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Kedra Coco
Second Grade
Geography
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this unit is to teach students about Texas. The students
will learn the physical properties, the geography of Texas and historical
information. The students will learn about the language, clothing, location,
and the food. We will also discuss the six flags over Texas.
CONNECTION
TO THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHY STANDARDS:
Number 1: Knows and understands how to use maps, globes, and other graphical tools to acquire, process, and report information.
Number 4: Knows and understands the physical and human characteristics of places.
Number 5: Knows and understands that people define regions and use them to interpret the world’s changing complexity.
Number 14: Knows and understands
how the earth’s physical and human systems are connected and interact.
TEXAS
ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Identify major landforms and bodies of water, including continents and oceans, on maps and globes.
The student uses simple geographic tools such as maps, globes, and photographs.
Explain how people depend on the physical environment and its natural resources to meet basic needs.
The student understands the locations and characteristics of places and regions.
OBJECTIVES
LIST:
Students will be able to:
Locate cities and key geographical
areas on a map.
Identify physical attributes of Texas.
Learn about the people and culture of Texas.
Use the internet to discover information.
Learn about the six flags that reigned over Texas.
OVERVIEW
OF PRESENTATION:
These lesson plans are to provide students with knowledge on the state of Texas. The students will learn to use maps and identify areas with them. They will learn all about Texas geographically and industrially. They will learn about the present day clothing, people, language and music. They will also learn how Texas came to be what it is today. Overall these lesson plans allows the children to learn more about the Lone Star State.
DAY
ONE
1. Sponge activity:
We will create a journal cover
for all that we will learn about Texas. They can decorate this with Texas
themes or with anything they like. (ten minutes)
2. Opening activity:
Explain to the students that
their were six flags that flew over Texas. We will study what happened
to Texas during these six reigns of power.
3. Guided Practice:
Show the students a map of the
United States and ask them to locate Texas. Then show the students the
state of Texas by tracing it and pointing out its boundaries. Give the
students some facts about Texas.
1. Texas in the second
largest state in the U.S., Alaska is the largest.
2. The south tip of Texas
meets the Gulf of Mexico.
3. Texas is a very agricultural
state.
4. The Rio Grande River
is one of Texas’ borders and it separates the United States and Mexico.
5. The four states that
border Texas are Louisiana, New Mexico, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Give the students a copy of
the state outline. The students will cut out Texas and write three of the
facts they remember about Texas.
4. Independent Practice:
Allow the students to go to
the Reading Center and pick out several books on the state of Texas. They
will return to their seats and write down as many facts and interesting
things about Texas as they can.
5. Closure:
The students will share what
they have found with a partner, and then the pair will present the most
interesting fact to the class. We will write all these on a big Texas on
the overhead.
Materials:
Map of the U.S.
Outline of the state of Texas
Reading Center: non-fiction,
fiction, and magazines all about Texas.
Extension:
Let the students look at the
Texas map and identify cities and places they have been.
DAY
TWO
1. Sponge Activity:
Have the students draw a map
of Texas without looking. Identify the cities that they can on the map.
2. Opening:
Review the facts that we learned
about Texas. Let the children answer from prior knowledge, no peeking at
notes!
3. Guided Practice:
Show the students a physical
map of the state of Texas. Teach the students the Texas Rivers and
boundaries. Texas has thirteen rivers running through it. Explain the borders
of the state and identify the states that border Texas and the only country
that borders it.
Rivers: Brazos
Frio Pecos White
Canadian Guadalupe San
Antonio
Colorado Neches Sulphur
Devils Nueches Trinity
4. Independent Practice:
Give the students a blank map
of Texas and have the students draw in the rivers, borders, and label the
things that surround Texas.
Materials:
Physical map of the state of
Texas
Blank map of Texas
List of the river and borders
of Texas
5. Closure:
Have the students review the
rivers of Texas with you on the overhead after the completion of their
own paper.
DAY
THREE
1. Sponge activity:
Teach the students the state
song and write it on the board, "Texas Our Texas"
2. Opening:
Ask the students to get our
their Texas that has the rivers labeled. Tell the students we are going
to add on to our map other physical characteristics of Texas.
3. Guided Practice:
Identify the ten major lakes
in Texas, nine mountains, and three islands. This will show the students
the variety of geographic features that Texas has. They will copy down
this information onto their maps from the overhead.
4. Independent Practice:
The students will complete their
maps and perform the following tasks:
1.
Underline in blue the name of the largest lake in Texas.
2.
Circle the name of the river that separates Texas and Mexico.
3.
Underline in red the name of the river that separates Texas from Louisiana.
4.
Circle the name of the mountains that contain the highest point in Texas.
5.
Mark an X on the longest island.
6.
Its name is the same as a color; it is a river that separates Oklahoma
and Texas, what is it?
Materials:
Song "Texas Our Texas"
Map of Texas
Overhead of the state of Texas
with lakes, mountains, and islands.
5. Closure:
Ask the students to compare
their worksheet with the correct one on the overhead and make sure the
students’ matches the overhead.
DAY
FOUR
1. Sponge activity:
Show the students the state
flag. Give each child a flag and have them color it.
2. Opening:
The students will learn what
the six flags were that reigned over Texas.
3. Guided Practice:
Show the children each flag
that flew over Texas. Identify the country and time period that went with
each flag. Show the students a Hyperstudio that explains this. Talk about
the culture of the people that were part of each flag.
4. Independent Practice:
Have the students draw each
flag and color it. Have the student label the country and time period.
The students will choose the most interesting flag and write a paragraph
on the reason this flag interest them and details about the country.
Materials:
Texas state flag
Hyperstudio
Over head of the six flags
5. Closure:
Have the students that choose
the same flag group together. Have each group pick the three best ideas
and present then to the other groups.
