1.

0 Introduction to the New England States, Day 7, Greta Thamm, Grade 4

30-40 minutes
Geography, maps
Border, mountain range,
Map skills, Compass/direction skills,
1.1 Integration of Learning Outcomes/Objectives
Students will be able to locate each state in the New England region
on the map.
Students will be able to locate and label important geographical
elements in the New England region.
1.2 Standards
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.1.3.d ...help learners to locate, distinguish, and describe the
relationships among varying regional and global patterns of geographic
phenomena such as landforms, climate, and natural resources;
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.

1.3 Anticipatory Set
1. I will tell the students that he/she went on a vacation this weekend.
2. I will remind them that yesterday we learned about New York, which is
north of us. However, I did something exciting and went even further north than
New York.
3. I will tell them I traveled through Connecticuts hilly landscape and then
went to Rhode Island where I sat along the beach. Then I traveled further north to
Massachusetts where I explored the city of Boston. After that I went northwest to
Vermont where I drove up and down tall and windy mountains. Then I traveled east
and again traveled up and down tall and windy mountains. After that I decided to
travel even further north into Maine where I sat on top of mountains and starred at
the clear, starry sky at night and during the day I explored the long coastline.
4. During this I will show the students pictures of hills in Connecticut, the
beach in Rhode Island, Boston, mountains in Vermont and New Hampshire, and
beaches and the stars in Maine.
5. Then I will tell them that Im joking, but that today we are going to go on
our own trip through the New England region.
6. I will remind them that the New England region is similar to the Mid-
Atlantic region that we learned about because it is a cluster of states that are all near
each other.

1.4 Procedures:
1. I will show a picture of the geography of the New England states on the
overhead.
2. I will if the students think that there are any mountain ranges in this
region?
3. I will then ask for a volunteer to come up and highlight the Appalachian
mountain range.
4. Then I will ask for a volunteer to come up and outline the coastline of the
region.
5. I will ask for a volunteer to come up and outline the state that I visited
where I enjoyed their hills. (Students will be able to locate each state in
the New England region on the map.)
6. I will ask for a volunteer to come up and outline the state where I went to
Boston.
7. I will ask for a volunteer to come up and outline the state where I visited
that had a long coastline that I explored.
8. I will tell the students that today they are going to create their own map
of the New England region.
9. I explain to them that they are going to make a salt dough map and I will
give them guidelines for what they must include in their maps. (Students
will be able to locate and label important geographical elements in the
New England region.)
10. I will split the students up into groups of 3-4 and give each student
guidelines.
11. I will then hand out the materials needed.
12. I will leave the map up on the overhead and walk around to give
assistance and to observe.
13. Once all of the groups are finished I will ask everyone to stand up and we
will rotate around the room so that each group can look at the other
groups maps.
14. Once we have seen all of the groups maps I will ask the students what
they found challenging about this and what they enjoyed about this
activity.
15. Then I will ask the students to return to their desks and take out a pencil.
16. I will tell them that were going to take a quiz about what they just
learned and I will hand out the quiz.
17. While the students are silently taking the quiz I will clean up the
materials and salt dough maps.
18. Once everyone has finished the quiz I will tell the students that this quiz
does not count for points.
19. We will then go over each questions and I will ask for volunteers to give
their answers.
20. I will ask the students to only draw a line through their answer if they got
it incorrect and to write the correct answer next to it so that they have
this as reference.
21. Then I will collect the quizzes.
1.5 Differentiation
1. For a student that is visually impaired I will give them a globe to touch when the
class and I are looking at the map. I will also give them the pieces of a puzzle for the
New England region so that they can manipulate it to understand where the states
are located in relation to each other. I would also give them the instructions and
quiz in brail.
2. For a student that is gifted I would challenge them to add any states surrounding
the region to their salt dough map. This would challenge them to expand on what
they learned that day by thinking back to the states that they had previously learned
about.
1.6 Closure:
To wrap this lesson up I will ask for three volunteers to tell the class something that
they learned in this lesson that they did not know before. I will then ask for a
thumbs up if the students think that they can locate these states easily and a thumbs
down if the students think that they may need some more practice to locate all of
the states. I will then tell the students that tomorrow we will take a closer look at
Connecticut.
1.7 Formative/Summative Assessment
The teacher will conduct a formative assessment while walking around the room to
observe the students while they are working on their salt dough maps. (Students
will be able to locate and label important geographical elements in the New England
region.)
The teacher will be able to do a summative assessment when the quiz is given. The
teacher will collect this quiz and look at the students answers to determine how
well they grasped the material taught that day. This quiz wont be counted for
points, but it will give the teacher a clear idea of how well the students understood.
(Students will be able to locate each state in the New England region on the map.)
1.8 Materials
A. Student Materials
Salt dough
Candy (for markers on map)
Guidelines for map
Quizzes
Pencil
Photos for each state
Photo of geography of New England region
B. Teacher Materials
Quiz
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/statesbw/newengland.shtm
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Website MI
or
SI
Why credible? Teacher access Student access
http://www.enc
hantedlearning.
com/usa/states
bw/newengland
.shtml
MI This website is
easy for teachers
to access and it
has lots of other
teaching ideas and
materials.
This website has too
many option for
students to be able
to easily navigate
through it. Also,
there are too many
advertisements.


