and describe significant historical periods and
patterns of change within and across cultures, such as the development of ancient cultures
and civilizations, the rise of nation-states, and social, economic, and political revolutions;
NCSS.1.3.a ...enable learners to construct, use and refine mental maps of locales,
regions, and the world that demonstrates their understanding of relative location,
direction, size, and shape;
NCSS.1.7.a ...enable learners to explain how the scarcity of productive resources
(human, capital, technological, and natural) requires the development of economic
systems to make decisions about how goods and services are to be produced and
distributed;

1.3 Anticipatory Set

At the beginning of the lesson, the teacher will place the artifacts from lesson one
on a table in the front of the room.
The teacher will then ask the students which artifact they think belongs to what
region. The teacher will call on a few students to answer.
Now that we have finished our theme on the Southeast region, I would like to see
how much more you can learn about a specific area of the Southeast.
Today we are going to be wrapping up our unit by doing some more research and
creating our very own brochures.
I will split you into partners and then have you pick out of a hat to see which
state of the Southeast you will be further researching.
Try your best to follow the Brochure Content Format Sheet when constructing
your brochures. It is very important to make this brochure as professional looking
as possible. Think of this as a brochure that someone traveling to your state will
use to learn about it.
1.4 Procedures
1. The teacher will split students into partners. The students will then pick a state
from the SE region to research out of a hat.
2. The teacher will explain the brochure project and show a past example. The
teacher will model how to create a brochure on word.
3. The students will then be given a print out of the topics that will be covered in the
brochure.
4. Students will research their states in the computer lab and record the information
that they find on a word document.
5. The students will then take the information from the word document and place it
into a brochure format on a word document.
6. After each pair completes their brochure, they will pick out of a hat to determine
what order they will present to the class.
7. Be sure to include the following components in your brochure: Photo/Drawing
of state, three interesting facts, the Southeast region the state is in, two major
cities, two places of interest/tourism, two natural resources, one historical event or
figure, and the capital of the state that is being researched.
1.5 Differentiation
Below level student:
The teacher will let the student know ahead of time which concepts will be
researched and included in the brochure in order to help him/her prepare for the
activity.
The Teacher will provide one-on-one scaffolding when creating the brochure.
Above level student:
Pairs that finish researching and creating their brochures early can continue their
research by looking up three interesting facts about their state.
Students that finish their project early can help a struggling student to conduct
their research and creation of their brochure.

1.6 Closure
After each pair completes their research and places their information into a
brochure format, they will pick out of a hat for an order to present.
Each pair will then present their topic state and brochure to the class according to
their number order.
After each pair presents, students will be in charge of remember at least one
interesting fact about another groups presentation. They will write this fact down
on a piece of paper and give it to the teacher on the way out of the door.
1.7 Formative/Summative Assessment of Students (P-12)
Formative Assessment:
For the formative assessment, the teacher will be walking around the computer
lab throughout the entire activity and monitoring students progress with research
and constructing their brochures.
Summative Assessment
After each pair creates their brochures and presenting, they will then hand it in to
the teacher to grade using the Brochure Rubric. The rubric will measure if each
student included the major cities, tourist places, natural resources, historical
events, and the capital of their specific state in their brochure.
1.8 Materials/Equipment
A. STUDENT MATERIALS/ READING RESOURCES:
http://www.usconsulate.org.hk/pas/kids/50states.html
http://kids.usa.gov/learn-about-the-states/
http://www.factmonster.com/states.html
Computer Cart/Computer Lab
Artifacts for each state from Lesson 1
B. TEACHER MATERIALS/RESOURCES FOR LESSON DESIGN:
Southeast States Brochure Template
Computer
http://www.usconsulate.org.hk/pas/kids/50states.htm

Website

M.IMinor
Influenc
e or
S.ISignifica
nt
Influenc
e

If S.I.
include
why
credible

How
easy is
it for
teache
rs to
access
?

