The Landforms of the Planet Earth Lesson Plan

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  1. Pre-planning
  2. Lesson Planning
  3. References

Pre-planning

Lesson Title

Landforms of the Planet Earth

Standards

NYS K-8 Social Studies Framework: 3.1

  • Landforms describe all the different irregularities of the Earth’s surface. Any unevenness of the Earth’s surface is a landform that has a height, area, and shape.
  • 3.1b (Content Standard): Examine a variety of maps for at least two of the selected world communities, looking for structural features of the map such as title, legend or key, compass orientation, author, date, grid, and scale.
  • 3R3 (Literacy Standard): In informational texts, describe the relationship among a series of events, ideas, concepts, or steps in a text using language that pertains to time, sequence, and cause/effect.

Connection to Larger Unit or Course Goals

This lesson provides the students with a well-defined understanding of what landforms are, how they are represented on the world map, and how the communities living there adapt or transform them for living. It contributes to the student’s comprehensive understanding of the variety of life conditions and the unique features of each landform that, subsequently, affect the communities that live there. The students will learn the definition of the word “landform,” what types of landforms can be found on Earth, what their specific features are, and how people adapt to each landform. They will be taught to identify, describe, and explain the essential qualities of each landform in connection to economic, historical, and social background. The purpose of this lesson is to teach the students to analyze the information drawn from a map and a globe and apply it in their practical studies. Through a variety of interactive learning methods, students will learn to recognize the specific differences between various landforms and understand how these differences apply to the communities that live there. The lesson incorporates flashcards, pictures of different landforms, maps of the US and the world, study guides, and choice boards to create a fulfilling and varied learning environment. Discussions and independent work will be offered to students to engage with the teacher and with each other, as they will be prompted to share their knowledge about landforms and their respective communities.

Connections to Prior Learning and Data

To understand and engage in this lesson, students will require the knowledge of geography and social sciences obtained during the previous study sessions. This lesson builds upon students’ comprehension of basic geographical terminology, vocabulary, and concepts, such as “mountains,” valleys,” “slopes,” and others. The terms and concepts from social studies the students have already learned are also incorporated in the lesson, as students will engage in discussions about different communities of the world, their historical, economic, and social backgrounds, and their connection to the landforms on which they exist. Prior knowledge of how to understand and operate a map (of their state and country) will be necessary for progressing with this lesson, and students will employ their skills in comprehending photos, videos, flashcards, and images. Reading and text comprehension skills that are adequate for the student’s grades will also be applied, as well as academic writing ability with proper punctuation, grammar, and sentence structure for 3rd grade. This lesson will expand the student’s knowledge of the different states of land people of the world are living on and provide them with the necessary vocabulary to discuss landforms in more depth.

Resources

During the lesson, the students will first be provided with all necessary information about landforms and examples of communities living on them, which they will then use for subsequent learning activities and discussions. The students will be asked what types of landforms they know exist in the US and in their state, how they differ from each other, and what specific features of them they can note. Using flashcards, illustrations, study guides, and choice boards, students will engage in active learning about landforms and their communities. Through discussions, the students will be able to incorporate new knowledge into their active memory and learn to strengthen their opinions with facts from readings and learning materials. Finally, the students will be required to choose one landform they are the most curious about and, using a 4-square writing strategy, write a descriptive essay about this landform and one community living there.

Resources:

  • CCSS Landform Definitions for 3rd Grade, Teacherspayteachers.com;
  • 3rd Grade Landforms Matching Cards, Teacherspayteachers.com;
  • Landform Choice Board, Teacherspayteachers.com;
  • Printouts of photographs of different communities living in different landforms, Google Images;
  • A map of the state, a map of the US, a map of the world;
  • YouTube video Exploring Communities and Geography.

Materials:

  • Chromebook (per student);
  • Teacher’s Chromebook;
  • Headphones (per student);
  • Paper (for students to share);
  • Pencils (per student);
  • Colored Pencils/Crayons/Markers (per student or for students to share)
  • White Board;
  • Dry-erase markers;
  • Classroom carpet;
  • Student desks/tables (per student).

Sources:

Questioning and Scaffolding of Questions

Essential Question: What are the landforms, and how are they different?

Focus/Guiding Questions:

  • What types of landforms are there, and what are their features?
  • How are certain landforms, such as valleys and plains, similar, and how are they different? What about other landforms?
  • What types of landforms are there in our state? In our country?
  • How can communities live on each landform?

Assessments

The student’s progress will be measured through an independent learning activity in the form of a descriptive essay about their chosen landform and one community that lives on it. They will need not only to apply the knowledge and concepts they have learned throughout the lesson but also execute their research skills to compose an essay supported by factual and scientific information appropriate for 3rd grade. Seeing as the learning target for this lesson is to build knowledge about landforms and communities that live on them, this activity will help students summarize and add to the information they have learned. This formative assessment will be given to the students as homework and is to be presented during the next lesson in the form of written work to the teacher and a short speech to their peers. It will allow the students to show how well they have understood the concepts of landforms and if they are able to identify and emphasize specific features of the communities living on them. The teacher will also use the discussions as a pre-assessment tool – students will be asked to answer the teacher’s questions, identify specific landforms’ features, and explain their thought processes. With this pre-assessment, the teacher will be able to identify how the students understand the topic, as well as which students are struggling with the material and require additional support.

