TE404 Lesson Plan

Prepared by: Amelia Leng

Mentor Teacher: Lee Ann McElmurry
Date (lesson planned): November 3rd, 2016
Length of lesson: 45 Minutes
Date (To be taught): November 21st, 2016
Grade level: 1st Grade

Part I: Lesson Overview and Background Knowledge (25 points)

a). Lesson Title: Reading Basic Maps and Navigating the Classroom
b) Big Idea(s).

1. There are many different scales of maps: small scale such as a map of your classroom, and large
scale such as a map of the United States.
2. Map keys use symbols and pictures to represent things on a map and explain what they mean: We
can use map keys to find where things are on a map quickly.
3. Using a compass rose to read a map: A compass rose is what shows us the cardinal directions so
we can read the map easier. The four cardinal directions are north, south, east, and west.

c). Rationale:
The skill of map reading and having a sense of direction is something that is essential for students to learn
at a young age, in order to adequately give and use directions as a future citizen. I will be teaching students how to
read map keys, what cardinal directions are, and how to find items on a map using both of those concepts combined.
By reading aloud from the children’s book, Me on the Map, students will be able to see that most maps share similar
features, and serve the same purposes. After instruction, students will be able to apply their knowledge of map keys
and cardinal directions during a small group inquiry activity and an individual assessment.
Using a map and having a sense of direction is something that students will use in their every day lives
without even knowing it. Walking home from school and remembering what streets to turn on is applying skills of
maps and directions in a present setting. In a future setting, a student will know how to read a map on a computer or
a smart phone, and understand what certain symbols and landmarks mean by interpreting a map by utilizing a map
key. Students’ understanding of aerial perspective is also extremely important to acquire and process information
from a special perspective.

d). Lesson Objectives:

1. Students will be able to interpret a map’s symbols by looking at the map key. ((1 – G1.0.1)
2. Students will be able to use cardinal directions to locate things on a map. (1 – G1.0.1)
3. Students will be able to navigate a given cardinal direction in Mrs. McElmurry’s classroom by
using a map. (1 – G1.0.3)

e). Grade Level Content Expectations (GLCEs):

1 – G1.0.1 Construct simple maps of the classroom to demonstrate aerial perspective.

 1 – G1.0.3 Use personal directions (left, right, front, back) to describe the relative location of significant places in
the school environment.

f). Lesson Abstract:

This lesson is structured around teaching students the different components of a map and putting a map to
use in the classroom setting so that students will be able to use this in the future as a life skill. This lesson will lead
to the understanding of more complicated maps, compasses, and sense of direction. This lesson will include large
group, small group, and individual activities. To start the lesson, I will call all of the students to the front of the room
onto the carpet and introduce the lesson that will be being taught. With upper elementary students, it can often be
more effective to start individually and then work up to large group discussion, but with first graders starting
individually can leave a lot of students lost or behind. The first large group activity will be a read aloud from the
children’s book, Me on the Map. This will have students start to think about hypothetical maps of their own
bedrooms, and examples of maps on small scales (house) and large scales (USA). The succeeding activity will be
looking at a projected map on the Smart Board of a basic park with a map key and a compass rose. One by one I will
call on students to come up to the map and point to certain landmarks and find out how many there are based on the
map key. This will give students a refresher on how map keys work, since they have worked with maps a bit already
this school year. The end of this activity will have a short introductory discussion on what a compass rose is and the
four cardinal directions. After this, I will show a video, which includes a sing-a-long cardinal directions song. The
first time the video plays, I will pause at certain points and explain tips for remembering the directions, and how
they can be combined to form NW, SE, etc. I will then play the video a second time so that students will deepen
their understanding. After this, students will be dismissed back to their desks for the small group activity. Each table
group (there are four of them) will be assigned on of the cardinal directions, and will be handed a simple hand drawn
map of Mrs. McElmurry’s classroom with landmarks and a compass rose. The task here is to find which of the four
sides of the classroom each group is supposed to move to by using the map and the compass rose. This activity
requires a great level of inquiry. Once each group thinks they have figured it out, I will say, “Go!” After this round, I
will hand each group a combined direction (NE, NW, SE, SW) and they will have to figure out which corner of the
room to move to this time. This is scaffolding on the previous round. The last activity is an individual worksheet
using a key and a compass rose to answer five questions, which will be graded for accuracy.

