SIOP Lesson

Victoria, Gabby, Kaitlin, and Nathan

Standards: 7.1.7.B Explain and locate places and regions as defined by physical and human
features
Theme: Geography
Lesson Topic: Geography in America
Objectives:
Language: Students will be able to summarize in writing the characteristics of places and
regions and their physical and human features.
Content: Students will be able to classify places and regions by physical and human
features.
Learning Strategies:
Metacognitive
Cognitive
Social/Affective
Key Vocabulary:
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Gulf of Mexico
Great Lakes
Mississippi River
Rocky Mountains
Appalachian Mountains
Great Plains
Coastal Plains
Materials:
KWL chart
Major Physical Features of the United States reading passage and map labeling
Writing assignment
Motivation:
 To get the students thinking about what they know about the physical features of the
United States, we will have them complete a KWL chart to see what they already know
and want to learn by the end of the lesson.
Presentation:
The teacher will begin by going over the vocabulary words which are the 9 important
physical features that will be focused on for the lesson.
The teacher will read with the students the Major Physical Features of the United States
handout with the class.
The teacher will show a PowerPoint with images and short facts of the 9 physical
features.
Scripted Directions: For the writing prompt students will be handed a sheet with the
directions:You are going on a road trip. On this trip you will discover many interesting
places. Describe these places using as many details as possible in a paragraph or two. Use
at least five of the vocabulary words from todays lesson. Make sure to describe what
kinds of sights and sounds you will encounter in these places. Write your answer on the
space provided below. When you are finished, on the back of the sheet, draw one of the
locations that you will visit on this trip. The teacher will read these directions aloud
along with the student. During this the teacher will provide prompting and support for the
student if they encounter any unfamiliar words. In addition to these directions, the teacher
will inform the student that they do not need to fill up the whole page with their response,
and that they can take as much time as needed. As the student writes out their response
the teacher will provide verbal assistance if the student is struggling.
Practice and Application:
The students will do the following activities; completing the writing prompt and doing
the region matching. The interaction will be between the teacher and the students. The
directions for the writing prompt are scripted above. The students will interact with one
another as well. The region matching is an individual task and students will pair share
when they have completed the sheet.
The strategies that will be used are scaffolding strategies used by the teacher. The teacher
will give guidance to the students but see what they are able to do on their own without
the help of an adult. Verbal scaffolding, will be used to question students and have them
 use higher level language proficiency, comprehension, and thinking. Procedural
scaffolding will be used for explicit teaching and modeling. Small group instruction and
individual instruction are part of procedural scaffolding.
After going over the regions and the vocabulary, the practice and application entails the
writing prompt and the map labeling to assess the students knowledge.
Review and Assessment:
The hands-on activity mentioned above, as well as the writing prompt and the extension,
all aid in assessing students knowledge of the content presented in the lesson. They also
serve as a review of the key vocabulary terms.
The students will be completing a map where they must label the 9 physical features on
the map. This will be completed after they read the handout and the teacher goes over the
map showing where the features are located.
The students will also complete the what I learned section on their KWL chart after the
lesson.

Extension: As a possible extension to the lesson students would be given a worksheet to either
do at home, or at the end of the lesson, time permitting. This worksheet would involve various
questions referencing the lesson for today, such as identification and correct use of the
vocabulary words learned in todays lesson.
Name: ________________
Date: _________________
Directions: You are going on a road trip. On this trip you will discover many interesting
places. Describe these places using as many details as possible in a paragraph or two.
Use at least five of the vocabulary words from todays lesson. Make sure to describe
what kinds of sights and sounds you will encounter in these places. Write your answer
on the space provided below. When you are finished, on the back of the sheet, draw one
of the locations that you will visit on this trip.
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