Our School Map
Grade: 5
1. Goal:
Content: Use maps and to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Language: Listen critically and respond appropriately across the subject areas.
2. Objective:
Content:
SS.05.GE.02.01: The student will
be able
to use charts and maps to interpret
geographic information.
SS.05.GE.02.02: use other visual representations to locate, identify, and distinguish physical and human features of places.
Language: The student will also be able to use comparative adjectives.
* Beginner: EP.EI.11: The bookcase is tall. The desk is short
* Early Intermediate: EP.EI.11: The bookcase is taller than the desk.
* Intermediate: EP.IN.11: the bookcase is tall, but the table is shorter.
* Early Advanced: EP.IN.11: The desk is short, the table is short, but the chair is shorter.
* Advanced: EP.IN.11: In contrast to the bookcase, the desk is short.
Targeted Language Skills:
Reading: Student will read and identify labels addressing the objects and locations within our school.
Writing: Student will draw the school and label as many objects as possible.
Speaking: Student will listen to their partnersÕ directions and label the school appropriately.
Listening: Students will actively listen to their partnerÕs commands.
3. Materials/Equipment/Supplies/Preparation
For this lesson, I want the students to create a mental map of the school, and then describe their map to a partner. Students will compare their map with their partners'. Students will be asked to find similarities and differences between the two maps using comparative adjectives. In order to successfully achieve this goal, it is important to review the names of objects and locations within our school. In our text, I learned that bilingual labels are very useful for ELL's. In order to prepare each student to identify objects and locations, I will need to create labels. This labeling will not only help build vocabulary but it will also help the students practice a learning strategy that the text names imaging; the activity will help students identify the school and the objects and locations that make it uniquely ours. In our text the authors also mentioned the importance of having specific questions prepared to ask the students. Within the anticipatory set, students will have an opportunity to practice imagining their bedroom. During this portion of the lesson, I will also need to have specified questions prepared for the kids to help them focus on locating objects and direction. For the actual lesson, which revolves around a communication game that was described in the book, students will need a writing utensil and paper. Also, I will need to have partners prepared for the pair-share portion of the lesson.
4. Procedure
A.
anticipatory set, motivation or hook—about 2 minutes
During this aspect of the lesson, students will practice imagining a familiar place. This activity is a good introduction because as the lesson progresses, they will be imagining and describing what our school looks like. I will ask the students to close their eyes and picture their bedroom. I will continue to ask questions that require active listening and participation, as they will have to identify the object and picture it in their minds. I will ask questions similar to these: what does it look like when they enter the door...where is your bed...do you share this space with anyone else...where are their belongings...is there a window...what do you see outside the window...where is the dresser or desk...is there a garbage can...are there clothes or toys on the floor?
B.
Teaching/Modeling—about 15 minutes
In order to prepare the students for the lesson, I need to make sure they are familiar with the objects that make up our school. In order to do this, we will generate aspects of our school and write them on a big class chart. This chart will be available for future reference, so all students can access it if they forget certain vocabulary terms. As we are brainstorming the names of certain locations, I will try to utilize labeling in both English and Spanish (and any other language that may be needed). Also, I can take advantage of this review time to practice our language goals, working with comparative adjectives and how we would use these descriptors. By posing specific language questions, my intent would be to get the students familiar with how we use this type of language. And it will come in handy, as we will be practicing comparative adjectives soon after our lesson about imagery.
C.
Group Application/Guided Practice—about 10 minutes
Now that the students are familiar with the vocabulary that will be required for the lesson, it is important to give them time to practice in a safe environment. In order to do this, I will give the students time to practice describing the school (with their eyes closed) silently. One aspect that may be hard to monitor, is whether the students are using the right vocabulary to describe the school. In order to build this skill, I may ask the students to first, open their eyes. Next, I will ask them to draw a picture of what the school looked like in their mind. As the students are drawing the school, I will ask them to label the objects or locations they have identified. I can then walk around the room and help those who may have trouble identifying certain aspects of the school. This activity is great for ELL's and all students in class because it allows them to practice exactly how they are going to describe the school to their partner, and they can get help with the vocabulary in an environment that has no pressure.