Part II: Resources (10 points)

a). Resources, Preparation/Materials:

Materials for whole class: Materials for groups: Materials to accommodate

-Me on the Map, by J.
Sweeney and A. Cable
-YouTube video/song about
directions
-Projected image on Smart
Board of a basic park map
with a map key, title, and
compass rose
-Individual assessment
worksheet, “Reading Maps”
(see below)
-Premade map of their
classroom with a compass
rose and classroom
‘landmarks’ (Mrs.
McElmurry’s desk, library,
door, table groups [see
below])
-4 notecards labeled with N,
S, E, and W, 1 for each of the
4 table groups
-4 notecards labeled with
NW, NE, SW, SE, 1 for each
of the 4 table groups
individual student needs: (be sure
to indicate how you are going to
provide resources needed for
diverse student needs (i.e.
emerging, on level, advanced, ESL,
autistic)
-I will go around to each group
and verbally tell them their
instructions as I pass out the
maps and what their task is as a
group. A lot of the materials are
visual and hands-on, which works
well for 1st grade as well as
students with learning differences.
-For the worksheet, I want them to
work individually, but I will walk
around and help if they raise their
hand
-Large text options, text to speech
b). Annotated Bibliography:

Cunningham, K. (2013). Reading Maps. New York: Children's Press.

Reading Maps is a non-fiction book that can be used as a resource for both students and adults who will be
teaching map-reading skills. The reading level is higher elementary, and this is not a book I would give to my first
graders to use as a resource. This book has five sections divided into Making Sense of a Map, Finding Direction,
Latitude and Longitude, Reading the Legend, and Online Maps. The only two sections I did not apply to my lesson
were Latitude and Longitude, and Online Maps. I didn’t want to use Online Maps because they can show potential
bias, assuming all students have access to online resources. I would only teach about online maps if I had the
technological resources for each student in the classroom. The rest of the book gave me really insightful ways on
how to word things so that my students would have a better understanding, and it had the key terms in bold that I
also used as my own key terms for the lesson.

Sweeney, J., & Cable, A. (1996). Me on the Map. New York: Crown.

This fictional yet informative children’s book is a great choice for a read aloud on making sense of maps,
and is very grade level appropriate for kindergarten-2nd grade. The book starts out with a girl making a hand made
map of her own bedroom, and then shows where she lives on larger and larger scales (bedroom, house, town, state,
country). It then goes from the largest scale, United States, down the smallest scale of her bedroom once again. This
book teaches students both about aerial perspective, or bird’s eye view, the different scales of maps, and how you
can make a map of your own bedroom or classroom. This book helped inform my thinking by making sure I knew
everything the book was explicitly and implicitly teaching so I could address any and all questions students have
during and after the read aloud.

Education.com. (2016, Fall). Reading Maps / [Class Handout]. Mason, MI: Steele Elementary.
This is the worksheet that I used from Education.com. I created an account and found the worksheet under
map instruction and first grade. This was useful for me to know that it was created for the first grade level, and
because I was worried a worksheet I made on my own would not be adequate for their grade level. The worksheet
had a simple map, similar to the park map I am using for my demonstration to the class, and the bold bright colors
are very kid friendly. The map consisted of five questions that required students to use the map key and the compass
rose, and be able to locate basic components of a map such as a title. After using this worksheet, I feel confident I
would be able to make my own for my future classrooms.

[Mr. R’s Songs for Teaching] (2015, November 19). Cardinal Directions Song. [Video File]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2I81_BFb-s

This is the YouTube video that I showed to the class after the map demonstration using the Smart Board.
The song is about the four cardinal directions, N, S, E and W, and its main purpose is to help students remember the
order of the directions and how you can combine them to make the directions NW, NE, SW, and SE. One example
of bias that the video might contain is the association of certain animals they have with the directions. They show a
penguin for the south and a bird for the north, but if a student sees a penguin at the zoo they might be confused,
especially at the first grade level. The video is visually appealing and taught me some strategies on how to teach
students the directions. Some students use the saying “Never Eat Soggy Waffles” to remember N, E, S, W, but that
doesn’t help them in remembering if the order of the of four directions goes clockwise or counter clockwise.
Remembering the word “WE” can help students to remember that W is on the left and E is on the right.

Part III: Knowing Your Students and their Learning Environment (15 points)

a). Who are my students?

My placement for this year is in a first grade classroom at Steele Elementary School in Mason, Michigan. I
have been placed in a kindergarten class and another first grade class in the past, and this class is very hardworking
compared to the others. My teacher told me that this is one of her better classes that she’s had, both academically
and behavior wise. The classroom setting is made up of 4 table groups, and two desks are alone. The girls who sit at
these desks have some behavioral issues and don’t like to work with other students (need their own space). They are
both at grade level and don’t struggle.
The racial breakdown of the class is primarily white with two African American students. There are no EL
students in this class. There are no special education children in this class, but there are two children who have
significant academic differences. One boy is a twin and is very small for his age with a cleft pallet. The other is a
girl who is testing at the lowest level of math of all first graders at that school. Both usually work with my mentor
teacher when the rest of the class is working on individual assignments. There are a handful of students who are very
academically gifted, and never have problems understanding their work and are advanced readers. Some are shy,
and some are very outgoing. Even some of the more gifted students have needs, and can look for certain levels of
approval. One girl will constantly follow my mentor, or me, around to show her your work or look for praise. Even
though she is gifted academically, she has needs that need to be tended to.

b). Linguistic, social and academic challenges, resources and supports.