How
easy is
it for
studen
ts to
access
?

http://www.usconsulate.org.hk/pas/kids/50st
ates.html

S.I

This site
does not
have ads

Very
easy

Very
easy

and gives
credible
facts.
http://kids.usa.gov/learn-about-the-states/

S.I

This site Easy

is very
appropria
te for
Elementa
ry ages
and gives
a variety
of facts.

Easy

http://www.factmonster.com/states.html

S.I

This site
doesnt
contain
ads and
includes
pictures
of each
state to
help
students
remembe
r.

Very
easy

Very
easy

1.9 Technology
Computers
2.1 Reflection on Planning
This plan was collaboratively written so that there were two different perspectives
and ideas brought to the table. The activity in this plan is meant to wrap up an entire unit
on the Southeast region of the United States. Students will be using their newly acquired
knowledge and worksheets, as well as computer research, to complete this lesson. We
tried to include each area of social studies learned throughout the unit (history,
economics, civics, and geography) in the questions on the brochure. This lesson could be
improved if students could accompany their presentation of their brochure with a visual
aid. Either a poster, PowerPoint, video, or artifact would help visual learners stay
engaged during presentations. Because of time restrictions, students are not required to
use a visual aid besides their brochure.
Students will be engaged because they will have the responsibility of researching
on a computer with a partner. They will have some freedom of the information they use,
but will be guided by teacher suggested websites. Students will also have the freedom to
choose what state they would like to research. One of the concerns we had while planning
this lesson was making sure we are keeping students on task. Being in a computer lab
will be helpful for the teacher to do formative observations, but it also gives students a lot

of independence. While they will be busy researching their state, there is room for
distraction and irrelevant websites.
Overall, planning this lesson was a great experience for our group. We tried our
best to wrap up the entire unit on the Southeast by incorporating all four areas of social
studies while linking them to our lessons on the Southeast region. Having the students do
further research on specific states and create brochures is a great way to wrap up the
entire unit.

Southeast State Brochure Template

Outside
Students Names

Welcome to
(State)
Interesting Facts

--------Photo or drawing
of state

Inside

What Southeast
region is your
state in?
--------Major City/Cities

Places of
Interest/ Tourism

Historical
Event/Figure

---------

---------

Natural
Resources

Capital of State

Brochure Template Rubric

2

Front Cover
(State Name and
Photo)

Students have the

name of the state
and photo or
drawing of the
state on the front
cover.

Students have either

the name or
photo/drawing on the
front cover, but not
both.

Students do not have

the name of the state
or photo/drawing of
state on the front
cover.

Interesting facts

Students wrote
three interesting
and relevant facts
about their state.

Students wrote 1-2

interesting and
relevant facts about
their state.

Students wrote 0
interesting or relevant
facts on their state.

Major Cities

Students wrote
about two major
cities in their state.

Students wrote about

one major city in their
state.

Students did not write

about a major city in
their state.

Places of
Interest/Tourism

Students wrote
about two places of
interest or tourism
and explained their
attractions.

Students wrote about

one place of interest
or tourism and
explained its
attraction.

Students did not write

about any places of
interest or tourism.

Natural
Resources

Students wrote
about two natural
resources found in
their state.

Students wrote about

one natural resource
found in their state.

Students did not write

about any natural
resources found in
their state.

Historical
Event/Figure

Students wrote
about a historical
event or figure from
their state.

Students were not

accurate about a
historical event or
figure from their
state.

Students did not write

about a historical
event or figure from
their state.

Southeast
Region/ Capital of
State

Students wrote the

Southeast Region
and capital of their
state.

Students wrote either

the Southeast Region
or the capital of their
state, but not both.

Students did not write

about either the
Southeast Region or
the capital of their
state.

Grammar and
Spelling

Points Earned

/16

Students did not

have any grammar
or spelling
mistakes.

Students had 1-2

grammar or spelling
mistakes.

Students had 3 or
more grammar or
spelling mistakes