Title of Unit: The English Colonies Title of Lesson: The Geography of the Colonies Submitted By: Jessica Solomon

A. Summary of the Lesson Plan: This social studies lesson describes the geography of the New England, Middle, and Southern Colonies. This lesson uses the 5th Grade Houghton Mifflin Social Studies Textbook United States History: Volume 1 (p. 160-165). B. Target Population: Grade Level: 5th Grade Skill Level: students at all learning levels Grouping: whole group reading and discussion, small group for activity, independent assessment C. Materials: Paper and pencils Reading Skill Strategy (Unit Resources p. 47) for each student- see last page of lesson plan for sample Vocabulary and Study Guide (Unit Resources p. 48) for each student- see last page of lesson plan for sample Houghton Mifflin 5th Grade Social Studies Book: United States History: Volume 1 (p. 160165) D. Objectives: o NV State Social Studies Standards o H1.5.6. Identify individuals and groups responsible for found and settling the American colonies.

Student-Friendly Standards H1.5.6. I can identify the people who founded the American colonies.

E. Procedure: 1. Refer to notes on TE 160 Get Set to Read. Explain the Study Guide students will complete as we read. Call students attention to the lessons photographs. o Ask, What do you think this lesson is about?

Complete the Reading Skill Strategy worksheet as a class as we read. Identify & discuss what the students know about the climate, weather, major landforms, water bodies, and natural resources of their community. Discuss how local geography affects the way people know how to work and have fun. o Create a word web of students responses.
EDEL 453 - Spring 2013 Karen Powell- Instructor page 1

Nevada State College

Title of Unit: The English Colonies Title of Lesson: The Geography of the Colonies Submitted By: Jessica Solomon

Introduce vocabulary (growing season, tidewater, fall line, backcountry).

2. As a class, read p. 160-163, stopping to ask questions as indicated in the margins of the TE. 3. Students should take notes and record information on their Study Guide while we are reading. They can continue working on it when we finish reading. 4. Ask questions listed in the margins of the TE as an ongoing check for understanding. Focus on these questions about the thirteen colonies: (TE 161) What factors set the New England, Middle, and Southern colonial areas apart from each other? (TE 161) In what ways did glaciers affect New Englands geography? (TE 161) What were New Englands natural resources? (TE 162) Why was the land in the Middle Colonies good for farming? (TE 162) Why were forests and rivers important resources for people in the Middle Colonies? (TE 162) How was the backcountry different from the tidewater? (after paragraph 1 on p. 163) Why was farming in the Middle and Southern colonies better than New England? (review question #5) Why would colonists want to settle near rivers and other waterways? Use facts and details to support your answer.

5. CLOSURE: Discuss the three statements in the Review and Assess section of TE 163. F. Assessment: What will you use to measure student understanding? Students will write a letter to someone who settled into one of the American colonies. They will write questions in their letter asking their recipient what life was like in the colonies. For example, What kind of food did you eat? What resources were available to you? Students will then exchange and respond to each others letters. Explain how you will know students understand the concepts from the lesson. Students will be able to identify the people who founded the American colonies through their questions and responses in letters to the people who settled in America. G. Reflection: 1. Which part of the lesson do you think will be the easiest for you to teach?
Nevada State College EDEL 453 - Spring 2013 Karen Powell- Instructor page 2

Title of Unit: The English Colonies Title of Lesson: The Geography of the Colonies Submitted By: Jessica Solomon

I think the group discussion aspect will be the easiest part of the lesson. The group discussion would allow students to learn from each other and hear things from a different perspective. 2. Which part will be most challenging for you to teach? I do not think any aspect of this lesson will be challenging to teach. The lesson is pretty straightforward and I think fifth grade students will be able to grasp the concepts relatively easily. The concept of the thirteen colonies will be somewhat familiar to students because of Thanksgiving. 3. How will you follow up or extend this lesson? In order to extend the lesson, as a class we will do the Extend Lesson 1 The Appalachians on p. 164-165. 4. What can you do for students who dont grasp the concepts? I would pull any students that did not grasp the concepts aside and we would work on the Reteach Mini Lesson described at the bottom of TE 163. We would work together to use a main idea chart to reteach the geography of New England. 5. Which part of the lesson, if any, do you think might need to change? I do not think any aspect of this lesson needs to be changed. I think this is a great first day lesson for this unit. It gives the students great background information about the land the American settlers found and will help explain future events in this unit. 6. When you were writing this lesson plan, what was the most difficult part? I have written many lesson plans in the past. I think the most difficult part of this particular lesson was in choosing the standards. The standards for the grade level did not completely match up with the objectives of the lesson.

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2013

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 3

Title of Unit: The English Colonies Title of Lesson: The Geography of the Colonies Submitted By: Jessica Solomon

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2013

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 4

Title of Unit: The English Colonies Title of Lesson: The Geography of the Colonies Submitted By: Jessica Solomon

Nevada State College

EDEL 453 - Spring 2013

Karen Powell- Instructor

page 5