GeographyIntroduction

TargetConcepts:
SocialStudies,Grade2,Geography,B.6.B.
Thestudentunderstandsthelocationsandcharacteristicsofplacesandregionsinthe
community,state,andnation.Thestudentisexpectedto:(B)locateplacesof
significance,includingthelocalcommunity,Texas,thestatecapital,theU.S.capital,
majorcitiesinTexas,thecoastofTexas,Canada,Mexico,andtheUnitedStatesonmaps
andglobes
Objectives:
TheobjectiveforthislessonplanistohaveabroadunderstandingofthegeographyofTexasand
tobecomefamiliarwithitemsusedinthelesson,aswellasanintroducingthestudentstoTexas
historyandculture.Afterstudentshavecompletedthelessontheywillhave:(1)ageneral
understandingofdirectionandacompass(2)demonstratedtheabilitytouseacompassto
dictatewherelandmarksareonamap(3)understandfamiliarwordsusedinlessoninEnglish
andSpanish(4)haveanunderstandingofthenativeamericanhistoryofthebluebonnet(5)the
abilitytohaveageneralunderstandingofkeyvocabularyaddressedinthelesson.
Materials:
MapofTexasThiswillshowthestudentswhattheshapeofthestateofTexaslooks
like.Therewillalsobeacompasswherestudentscansee,(north,east,southandwest)
andcanputthecutoutswheretheyneedtobebasedontheirlocationinthestate.This
willalsohavecutoutstogoalongwithitwithlabeledbagssothatthestudentscanstay
organized.
MatwithTexasobjectsinEnglishandSpanishThiswillgiveaccesstostudentswhoare
ELLstudentsaswellaseducatestudentswhoarenotfamiliarwiththeSpanishlanguage.
Thisactivitywillalsohaveabeanbag,orsomethingcomparableforstudentstogently
tossontothemat.
TheLegendoftheBluebonnetbyTomieDePaolaThiswillprovideavisualfor
studentswhoareauditorylearners.Thisisaninteractivewayforstudentstobeexposed
toNativeAmericanFolkloreaswellaslearningaboutthehistoryofBluebonnets.
ScriptforLessonPlan:
IntroduceOurselves:
AskaboutbackgroundTexasquestionstogetherasagroupofthreeandstateourobjectives.
BookwithBeth,matwithNatalia,andcompass,landmark,andgeographywithBree.Bythe
endofourlessonyouwillbefamiliarwithdifferentlandmarksinTexas.Wearegoingtosplit
youinto3groups:Bluebonnet,Alamo,Cowboygroup.
Alamogroup:
Boysandgirlswearegoingtotalkaboutlandmarks.Thisisamap.Thisisacompass.Bree
willalreadyhaveallthepiecescutoutandreadyforthem.Modificationsinplace.Doublesided
tapeinsteadofglue.
Cowboygroup:

Howdypardners!!Letsplayagame!Standinlinebutmakesureyoucansee.Whenyougetto
thefrontyouwillgentlytossthepapercubeandseewhatpictureyoulandon.(while
demonstratinghowtodoit).First,identifythepicture.ThenyouwillpickthewordinEnglish
fromthispileandthenmatchittothepicture.ThenfindthewordinSpanishandmatchittothe
pictureandsayboththewordsoutloud.
BluebonnetGroup:
TodaywewillbereadingTheLegendoftheBluebonnettogether.TheLegendofthe
Bluebonnetisafolktale.Remembereveryonefolktalesarestoriesthatwerepassedfromone
generationtothenext.Itisalegendtoldinanoraltraditionwhichisstorytellingoutloudin
wordsinsteadofwritteninabook.398arefolktalessoifyouarelookingformorebookslikeit
yougotowhichsection?398.Thisisthetitle,theauthorisTomieDePaola.Readbook.Can
youguesswhatwillhappennext?Canyoumakeanylifetotextconnections?Canyouimagine
whatishappeninghere?Rememberyouaresupposedtovisualizewhatishappeningherewhich
islikewatchingamovieinyourbrain.Okaythatisallfortoday.Wewillcontinuewiththe
storytomorrow.
Closure:Attheendofallkidsgoingtoallthecenters.Askthestudentstotransitiontothe
maingroupinthereadingcenter.Havekidssit,havetheirlegscrossedandaskCanyoutellme
onethingyoulearnedaboutTexastoday?
Attheendwewillstatehowwewouldhavedoneinaclassroomofsecondgraders.Wewould
formgroupsbypairingoffthestudentsandthenhavingthepairsfindanotherpair.Ina
classroomthestudentswouldknowwhereeachcenteralreadyis.Theywillspend5minutesin
eachgroup.
Options:
Enrichment:
IfastudentisfluentalreadyinSpanishtheymayusethekeywordinasentenceinSpanish.For
theAlamogroup,theywillbeaskedmoredifficultquestionsaboutthegeographyoftexasanda
compassiftheyarealreadyfamiliarwithit.
Reteach:
IfTheLegendoftheBluebonnetisnotanappropriatereadingleveltheycaninsteadreadxorI
canparaphrasethestory.
Modifications:
DependingonwhatthemodificationsarethatneedtofitIwillprovideastampforthestudent(s)
tostamptheirname.Icouldalsousetapeinsteadofgluewhereitwouldbeeasierforastudent
withlimitedmobilitytopressonthecutoutontotheTexasdiagram.FortheCowboygroupI
willhelpastudentstandup,iftheyhavelimitedmobility,orcomeclosertothemat.Imaygive
themtwooptionstopickfromiftheyhavealearningdisabilitythatneedstobeaddressed
appropriately.ForthestorybookgroupIwillprovideamanipulativethatthestudent(s)canhold
ontosothatitwouldprovideananchor.

Safety:
IwillmakesurethatIhavecountofmystudentsatalltimesandamabletoseeallofthem.They
willbeaskedandexpectedtostayintheircentersunlessinstructeddifferently.Studentswillbe
askedtokeeptheirfeetontheground,andtostayinthedesignatedlearningcenter.
References:
1. InformationaboutTexas:http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/msscc
2. ClipArt
hppt://www.computerclipart.com/computer_clipart_images/black_and_white_farm_landscap
e_on_a_sunny_day_0521100429011507_SMU.jpg
3. ClipArthttp://dokity.com/wpcontent/uploads/2015/02/amazingtownclipartblackand
whiteonapartmentwithclipartofabigcitywithlotsofskyscrapersblackand
white.jpg
4. ClipArthttp://dokity.com/wpcontent/uploads/2015/02/lovelycitybuildingcliparton
apartmentwithfreecityclipartpublicdomainbuildingsclipartimagesand.png
5. TheLegendoftheBluebonnetbyTomieDePaola