DAY
FIVE
1. Sponge activity:
Identify the state flower and
bird. Have the students draw these in their journals.
2. Opening:
Read the book "Legend of the
Bluebonnet".
3. Guided Practice:
Show the students a Popcorn
bluebonnet. Explain to the students that this is the state flower. The
bluebonnet grows all along the Texas countryside in the spring. It is a
wild flower to Texas. Tell the students they are going to make their own
bluebonnet to take home.
4. Independent Practice:
Give each child a sheet of manila
paper and several pieces of popped popcorn. Let them dip one side of the
popcorn in blue tempera paint and glue it to the manila paper in the shape
of a bluebonnet. Have them draw the stems and leaves. Display the bluebonnets
on the bulletin board.
Materials:
"Legend of the Bluebonnet"
Manila Paper
Blue tempera paint
Popped popcorn
5. Closure:
Have the students write their
own poem about their bluebonnet.
DAY
SIX
1. Sponge activity:
Have the students write a poem
using the letters in Texas, T-E-X-A-S.
2. Opening:
Review all the characteristics
of Texas, and ask the students why they think Texas is a good state. Brainstorm
several ideas on the board. List all the attractions and historical sites.
3. Independent Practice:
Have the students create a brochure
to expand tourism in Texas. Why would people want to come to Texas? Have
the students brainstorm possibilities. They may describe the landscape,
cities, sites, etc. Finish the brochure with cut out or drawn pictures.
Have each child present their brochure to the class, then display it on
a bulletin board.
Materials:
Construction paper
Colors
Paper, pencil
4. Closure:
Have each child present their
brochure to the class, then display it on the bulletin board.
DAY
SEVEN
1. Sponge activity:
Read the story "Armadillo Rodeo"
by Jan Brett
2. Opening:
Have the students name the different
cities of Texas that they have lived in or visited. Put a pin on the map
to identify the cities that have been chosen.
3. Independent Practice:
Have the students write about
the following scenario. Imagine that you will be an exchange student in
a Texas city for the next school year. You will have the opportunity to
move to any city in Texas. Which city would you choose, and tell why you
picked it.
Materials:
Texas map
"Amarillo Rodeo"
Paper/pen
4. Closure:
Have the students tell a partner
about the city they choose.
DAY
EIGHT
1. Sponge activity:
Read the story "Pecos Bill",
Explain to the students what a tall tale is.Have the students get out their
journals and write their own Texas tall tale.
2. Opening:
Tell the students they will
use the internet to find information on Texas.
3. Guided Practice:
Give the students ten minutes
to look up several different internet sights. This will spark interest
and get the students used to using the internet.
4. Independent Practice:
Have the students choose the
most interesting Texas internet sights and work with a partner to find
out as much about Texas as they can. They will present the information
found in paragraph form to the class. This will be evaluated as a homework
grade.Texas sources:
www.txpta.org
www.lone-star.net
www.texas-best.com
www.texas.com
www.chico.rice.edu/armadillo/Projects
The students will answer the following questions:
1. What is the capital of Texas?
2. What is the Texas state bird?
3. What is the Texas state tree?
4. What is the Texas state flower?
5. Draw a sketch of the Texas flag?
6. What is a nickname that Texas has?
7. What is the state's motto?
8. Name three major cities in Texas?
9. What is one natural border that Texas has?
10. What is one animal that is
associated with Texas? (hint: it is a type of cow!)
Materials:
Internet sources on Texas
Computer lab
5. Closure:
The students will complete a
worksheet on the internet sights.
DAY
NINE
1. Sponge activity:
Teach the children the song
"I’m a Texan", with the motions.
2. Opening:
Discuss with the students that
Texas is full of products and minerals. Have the students brainstorm what
they think Texas produces. Write the ideas on the board to compare at the
end of the lesson.
3. Guided Practice:
As a class look in an atlas,
encyclopedia, or geography book to find a map showing the location of products
raised or produced in your state. Create a map showing where they are grown
or manufactured. Use a key symbol so that others can read you map. Show
the important cities that are close to these resources.
4. Independent Practice:
Have the students look in the
same resource book and find the minerals. Make a map of the locations of
the minerals. Let each student create a mineral map showing the minerals
in your state. Tell the students that minerals are any natural substance
obtained by mining such as coal, ore, salt, or stone. Let the students
turn this map in for a grade.
Materials:
Atlas, encyclopedia, geography
book
Blank map of Texas
Keys to the maps
5. Closure:
Talk about the products and
minerals, compare them to the predictions they made.
DAY
TEN
1. Sponge Activity:
Have the students take out their
Texas journals and write a page over what they have learned in the last
ten days.
2. Opening:
Today is Western Day! Everyone
can dress western or bring something that represents Texas.
3. Independent Practice:
Have the students brainstorm
everything they know about Texas. The students will create a collage about
all the things they have learned about Texas. They can cut out the Alamo,
flags, longhorns, etc. Anything they know about Texas. Each child can present
their work to the class to share what they found out about the Lone Star
State!
Materials:
Journals on Texas
Construction paper
Scissors
4. Closure:
We will discuss what the students
liked best about the Texas unit.
Bibliography:
1. A State Thematic Unit, Instructional Fair, Inc., Grand Rapids, MI, 49501, 1998.
2. Lesson Plan Texas Week, http://www.homeworkcentral.com/files.htp?fileid=28796&use=jr
3. "Texas Best", http://www.texas-best.com (Feb 1999)
4. "Texas Trails", http://www.lone-star.net (Feb 1999)
5. TEKS Resource Center, http://www.tenet.edu/teks
6. Thematic Unit for block
over Texas produced by the students
Created 4-27-99
Return to Lesson Plans and Research Papers 1999