As I have noticed throughout this semester, there are accommodations that my mentor teacher makes that I
needed to follow through with during my lesson. There are two students who never come to the carpet when the
whole class is directed to. One stays at her desk, and one walks around the back of the classroom. Both have
behavioral issues and instead of interrupting lessons and class time trying to get them to come to the carpet, my
teacher allows them to do this. When I call my kids to the carpet, I will allow those two specific students to sit at
their desk and be in the back of the room. There are no special education students in my class or students diagnosed
with ADHD, but there are two students that have significant learning differences and struggle more than the other
students. To tend to them, I will specifically keep in mind to continue to stop by their desks during the individual
assessment to check for understanding and provide guidance. There is a student is my class with a hearing aid, and
to accommodate his needs I will make sure to read loud and clear during the read aloud, see that he sits closer to
front of the carpet, and point to the Smart Board when I am talking about the park map to clarify what it is I am
talking about. The small group activity will allow more introverted students, and students who struggle, to work
with others to gain better understanding. Another thing I need to remember to do is assign Mary* and Suzie*, who
sit at individual desks, to table groups so that they can participate in the small group activity.

Part IV: Lesson Procedures (25 points)

 a) Lesson Procedures
Activity Element Procedures and management Academic, social &
& Time (in Step-by step procedures including questions and main linguistic adaptations,
minutes) points: visualize what you are going to say to the students. resources, and support
Be sure to include ways you will have students How will you support ALL
demonstrate engagement (curiosity, interest, students?
understanding, passion) during the lesson. It might be
helpful to script out what you are going to say, although
during the lesson you do not need to use this language
verbatim.
Introduction ● To gather their attention, say, “Hey ● Allow Caitlin to
(1 min.) first graders” (they respond, “Yes Ms. Amelia”) sit at her desk,
● Have students come to the carpet and Brayden to
and sit quietly. Tell them that today we are going walk around
to learn about how to read a map and the classroom.
different parts of a map.

Activity 1 ● Read aloud of Me on the Map by ● Read loud and

(5 min.) Joan Sweeney. Probe students with thoughtful clear, for
questions throughout, and ask them if they’ve students with
ever had to use a map (“Does anyone know what hearing
bird’s eye view means?”) impairments.
Also have them
sit closer to the
front of the
carpet.
Transition ● Continue to have students sit on
(1 min.) carpet, put a map on the Smart Board of
America.
Activity 2 ● Show colorful, kid-friendly map of ● For visual
(5 min.) America with a key, compass rose, and title. Call learners and
on students to come up to the board and point to learning with
the different parts of the map, and how you hearing
would use them. Have students come up and impairments (I
use the key to count how many of each item will point to the
there is on the map. End with compass rose to board).
lead into video about directions.
Transition ● Pull up YouTube video on the Smart
(1 min.) Board, continuing to make sure students have
their “voices on zero” and to “check their bodies”
(sitting quietly, hands to themselves).
Activity 3 ● First ask children if they know any ● For auditory,
(10 min.) way to remember the directions (Never Eat hands on
Soggy Waffles) Show video/song on directions learners and
(North, South, East, West) kinetic learners
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2I81_BFb-s (singing and
● Play twice, first time watching and dancing).
listening, next time singing along if they wish.
Transition ● Have students get up and go back to
(2 min.) their desk. Dismiss by hair color.
Activity 4 ● I will tell them that each table is ● Group activity,
(10 min.) going to have a challenge. They will each get a supporting
bird’s eye view map of Mrs. McElmurry’s students who
classroom with a compass rose, and I will give might be more
 each table (4 tables total) a direction (N, S, E, W, shy and
NE, NW, SE, SW). They will have 5 minutes to introverted or
figure it out, but don’t move until I say so. have learning
Students will engage with each other and work disabilities.
together to figure out where to move as a group. ● Lena and
● Scaffolding: Do first for N, S, E, W, Caitlin’s desks
and then repeat for NE, NW, SW, SE are not at tables.
I will tell each
other them to
move to a
designated table.
Transition ● After each group has moved to their
(2 min.) spot in the room and I check for accuracy, have
each student go back to their group. (Repeat for
both times, but after the second round dismiss
them to their desks).
Activity 5 ● Students will complete an individual ● Walk around
(10 min.) worksheet, which incorporates both map keys specifically
and the 4 cardinal directions. There are 5 stopping at Luke
questions and 5 possible points. and Kelcie’s
desks for help.
● Offer help to
anyone that
needs assistance
with reading the
directions.