D. Independent
Application/Independent Practice—about 10 minutes
With all of this practice, it is exciting to finally implement the lesson! Following the text's advice, the lesson utilizes a communication game called barrier games. Each student will pair up with the partner at their group table and the two will sit back to back. One student prepares to verbally describe the school to his partner, who is ready to record, with paper and a pencil. The student who is describing the school to his partner will identify as many details as possible, while the other partner will draw the school as it is being described. It will be important to remind the students that there is no right or wrong mental map-it is just based on what they know. I will encourage the students to describe the school from any direction, with as many details as possible. I will also tell the students that if they forget the name of an object they can feel free to peek at the chart we generated as a class, however, they should try not to look more than 3 times. Also, the student doing the recording/drawing should not worry about their drawing abilities, but should try to be as neat as possible. To help manage this, the partner doing the recording is free to ask clarification questions when needed; this will help keep the map organized and identifiable. Also, I will encourage the students to use comparative adjectives when describing their mental map. After about 4-5 minutes, the students will switch roles. After both students have described the school in as much detail as possible, they will begin to evaluate how their partner drew the map and identify where it may have looked different in their mind than on paper.
E.
Closure—about 5 minutes
Now that each student has their own map, they can begin to compare how the two maps are different and similar. Students can also identify how the map their partner drew may have looked different in their mind than on paper. They will exchange this information using the pair-share teaching strategy. This closure activity meets the lesson objectives because it allows the students to identify physical characteristics of places and compare them. Also, I may ask the students which map looks larger, or what is the tallest object on the map? Posing questions like these get the students actively practicing (or at least thinking) about comparative adjectives, which will prepare them for what is soon to come next in our curriculum. Also, it will be helpful to write these adjectives on the board so students learning can be visually reinforced.
5. Meeting Varying Needs
One aspect of this lesson that I really love is that it applies to all ages and grades. It can be done with very young students to college-age students. Yet it makes sense to adjust the scale (ie. Classroom, school, or campus) and complexity (ie. ionic symbols vs. abstract symbols, level of detail) based on the students' ability. One aspect of the lesson that needs to be taken into account may be the pairing of certain students. Each will be paired with a partner from their group table, yet there is much more work that has gone on 'behind the scenes' in putting certain groups of students together. All students will be properly placed in mixed-ability groups. My purpose would be to have students balanced in terms of gender, ethnicity, learning levels and social groups. This will help expose all students to high levels of content, break social cliques and build interpersonal skills that students will need in the future. For this lesson specifically, students of a varying learning abilities and various intelligences will be paired together to help complement each other and make the activity run more smoothly. Also, for students who may struggle with vocabulary words and spelling, the large vocabulary chart we created can serve as an answer key for such dilemmas.
One of the most important steps in this lesson is found at the end, during pair-share. At this time, students can compare the two maps-finding both similarities and differences-using new vocabulary words. It is at this time that my assessment will be important. I can hear the discussion of the class and find areas where some students may struggle or succeed. As a class, we can make a list or informally discuss the differences or similarities each group encountered. Another way I can check the student progress would be to look at the maps they turn in. Each map will be full of objects each student has drawn and labeled. Even though the students were able to look at the labels if they ran into trouble, I consider a fully labeled map a success because they had to know how to find the correct answer (which could have been looking for the specific label, or asking their partner, which are two skills they can use when trying to solve problems). Also, I may ask the students to write two comparative adjectives on the back of their maps to help check for their understanding.
7. Reflection
Was the time allotment appropriate for the lesson?
How did it go overall?
Is this a good lead into using comparative adjectives?
What should I do differently next time?
What happened that I wished went differently?
What went really well?