Walmart project

TCH 347 Walmart Project
Lesson Plan Author: Megan Steever
Lesson Topic/Title: The 50 States
Subject Ares: Social Studies, Science, and Math
Grade Level: 4-5th
Time during Social Studies time in class over 3 day period

PA Standards:
7.3.5.A: Identify the human characteristics of places and regions using the following criteria:

• Population
• Culture
• Settlement
• Economic activities
• Political activities

7.2.5.A: Describe the characteristics of places and regions.

NCSS Standards

• People, places and environment
• Individual development and identity

Essential Questions

• What are the state abbreviation and capitals?
• How can we show the 50 state populations?
• What are the 50 state birds?

Learning Objectives

• The students will be able to review the state abbreviations and capitals given a worksheet and computer access.
• The students will be able to find and record information about the state birds given a graphic organizer and computer access.
• The students will be able to graph the populations of states given computer access and graph paper.

Concept/Vocabulary

• State names – Alabama, North Carolina, etc.
• State capitals – Harrisburg, Lansing, etc.
• State bird names – ring-necked pheasant, ruffed grouse, etc.

Materials

• Graph paper
• Pencils
• Colored pencils
• Laptops
• Blank 50 state maps

Instruction Procedures:

• Get students attention
• Explain that today they will be working in stations to review the 50 states, their capitals, state birds, and populations.
• Give the directions for each station before you divide/send the students to their stations.
• Divide students into groups.
• Explain that students will have 15-20 min to complete their station

Learning station-A (SS) Name each state with its abbreviation and capital

• Students will need a blank map with the capital dots on it and a list of each state capital (for spelling purposes)

- Students in this groups will name each state and its capital
- This should be a review for them because we will have covered each state and its capital
- When the students complete the map they will be able to use their colored pencils to color the map if they choose
- The teacher will then collect the map and check it for correctness

• Ø There won’t be a grade given just a star if it’s entirely correct or a smile and the corrections that need to be made
• The purpose of this activity if so the students will know the capitals and abbreviations of each state.

Learning Station-B (Math) Students will graph the population of each of the 50 states

• Website for this activity:

http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/populations/usapoptable.htm

• The students in this group will use the computers and graph paper to graph the population of 10 states of their choosing.

- Students will first choose 10 states that they want to graph
- They will set up their graph in any way they choose (bar graph or line graph would be best)
- Student will then use the website provided to find the population of each of the states they have chosen and graph each population
- The students will then color code the graph with colored pencils and make a key for each state
- The teacher will then collect the graphs and review them

• Ø If there are any mistakes in the graphs the teacher will go over those with students or the class depending up the number of mistakes
• The purpose behind this activity is for the students to use their knowledge of graphs to represent the population of each state.

Learning Stations-C (Science) Students will find each state’s bird, match them on the website and complete the worksheet.

• Websites for activity:

http://elearn.wvu.edu/teachers/birds/index.html
http://www.wildbirds.com/IdentifyBirds/StateBirds/tabid/691/Default.aspx

• The students in this group will use the computers to find each states bird and play the matching game.
• The students will then complete the worksheet about the state birds

- Students will choose 7 state birds and list the name of the bird, the state the bird comes from, and 2 facts about the birds.

• Ø Some states have the same bird and this will be reflected on the worksheet.

- Student should complete this organizer after they have looked at the website listing the birds and played the matching game
- The facts about the birds will be from the game
- The teacher will demonstrate how to complete this worksheet during the group instruction time

• The purpose of the assignment is for the students to learn facts about the states and to integrate science into social studies.

Assessment

• Assessments will be the worksheets that the students complete during the stations.
• The teacher will also observe the students to see if they understand the activities and to help them if necessary.
• There will be no grades given for these activities because they are simply review activities but the students will have to correct their worksheets if they have made mistakes.