Georgia Southwestern State University Lesson Plan Guidelines

Created by GSW School of Education

Name: Ms. Burton
Lesson Date:
Lesson Start Time:

Lesson End Time:

Classroom/Lesson Context
_X___ Whole Group _____ Small Group _____ One-on-One
__X___ Students with IEPs/504s _____ ELL Students
____ Other (Please specify: ___________________________________________________)
Please specify the number of students:
_2____ Girls _7____Boys
Learning Central Focus
Lesson Plan Title: Reading Maps
Grade Level: 3rd
Central Focus:

What is the central focus for the content in the learning segment? Students will identify
places maps can be found. Students will be able to recognize key vocabulary, symbols,
and words used on maps. Students will be able to identify parts of a map.

Content Standard:

What standard(s) are most relevant to the learning goals? CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.3.7

Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a
text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how).

Student Learning Goal(s)/ Objective(s): Students will explain where different types of maps
are found in the community. Students will also be able to recognize the different vocabulary
components of a map and where they are located.
Instructional Strategies and Learning Tasks
Launch: ____5______ Minutes

How will you gain attention? I would gain attention by asking the students where can
maps be found? I would give them a chance to respond. This question will get them at
attention and their brains working.

How will you start the lesson to engage and motivate students in learning? I would start
the lesson by telling the students that in order to read a map accurately, we must know
the basic features that make up a map such as the title, compass rose, key, grid, and
scale are the components of a map.

What are your rules for the lesson? Students are expected to raise their hands to
answer questions and not just blurt out answers all at the same time. Students are
expected to face forward and pay close attention to the teacher during instruction.
Students are expected to complete all class assignments with at least 70% accuracy in
order to maintain a passing grade.

Instruction: __25________ Minutes

I would begin the lesson by showing them a physical map and a climate map. As a
class, I would have them compare and contrast these two types of maps. I will write the
comparisons on the board as we discuss them as a class. After we have discussed the
comparisons and contrasts between the physical map and the climate map, I would
then go into detail the specific parts of the maps. When reading a map, you must look
for the title of the map in order to know the content of the map. Once you have
established the title and type of map, you should identify features such as the compass
rose, key, grid, and scale of the map. When looking at both of these types of maps they
both entitle the same components. The 5 components of a map are: the title, the
heading of a map. I would point to the title of both maps, making sure that they know
where the title would be normally located on the map. The second component is the
compass rose. The compass tells the directions of the map such as north, south, east,
and west of a location. Third is the key. The key on a map is used to define symbols on
the map. I would ask them, On the climate map what type of symbols do you see in the
key? I would give them a chance to respond. I would expect for them to give me
answers such as rain, sun, cloudy, windy symbols. I would do the same for the physical
map. The fourth component is the grid. The grid is the set of lines that show
coordinates on a map. This feature shows the distance between two places on a map. I
would then ask them to tell me, On the physical map, how far away are the mountains
in North Dakota to the beach on Floridas coast? As a class we would find the grid and
determine the distance. The fifth component of a map is the scale. The scale is the part
of the map used to show how big it is in actual size. I would explain to them that the
scale tells how big an area is compared to actual size. For example on the physical
map, the mountain trail is one and a half miles long, but on the map it is represented by
a small distance. Maps are helpful because we would not be able to show a mountain
trail 1.5 miles long on a piece of paper, so the scale breaks down a specific area and
makes it proportionate to the areas surrounding it. Class we must understand the
different components of a map in order to fully understand how to read a map.

Closure: ___15_______ Minutes

How will you end the lesson? I would end the lesson by having them take out their
Definition/Vocabulary Notebook. I would have them tell me the five components of a

map and how they can help me identify information on a map in their own words. After
they have completed their definitions, I would have them become a Cartographer for
the Day and have them illustrate their own map to be graded. They would have to
entail all of the components of the map that they have learned. For homework, I want
the students to tell me one place where they saw a map. It could be at a restaurant, the
mall, or at the library. After they have their one location where they saw a map, I want
them to tell me what kind of features that the map entailed such as the symbols on the
key or the scale of certain area on the map in relation to other areas of the map.

Assessments
Describe the tools/procedures that will be used in this lesson to monitor students
learning of the lesson objective(s). Attach a copy of the assessment and the evaluation
criteria/rubric in the resources section at the end of the lesson plan.

Type of
assessment
(Informal or
Formal)

Informal
assessment

Formal
assessment

Description of
assessment

Modifications to the
assessment so that all
students could
demonstrate their
learning.

I would assess the

students by having
them identify the five
For modifications, I would
components of a map
have a picture of a map
in their
and I would have them
Definition/Vocabulary
label the five components
Notebook. The
of the map.
students would define
the components in
their own words.

I would have
students pick one of
the different types of
maps that were
learned on the
previous day. I would
give them a piece of
white construction

Evaluation Criteria
What evidence of student learning
(related to the learning objectives and
central focus) does the assessment
provide?

This activity helps the

students become more
aware of the components of
a map. By writing the
definitions, students are
learning them and they will
be able to refer back to their
notebook for future
references.

I would have a map that This activity helps because

is outlined and has the
it will show me if the
specific places of where students know the different
the components should be types of maps and the
located. They would still components of a map. By
create their own map but having them create their
with assistance. They
own map, they must know
would still have to create the different components of

paper and have them

illustrate their own
map including all of
the five components
that were learned
today.

the components, but the

specific areas where they
should be located on in
a map.
the map would be
highlighted already for
them to illustrate.