Differentiation/Specially Designed Instruction

Groups

The teacher will offer the students with special needs in groups to identify one landform they are the most familiar with and point out only three specific features of it in total for the whole group. If the students will be able to come up with more, they will be welcome to share it further. The flashcards, choice boards, and matching cards will benefit these students the most as they will be provided with a visual presentation of each term.

Individuals

Individuals with special needs will require more attention from the teacher. Again, flashcards, marching cards, and choice boards will be helpful in communicating with and engaging these students. However, the teacher will need to provide these students with a list of vocabulary in their native language, as well as allow them to use translators throughout the whole lesson. Extended time to work on the essay will be provided to certain students, and those who are uncomfortable with presenting their essay as a speech will not be required to do so.

Connections to IEP and Assessment Goals

English Language Learners and Students with disabilities that have visual representations listed in their IEP Goals/SDI

The teacher should ensure that disabled students and English Language Learners are as engaged in the learning process as others and provide them with the means to do so. Differentiated instructions that vary for different groups of impaired students should be applied in the classroom, and additional teaching and learning assistance tools should be implemented. Zhang and Zou (2020) state that digital technologies have been widely used to enhance learning, especially in a foreign language. Introducing them in the classroom helps facilitate engagement, promote practical skills, engage students, and diversify teacher’s methods (Zhang & Zou, 2020).

Apple iPad comes with built-in accessibility apps related to vision, hearing, mobility, and learning disabilities. The first example is the Safari Reader program, which helps reduce the chances of sensory overload for a student by removing possible distractions. It also allows the student to modify the reading space in a way that would work best for them – set the needed screen contrast or invert the colors on screen. Secondly, there is the Dragon app that transcribes the words of verbal speech for a hearing-impaired student to easily read them on their iPad.

For visually impaired students, the BrailleTouch program would be helpful – it uses a specifically set six-key Braille keyboard for typing out the text. Dragon and BrailleTouch apps would provide the best assistance in the classroom for disabled students. Dragon app can be used by students with hearing disabilities and English Learners to record the teacher’s speech and make notes during a class without losing any valuable information. BrailleTouch, on the other hand, would help the visually impaired students type out the assignments and exercises they need to accomplish in the class.

Connecting Theory and Practice

Differentiated instruction is very important for a successful teaching process. Watson (2020) states that teachers need to create a variety of entry points to ensure that students’ differing abilities, strengths, and needs are all taken into consideration” p.. 2). An assortment of assessment practices is also a crucial point in creating a healthy and supportive learning atmosphere in the class. Moreover, non-repetitive instructions and assessment methods ignite students’ interest in the subjects and allow them to demonstrate their creativity. Watson (2020) also provides another insight: “Recognize and pull students who need some additional support together to help move them along the learning continuum” (p. 10). It is crucial for an educator to give more challenged students a way to learn more efficiently and pursue their interests in a productive manner.

A flipped classroom can also be very effective for students with disabilities, as well as English Language Learners, if implemented correctly. The student would benefit from this method because it allows them to work at their own tempo and with the tools that are most comfortable for them (Akçayır & Akçayır, 2018). The teacher constructs their lectures and practice in such a way that each student in the class gets an assignment according to his or her abilities and needs (Akçayır & Akçayır, 2018). In a flipped classroom, a disabled student or an English Learner would no longer feel the pressure of needing to be on par with their classmates who are used to traditional learning methods.

A real-world application of skills and knowledge a student learns from video instruction is an essential part of flipped classroom methods. During the class, the students learn how to use the information they gained from video lectures practically, and the teacher guides them through this process. The video format allows the teacher to preserve a personal approach to each student as if the new material is being taught just for them and not for the whole class. With this approach, all lesson time is devoted to practical exercises: seminars, laboratory and test works, colloquia, and discussions.

Technology Integration

Chromebooks, iPads, Dragon, and BrailleTouch Applications

Lesson Planning

Opening

Teacher Actions and Scripting Student Actions and Scripting
  • The teacher will first explain the lesson objective and introduce the term “landforms.”
  • The lesson will begin with the question to the students, “What can be considered a landform, in your opinion?”;
  • Then, the teacher will proceed to explain each landform;
  • The flashcards will be spread among students to share and discuss in groups;
  • The teacher will oversee the discussions, proposing various questions, such as “What landforms can you remember in our state? In our country? What are the most famous landforms in the world that you know?”.
  • The students will listen to the teacher’s explanations about landforms;
  • They will propose different answers to the question about what can be considered a landform using their prior knowledge of geography;
  • They will look at and discuss flashcards with different landforms on them, answering the teacher’s questions.

