Gwynedd Mercy University

School of Education

Seeking Truth, Mercy, and Justice

Krystal Coupe

2/16/16

Grade/Topic: Pre-K-Age 4 & 5/ The Seven Continents

STANDARD:

PDE: Geography
7.1: Basic Geography Literacy

PERFORMANCE EXPECTATION/STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVE:

Students will discover how a map is a representation of places and point out the seven
continents on the map. Students will work collectively to construct their own world maps
WHILE LABELING THE CONTINENTS.

I.

PLANNING AND PREPARATION:

1. Briefly describe the students in your class, including those with special needs,
explain how you will meet the needs of all learners.

This is a pre-kindergarten class with 18 students 11 boys and 7 girls. None of the
students in this pre-kindergarten class identified as having special needs nor do any
have individual education plans. This lesson will accommodate all types of learners;
visual learners through the use of graphics, classification cards, and demonstrations,
auditory learners through oral instruction and explanation, and kinesthetic learners
through a hands-on experience.

2. What are your expectations for this lesson? What do you want students to
learn and be able to do with the knowledge?

After completing the lesson, students will be able to identify the seven continents.
Students will understand the importance of knowing where the different parts of the
world are. Students will recognize what a continent is and understand that a map is a
representation of places. Attheendofthelessonstudentswillbeabletoconstructa
mapoftheworldplacingthecontinentswheretheybelongSEEABOVE.
3. Why are these expectations suitable for this group of students?

These expectations are suitable for this group of students because they are
developmentally appropriate for the pre-kindergarten level. The activity does not
require use of any skills or knowledge they have not been exposed to in some
capacity in the classroom. They will be assessed by their comprehension of the
activity through their participation in answering questions individually and while
working in groups, and their ability to correctly identify the seven continents and
creating their own world map.

4. How do these expectations support the school districts curriculum, state

standards, and content standards?

The following Pennsylvania Academic Standards support this lesson on basic

geography literacy: 7.1 BASIC GEOGRAPHY LITERACY
7.1.PK.A:Explainhowamapisarepresentationofplaces.

5. Explain the psychological principles/theories you used in constructing this

lesson.

This lesson is based on the Montessori method, an approach that

stresses how students learn by their own individual curiosity,
independence, cooperation, and at their own individual pace,
creating a natural harmony to their learning. Developed by Maria
Montessori, this teaching modality has six basicprinciples
including:Independence,Observation,FollowingtheChild,CorrectingtheChild,
PreparedEnvironmentandAbsorbentMind.Itiswithintheseconceptswefind
thereasoningbehindwhythingsare.Studentsinteractwiththeworldby
exploring and manipulating objects, wrestling with questions and
controversies and performing experiments. In essence, a student
may be more likely to remember concepts and knowledge if
discovered on their own. Students will be exploring with their
senses, making observations about continents, and discover
where they live in relevance to the world around them.

II.

CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT:

6. Describe the effective classroom routines and procedures resulting in little or

no loss of instructional time.

Prior to the lesson, I will have materials organized on the table as well as the
blackboard. I will also have visual examples and directions displayed for the
students in the classroom. I will introduce the lesson, providing clear directions
and model the lesson for the students. Having materials prepared along with other
strategies including songs, and visual aids will help capture the STUDENTS

attention, maximizing effectiveness and minimizing THE LOSS instructional

time.

7. Identify what you will do to set clear standards of conduct and behavior
management of student behavior.

I will review classroom rules previously implemented throughout the school year
including respect for teachers, other students and their work, classroom materials
and their importance. I will use a visual activity schedule and visual rules chart
that is a researched based strategy, which improves the learning capabilities of
students. This will help students during transitions during the activity, promoting
appropriate behaviors, and increases on-task behavior.

8. Identify what you will do to establish expectations for student achievement.

I will consistently give clear, specific directions at different times throughout the
lesson. I will reinforce to my students my expectation that they follow directions
and expect them to be able to correctly identify the seven continents and recall
what continent they live on. I will encourage students to work together and ask
questions.

III.

INSTRUCTION:

9. I will motivate my students by passing a globe around for the students to explore
with during circle time. I will make a connection with students by asking them to
look at the beautiful colors and discuss what they know about globes and record
their thoughts.