1.9 Technology
This lesson utilizes technology during the anticipatory set when pictures are shown
for each state. This will give students a visual to look at to better remember the
scenarios that the teacher tells them. Technology is also used when a picture of the
New England region is put up on the overhead. This will be a good use of technology
because the students will have a good visual and they will also be able to manipulate
and label this.

2.1 Reflection
When I first began brainstorming for this lesson I did not have many ideas and I
was not sure which aspect of the region I would choose to focus the lesson on. As I
thought more about it I realized that this region has a lot of small states and many
people are not sure where they all are located. So I decided to focus the lesson on
the geography so that when the teachers went on to teach about each individual
state later on in the unit the students would have a better idea of where this state
was. I think that this lesson could be successful because it has the students engaged
the entire time and it still has good assessment checks throughout. The students will
be interested to hear about my vacation because they wont realize at first that this
is going to relate to the lesson. Then there will be a good checkpoint to see how well
the students were listening by having them locate things that I mentioned on the
map. Then by having the students be hands on to manipulate the salt dough to come
up with their own maps they will have a real authentic experience and will better
remember each location. The quiz at the end will be a simple and clear way to check
for understanding. I am unsure of how well the time management for this lesson will
go; it will depend upon the students interest I think.

Lesson Plan Elements (see WCU lesson plan rubric on D2L for specifics) Point Value
Total /30
Lesson Plan Details /1
Integration of Learning Outcomes/Objectives /2
Standards PA Civics, History, Economics, Geography & /2
Anticipatory Set /1
Procedures /5
Differentiation /1
Closure /1
Formative/Summative Assessment of Students (P-12) /3
Materials/Equipment, Citation of Sources /2
Evaluation of Sources (Information Literacy) /5
Lesson Plan Teacher Content Notes /7
Technology *
Reflection on Planning *
Total
Points will be taken off for spelling/mechanics.

Comments



































New England Content Notes





http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/statesbw/newengland.shtml

Use this map to know:
Location of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and
Connecticut.
Location of Appalachian Mountains and Atlantic Ocean.



QUIZ:

1. In which part of the USA is New England located:
northeast, northwest, southeast, or southwest?
________________________________
2. What country borders New England on the north?
_______________________________
3. What US state borders New England on the west?
_______________________________
4. What ocean borders New England on the east?
_______________________________
5. What mountain range runs through much of New
England? __________________________________
6. What state in New England is both the farthest north and
east? ___________________________________
7. What state in New England is the farthest south and
west?
____________________________________________
8. What is the name of the smallest state in New England?
__________________________
9. What is the name of state in New England that has a
long, curving cape that juts into the ocean?
______________________________________
10. What are the two New England states located west of
Maine and east of New York?
__________________________ and
__________________________










Guidelines for Salt Dough Maps

In groups of 3-4 please locate these items using any of the materials given to you:

State borders of:
Maine
New Hampshire
Vermont
Massachusetts
Rhode Island
Connecticut

Appalachian Mountains
Atlantic Ocean
Capitols in every state
Bonus!
Label Canada
Add in a north, south, east, west symbol correctly