Introduction of New Material

Teacher Actions and Scripting Student Actions and Scripting
  • After the first discussion, the teacher will hang three maps on the whiteboard: a map of the state, of the country, and a world map;
  • The teacher will explain how to use the map, the vocabulary related to it, and how to identify landforms;
  • The teacher will give each of the three groups of students a map and ask them to try and identify other landforms with matching cards;
  • After this activity, the teacher will spread the photos of the various communities living on different landforms and show the video Exploring Communities and Geography;
  • The teacher then will discuss with the students how communities adapt and transform the land for a comfortable living;
  • During the discussion, the teacher will propose additional topics, such as “how living in that area has affected this community?” “What do you know about living in the mountains, near the sea, near a volcano, or other examples?”
  • The students will interact with the maps using matching cards, pointing out various landforms and reciting their specific features;
  • Each group will use a different map: one will work with the map of the state, one will work with the country map, and the last group will use a world map;
  • The groups will work independently for 15 minutes on the identification of the landform and then present to the class 4-5 landforms they have found and their features;
  • The students will discuss various communities with each other and the teacher, using their prior knowledge and newly acquired information;
  • Using their analytical skills, the students will propose answers to the teacher’s questions.

Language Development

Teacher Actions and Scripting Student Actions and Scripting
  • The teacher will upload the PowerPoint presentation CCSS Landform definitions for third grade on students’ Chromebooks with the necessary vocabulary that will help students throughout the lesson;
  • The teacher will give out matching cards to the students to assist them in working with their maps;
  • During the discussions, the teacher will randomly ask the students to explain various words from the lesson’s vocabulary as they have understood them.
  • The students will continuously interact with each other and with the teacher, asking questions and proposing answers;
  • The students will use the lesson’s vocabulary in their group work;
  • The students will write a descriptive essay on landforms and communities as their homework.

Guided Practice

Teacher Actions and Scripting Student Actions and Scripting
  • The teacher will provide the students with photos, matching cards, flashcards, and a video to ensure that they are fully immersed in the topic;
  • The teacher will facilitate students’ understanding by opening discussions and encouraging the students to ask questions and answer them;
  • The teacher will use the photos of communities to highlight the connection between people and landforms and explain to the students how geographical conditions affect communities’ lives;
  • The teacher will use maps to educate the students on how to use them efficiently.
  • The students will practice their interpretation skills by working with maps;
  • They will also apply analytical thinking to answer the teacher’s questions and discuss their opinions;
  • They will use prior knowledge of communities and merge it with new information on geography to create a more comprehensive view of the world;
  • They will apply everything they have learned throughout the lesson and the overall course to work independently on preparing a descriptive essay and presenting it to their peers.

Independent Practice

Teacher Actions and Scripting Student Actions and Scripting
  • The teacher will need to gently correct the students during the discussion if any misinformation arises;
  • The teacher will need to correctly educate the students on how to use maps and watch over their group work with matching cards;
  • The teacher will use a grading rubric for the essay to ensure it is properly written and offers factual information.
  • The students might have trouble with differentiating between minor landforms. Thus, the teacher needs to explain them in extra detail;
  • The students might have previously obtained misconceptions about specific landforms or communities; it is up to the teacher to correct these misconceptions;
  • The students might struggle with reading and using a map; the teacher must assist them when needed.
Group 1
Students: 6
These students are English Language Learners, and they have difficulties with expressing their thoughts and understanding complex concepts in English.		 Para(s): 1
Differentiation:

  • Visual cues in the form of flashcards and matching cards;
  • Writing out their thoughts to present during a discussion;
  • Correctly using matching cards to identify various landforms on the map.
  • Para will provide these students with additional flashcards and visual vocabulary lists, explaining each term in more depth and, if possible, easier words;
  • Para will assist these students in working with maps and writing their notes for discussions.
Group 2
Students: 2
These students have moderately impaired hearing		 Para(s):
Differentiation:

  • Successfully using the map to identify at least two landforms and describe their most prominent features using visual cues and matching cards;
  • A well-written descriptive essay on the chosen landform and its community.

Last Five

Teacher Actions and Scripting Student Actions and Scripting
  • The teacher will assess learning by overseeing the discussions and identifying the students who have difficulties understanding the material;
  • The teacher will also analyze student contribution during group work on maps;
  • The teacher will use learning standards to evaluate students’ knowledge at the end of the lesson;
  • The descriptive essay and its oral presentation will be one of the major points of assessment.
  • The students will be asked several questions about the lesson’s content at the end of the class;
  • Each student will choose one landform and its community to write about together with the teacher.

Reflection

This lesson expanded on the student’s knowledge of geography and its interrelations with various communities. The students were able to gain new knowledge on the topic of landforms and developed the skill of reading and interpreting maps. They actively engaged in discussions and answered each others’ questions with my assistance. I saw that certain students were more fluent in interpreting information from maps and incorporating it into their opinions. Moreover, some students came from different countries, and with my help, they were able to describe specific features of their communities. Thus, the lesson provided the children with new understandings and concepts, as well as facilitated their analytical and descriptive skills.

References

Akçayır, G., & Akçayır, M. (2018). . Computers & Education, 126, 334–345. Web.

Watson, S. (2020). . ThoughtCo. Web.

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