10. What will you do to activate prior knowledge?

To activate prior knowledge during this lesson students will sit together in a
circle, pass around a globe of the world, a map, and ask the students questions
about continents. Students will already have learned that a globe is a model of the
earth that is round like a sphere. Students will already have a basic understanding
of the shape of the earth and have a visualization of the distribution of land and
water over the earth. After, the teacher will sing the song, Tell me the
continents. This lesson will be focused on identifying the seven continents of our
world. I will use the following questions to activate this prior knowledge:

Can you Identify a continent?

Discuss where you live on the map?

Tell me what can we do with a globe or a map?

Explain the word continent?

11. How do you plan to engage students in the content? What will you do? What
will students do?

Materials:

Book: The Seven Continents (Rookie Read-About Geography) by Wil

Mara

Water color, crayons or oil pastels that are the color blue

Pre-cut the different parts of the continents construction paper

White paper

Glue sticks

Globe

Map of Our World

Continent labels

World control map

Puzzle map of world parts

Tell me the continent (song)

After the materials are set up throughout the classroom I will begin the lesson.

First we will go over rules and expectations before we being the lesson.

Students will remain siting in their seats for the lesson while reviewing the
rules of the classroom.

I will begin my lesson by having students sit in a circle.

Next I will pass around a globe, and ask them To notice all the beautiful
colors. Next, I will ask them if they know what the colors represent?

The teacher will show them a map on the board and sing the song, Tell
me the continents.

I will use questioning to activate prior knowledge. (See number 10)

I will record students answers on a KWL chart. Starting with what they
know about the word continent than asking students what they would like
to know.

Next I will read THE BOOK The Seven Continents

(Rookie Read-About Geography) by Wil

The students will discuss what other things they learned and record
answers on the chart.

The teacher will ask students to go back to their desks and break students
into groups.

The teacher will give clear directions and have the students repeat the
directions asking them what their task is.

Students will work together into groups to put the world map puzzle
together.

The teacher will model first by showing the students a puzzle piece of
North America and properly put it on the control chart, then offering the
students to work together as a group to put the world map together.

Next the students will work together on their individual project by

coloring and creating a world map of their own as an assessment.

The teacher will have students stay in groups and would like to share their
maps with the class.

Next the teacher will have students complete INSIDE/OUTSIDE circle

asking students to identify what continent they live on, discuss a
DIFFERENT CONTINENT, and how many continents we have in our
world.

12. Describe the use of questioning and discussion strategies that will encourage
students to participate in class.

I will use the different levels of Blooms Taxonomy to prepare questions

for the students that will encourage them to participate during the lesson.
The questions that will be asked during the lesson will be to identify a
continent, discuss where you live on the map, tell me what can we do with
a globe and a map, and explain the word continent. The questions I ask
throughout the lesson will help the students apply their new and prior
knowledge about our world map. The questions will require the students to
use their knowledge about the world being made up of water and land. The

students will be engaged in answering questions about maps and globes

and our seven continents.

13. What difficulties do students typically experience in this area, and how do
you plan to adapt/modify to meet their needs?

Some difficulties that students typically experience in this area would be their
focus. The activity where students transition into groups to discuss questions and
when they create their own world map may create a distraction and a lack of
focus. It is important that the teacher knows her students and groups them
accordingly to reduce additional distractions. The teacher will need to consistently
help the students stay focused on the task.

14. Identify what informal and/or formal assessments you will use to monitor
student learning.

The students will be informally assessed during this lesson. The teacher will use
the KWL chart and the group project, labeling and identifying the continents will
determine if students were able to comprehend the lesson and apply prior and new
knowledge that was learnt. I will use this information for my own personal
records of the students development. I will also have a further assessment that will
require students to make their own world maps which will be as a form of
informal assessment for this lesson and the inside outside circle will be a way for
me to observe students learnt knowledge about continents.

15. What will you do to bring closure to the lesson?

To bring closure to this lesson I will say the following to the class:

Today we have discussed the largest areas of land in the world which are called?
(Continents) The world map is important because it teaches us how to
understand the world around us. Tomorrow we will discuss how all the oceans on
the earth are really one World Ocean, but there are five major oceans!