TCNJ Lesson Plan

Unit Lesson 1
Student Name: Megan Moast & Kristen Gombas School Name: Hopewell Elementary
Grade Level: 3
Host Teachers Name: Ms. Hamilton
Guiding and/or Essential Questions:
How does research affect travel decisions?
How do we research unfamiliar countries?
What is important to research prior to traveling?
What countries do we have about the country we are researching?
Pre-lesson Assignments and/or Student Prior Knowledge (ex. background knowledge,
possible misconceptions, prior lesson content)
Students have done research projects before. They have used books to find information
about a topic. They have done KWL charts before. The students have come up with questions
they wish to know more about. Students have no or little knowledge about their assigned
countries. Students have worked with nonfiction texts since Kindergarten. Students know that
nonfiction text is factual and information based. Although students can gather factual
information they struggled during the pre-assessment with identifying the main idea.
Standards:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.3.1

Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to

the text as the basis for the answers.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4

Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and
relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.
Learning Objectives and Assessments:
Learning Objectives

Assessment

Students will identify the continent,

capital, and country that they will
research on google maps.

Students will answer questions to a worksheet. Teacher

will assess that students accurately identified the
country, capital, and continent of their research country.

Students will recall information on

researching using nonfiction texts.

Students will list facts they know about researching

using nonfiction texts that will be recorded on the KWL
chart.
Teacher will assess for correct facts about researching
using nonfiction texts.

Students will develop research

questions about that they wish to
know about their country.

Students will brainstorm topics about the country that

they wish to know more about and will record the
questions.
Teacher will assess for questions that pertain to their
country and questions that allow for expansion.

Materials/Resources: (List materials, include any online or book references and resources)
Ipad
Libraries
Computer
map,
kwl chart,
markers,
Big chart (5)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2bN4v5i0V0&nohtml5=False
Plan for set-up/distribution/cleanup of materials:
Students will be positioned in their groups. The books will have already been arranged according
to the specific country that is being researched. The iPads will be charged and placed near the
libraries. Students will select a specific person to collect materials and return various materials.
Step by Step plan (numbered):
1. We will begin the lesson by telling students that today we are going an adventure to Egypt.
We will play a video about Egypt. I will ask, did that make you want to travel to Egypt? I will
say Im in need of a vacation! Egypt looks awesome!
3. We will make a KWL chart on how to research places to visit. Kristen will ask how can Ms.
Moast find out more about her trip to Egypt? What resources will she look at? Students will
respond and we will record the responses.
4. What else do you need to know what research? We will write their responses and ask if they
have any questions on research. We will ask, what things would you need to know before you
travel? We will say, do you remember when we made research teams? Our research will finally
begin!
5. We will split the research team's up and pass out chart paper. They will be given markers to
write down about five questions they have about their countries. We will pass out the libraries to
each research team. We will tell them that they are allowed to look through the books to see if
they create any questions.
6. When they are finished, they will return the markers and we will collect the anchor charts.
They will be hung up at the bottom of the bulletin board.
7. We will ask that every student returns to their seats. We will pull up google earth. We will ask,
how would you tell someone the location of Hopewell Elementary school? We will ask what if
Im not from this county. How would you describe the location? We will ask what planet are we
on?
8. We will say when we are talking about location, we start off very large, we are on planet earth.
Does anyone know how many continents there are? We will show the seven continents on the
projector. We will then go back to North America. We will say North America is broken up into
countries. Which country do we will live in? We will zoom into the United States of America.
Then we will ask, what state do we live in? We will zoom into the state of New Jersey. Then we
will ask what city is our school in?
9. Then, we will type in the address of Hopewell and zoom in.
10. We will explain that it is important that we get to know our country.

11. We will explain their worksheet, Operation: Find your Country We will review how to get
on google maps.
12. We will ask that one person comes to the back to collects their iPad and each group finds a
designated spot. They are to find their country and complete the worksheet.
13. We will review some of the continents and capitals.
14. Students will be asked to return their iPad, then they will be asked to hand in their worksheet
to the front of the room.
15. Students will be called to get ready for dismissal.
Key Questions (that you will ask):
How can Ms. Moast find out more about her trip?
What resources can she use?
What else do you need to know when you research?
Do you have any questions about researching?
What questions do you have about your country?
What are things that we should know before visiting a country?
Logistics:
Timing:
Opening: 3 minutes
KWL: 10 minutes
Students chart: 15 minutes.
Google Map model: 10 minutes
Google Map activity: 20 minutes
Transitions:
Students will be directed by group to a different part of the room. We will signal the
students to stop writing on their chart with the wind chimes. Students will be designated a role to
either collect and return the library and return and collect the iPad.
Classroom Management:
Students will be told to take turns when writing on the chart. Students will be asked to
decide as a group their role. Students can decide how they will write and create a chart. Students
will work individually if they cannot work together. iPad privileges will be taken away.
Differentiation
A student can use post it notes if they cannot write neatly on the poster.
Students will only have to share 1 fact if they arent comfortable sharing three.
Students will be given thick markers if they have trouble with neat handwriting.
Part of the assignment was to write about 3 sentences about the picture, so students can write a
little more or a little less.
Groups that come up with five question quickly, they will be asked to think of more.