Design Topic Geography Subject(s) _Social Studies Grade(s) ___1_ Designer(s) Ellen Broderick, Karyn Head, Katie Thacker,

TriciaWhite,
Greg Gunner, Mary Barks

STAGE 1 DESIRED RESULTS

Unit Title: ____My World_____
Established Goals:
1. Use geographic representations to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial
perspective.
2. Understand how regions are created from common physical and human characteristics.
3. Understand how human activities help shape the Earths surface.
4. Understand the effects of human-environment interactions.
Michigan Social Studies Content Expectations 1-G1.0.1-4
Understandings: Students will understand that
Essential Questions:
Why do people live where they live?
people not only use the environment, but
Why is where important?
also modify or adapt to the environment.
How does where people live affect how
maps and globes are used to distinguish
they live?
physical characteristics and locations in their
environment.
Students will know:
Students will be able to:
key vocabulary
distinguish the difference between water
direction and position
and land
the difference between human and natural
identify basic landforms
physical characteristics
read a map
boundaries of geographical locations
find locations on a map
components of culture
identify human made characteristics and
natural characteristics

Performance Tasks:
Making a map

STAGE 2 ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Other Evidence:
Locating places/characteristics on a map
Unit post-test
Four Corners Where would you live and
why? (cooperative group work)
PBL Vacation Destination Switch ~
students choose city, mountain, ocean or country
and switch to research with another teacher

STAGE 3 LEARNING PLAN

Summary of Learning Activities:
Unit Vocabulary: continent (1), ocean (1), globe, plain (2), mountain (2), river (2), lake (2), natural resource (3), chart,
season (4), weather (4), city (5), suburb (5), town (5)
Pre-test
Core Lesson #1, Our Earth:
Vocabulary and Our Earth: introduction to key terms and the Earth as our planet.
o flash cards
o Big Book (BB) pp. 72-77
o worksheets
Continents and oceans: coloring land green and water blue on the map of the Earth.
o Continent Song by Dr. Jean
o Globe coloring page
o BB pp.80-81

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Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic Geography Subject(s) _Social Studies Grade(s) ___1_ Designer(s) Ellen Broderick, Karyn Head, Katie Thacker, TriciaWhite,
Greg Gunner, Mary Barks

Core Lesson #2, Our Land, Our Water:

Landforms
o Brainpop Jr., Landforms clip
o BB pp.82-85
o Worksheets
o Landforms video
Core Lesson #3, Natural Resources
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
o Jack Johnson song, The Three Rs
o Mining for chocolate chips in cookies
o BB pp. 88-91
o Videos
o Brainpop Jr.
o The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss
o Worksheets
Natural vs. human characteristics
o BB pp.92-93
o Worksheet
o Picture book, The Window, by Jeannie Baker
Core Lesson #4, Weather and Seasons:
BB pp. 96-101
Worksheets
Videos
Brainpop Jr.
Core Lesson #5, City, Town and Suburb:
Near and Far
o BB pp. 108-109
o The Window, by Jeannie Baker, http://www.slideshare.net/MrsJuteau/windows2992791
Absolute location
o BB pp. 102-105
o Circle project
o Map features: compass rose, map key, aerial perspective (Google Earth, third grade
hall way)
o Worksheets
o Mapping box
Core Lesson #6, Our Country:
Natural resources
o BB pp.110-113
o Brainpop Jr., Natural resources
o worksheets
Human vs. physical characteristics
o BB pp. 110-113
o worksheets
Adaptations
Core Lesson #7, Our Countrys Neighbors:
Neighboring countries
o Maps
o Brainpop Jr. clips
o BB pp.116-119
o Worksheets
Cultures

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Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)

Design Topic Geography Subject(s) _Social Studies Grade(s) ___1_ Designer(s) Ellen Broderick, Karyn Head, Katie Thacker, TriciaWhite,
Greg Gunner, Mary Barks

o
o
o

Holidays around the world

Passport project
BB pp. 114-115

PBL Culminating Activity

Post-test

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Source: Understanding by Design, Unit Design Planning Template (Wiggins/McTighe 2005)