Transition ● *clap clap, clapclapclap* (students

(2 min.) repeat). Collect worksheets, or have them put
them away for later if they are not finished.
Conclusion ● Wrap up with how important it is we
(2 min.) have maps so we know where we are going and
what direction we are going.

b) Assessment

Task: Diagnostic features: Support:

● I will look to see if What resources can you draw upon
Students will have two assessments, one on the students (or adaptations can you make) in
paper and individual, and one group correctly assessing children with diverse
“situational” assessment. identified different needs?
parts of a map A small group activity is great
The second assessment is a group assessment, using a key and for students that don’t have
and I am checking for accuracy as the compass rose. high literacy skills or English
students work together to move in the correct ● I will look to see if proficiency, because they will
direction in the classroom I give them. the students
have group members that do
physically moved
The individual assessment has tangible data I in the correct and can help them in reading
can collect and grade, and assesses students direction based on directions and sentences on
on their ability to locate different parts of a the one I gave the worksheet.
map and use a map key to find different them I will disregard spelling and
places. I will collect this and grade for ● I will assess the punctuation for this activity,
accuracy. two tasks by especially for students with
checking for learning differences. Checking
accuracy. for accuracy is the most
 ● The data I collect important thing in my lesson.
will be the Most of the required responses
worksheet I give are just one word answers.
them to complete
individually.

Part V: Post-Teaching Reflection (20 points)

a) Reflection:

After my science lesson for TE 403 went so smoothly, I had high expectations for my

social studies lesson. I learned a lot about how to teach this topic, more so than about the actual

topic itself because I have an extensive background in maps and map reading from all my years

of schooling and life experiences. I learned that a huge part of how well a lesson goes is how

effective classroom management is. When teaching first graders and moving them from large

group activities, to small group activities, and then individual, it can be a challenge to get

everything to run smoothly and quietly. I had a partner for the TE 403 lesson, so this lesson was

the first one I have completely taught on my own. This showed me that when you do a lesson for

the first time, you immediately discover what works and what does not work, and that teaching

requires a great deal of improvisation.

My lesson had strengths and highs, but it was also not short of weaknesses. Some of the

strengths of my lesson were that the students seemed interested in the topic, their attention spans

were kept because there were multiple activities, and a multitude of different medias and

technologies were used. I was loud and assertive, handling the “talkers” and was able to get the

class’s attention easily. I was as prepared I could be with my materials and lesson plan, and also

constantly checked for understanding until moving forward. After introducing the cardinal

directions, many students said that they didn’t get it, and I would then try to explain with more
detail and with simpler language. Everything went extremely well until I started the topic of

cardinal directions, which was a new concept for this class.

There were definitely a few weaknesses and lows as the lesson progressed. When I

started to first introduce cardinal directions, a lot of students started blurting out, “I don’t get it”,

or, “This doesn’t make sense.” This wasn’t something I completely did not anticipate happening

since the science lesson went to smoothly. I started to get nervous as I kept trying to explain the

cardinal directions over and over as simply as I could, and students still didn’t understand. A

good majority of the class did, but there were definitely a handful that didn’t. I then thought that

maybe going straight to the small group activity would clear their questions up as they worked

together. This activity went surprisingly well for the most part but still one or two groups for

each round ended up in the wrong location. The room also got a bit chaotic and loud, and it was

difficult for me at times to control everyone at once. Moving on the individual assessment, many

more students raised their hands for help than I had anticipated, and Johannah had to walk

around and help me since she was there for her field hours that day. This made it hard to give

special attention to the students who have learning differences since even the gifted students also

had questions and misunderstandings. The good thing, however, was that once the students had

one-on-one help, a lot of them understood. Ten students received a 5/5 on the worksheet out of

twenty-six students in the room, and the class average was a 70%. This was higher than I thought

it would be based on the level of confusion on cardinal directions during the lesson. See below

for examples of worksheets with complete understanding, partial understanding, and low

understanding.

My mentor teacher’s critical comments were encouraging and constructive. She said that

since this was such a new concept for the students that it should probably be taught over two or
three days time, maybe even a week, and taught as more of a unit. She said that for the most part,

I handled the “talkers” well and that my transitions between the activities went smoothly, but I

should wait to continue teaching until I have all eyes on me and voices are off. I need to

continually stop and regroup. Since they have worked with maps before, she said I did a great

job of building on prior knowledge and moving on to the next level on understanding on this

topic, which are cardinal directions. If I were to teach this lesson again, I would break it down

into smaller parts and teach it over a 3-4 day time span. I think that since this is a more difficult

concept for first graders, it should be taken slower and in smaller pieces. Overall, I was

moderately happy that ten students had complete understanding, but there are definitely changes

I would make for next time.