U.S. Road Trip. Amanda Moore / April 27, Grade level: 4 th grade

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1 Amanda Moore / April 27, 2006 Grade level: 4 th grade U.S. Road Trip Overview: The purpose of my lesson is to have students understand the many regions and landforms that make up the United States. Students will need to be familiar with map skills to navigate through the lesson. They will build upon prior knowledge of the states and major cities within the United States that are featured in this activity. Goals and Objectives/Expected Outcomes: 1. Students will be able to use geographic representations such as maps to answer geographic questions. 2. Students will be able to identify features such as roads/highways on a road map. 3. Students will be able to use maps to describe the effects of physical and human processes in shaping the landscape. 4. Students will be able to define regions within the United States 5. Students will be able to calculate the total mileage 6. Students will be able to utilize reference material correctly. Michigan Standards: II.I.LE.3 Locate and describe the major places, cultures, and communities of the nation and compare their characteristics. II.III.L.E.3 Explain how transportation and communication link people and communities. II.IV.L.E.2 Describe places, cultures and communities in the United States and compare them within other regions and countries. II.IV.LE.6 Describe the geography of major United States regions, compare the regions, and explain the processes that created them. National Standards: National Standard 1.1 (K-4): The characteristics and purposes of geographic representations- such as maps. National Standard 1.1 (K-4): How to use appropriate geographic tools and technologies National Standard 4.1 (K-4): The physical characteristics of places (e.g. Landforms, bodies of water, and climate) National Standard 5.1(K-4): The concept of region as an area of Earth s surface with unifying geographic characteristics National Standard 5.2 (K-4): The similarities and differences among regions National Standard 7.2 (K-4): How patterns (location, distribution, and association) of features on Earth s surface are shaped by physical processes

2 Themes Addressed: People, Places and Culture Regions, Patterns and Processes Materials Needed: Map of the United States Student Sheet U.S. Road Trip Student Assessment Sheet U.S. Road Trip Markers/Highlighters Previous Knowledge/Experience: Map skills understanding symbols and features of a map Knowledge of regions within the U.S. South, Midwest, Southwest, Knowledge of landforms such as Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Coastal Plains, etc. Students should be familiar with the states and major cities Vocabulary such as:! -Mileage: distance measured and expressed in miles Time Needed to Complete Activity: 45 Minutes Teacher Instructions: The first thing you need to begin this lesson is obtain several road atlases. Some resources for finding U.S. road atlases is through rummage sales, bargain stores, and discount dealers. Then, make sure you place students in groups that can work together. This is an important element to the lesson because you want unity within the group. The groups should consist of 4 to 5 students. Also, make sure there are enough student worksheets and assessments for the whole class. Having worksheets ready ahead of time will make this lesson run much smoother. The next thing you need is a way to introduce the lesson. Having students take ownership of this activity is the best way to make it more meaningful for them. For instance, pose to the class that their group is going on a road trip. They will need to pack many things such as sunscreen, camera, snacks for the car ride, etc. They are starting off in Denver, CO and their goal is to travel to Raleigh, NC. How will you get there? They can only go by car. Now it s up to their group to find the best route. Announce that they must follow the directions to navigate through their trip. 1. Students will begin by receiving a Road Trip worksheet. 2. They will be given a starting and destination point on the road atlas. 3. They must identify the starting point A, which is Denver, Colorado and ending point B which is Raleigh, North Carolina. 4. Students must use the major highways to find the best route to get from Point A to Point B. They will map out the best route using a marker or highlighter, taking major highways to travel.

3 5. Students will investigate the major cities and states in which they will travel through by looking at the road atlas or researching information on the Internet. 6. Then, they will record the major landforms they cross throughout the road trip. This information can be obtained through the road atlas or other reference material. 7. Students will research the major regions they will experience along the road trip. 8. Students will use the resources given to calculate the complete mileage for the trip. Discussion Topics or Activities Some topics you may want to discuss with the students before beginning the lesson are the major defining regions within the United States. For example, the Southwest, Midwest, and South are some of the regions that the students will come across. I would have a map of the United States with the regions outlined. Then, I would discuss the major features within each region. Also within the discussion, I would include the states, major cities, and landforms within each region. Other topics to include are introducing this activity as a road trip for the students. Tell them they must be navigators of the United States and travel the width of the country to investigate different features. This will help students take more ownership of the assignment. Evaluation Criteria and Procedures I will critique the students through several outlets. The first form of assessment that will take place is informal observation of the student s ability to work collaboratively with a group. I will be assessing the student s communication skills and researching capability with the use of Internet. I will also observe their ability to use the reference material effectively. This will all be based on a pass or fail system. There will be a formal assessment of the group s handouts. I will make sure they have the correct answers filled in their blanks. This will be done using my rubric 1, which will be given out of 13 points. Each question is worth one or two points a piece. I will also assess their drawn path on the road atlas. Their assessment for this assignment will be to pick two other locations on the map. They will have to write down what they are. Then, they must explain what landforms they will pass as they travel. They will also have to calculate the total mileage. This will be done using my rubric 2, which is given out of 10 points. Tips For this lesson, it would be very beneficial to start looking for road atlases very early. Some places you can find them would be garage sales, discount bookstores and on the Internet. I would also prepare the students for this lesson by having a discussion one day prior to explain some of the concepts such as landforms, regions and review the states. Extensions If certain groups finish early, there are some extensions that can be added onto the lesson plan. For instance, the students can describe the different climates they will be crossing and how that will affect their travel. Another way in which you can extend the lesson is

4 for students to write about one historical stop and cultural stop along the way. They must write what place it is and why they chose it. These resources can be added to lengthen the lesson or challenge the students. It may be also beneficial for students who finish early. Sources and Resources 1. This website is a good resource for calculating mileage. The students must put in the city and state. The program will compute the total miles they will drive This website is beneficial for students to learn more about the regions This is also a great website for calculating mileage. 4. Road Atlas for each student

5 Student Worksheet Name: Directions: Please answer the follow questions. Name the Starting Point A (City, State): Name the Ending Point B (City, State): Draw, on the map, the best way to get from Point A to Point B. States you will go through are: Major cities you will travel through: What major landforms will you pass? What regions of the United States are you crossing to get to Point B? Use this website to find the total mileage for the trip * What is the total mileage for the Road trip?

6 Student Assessment Name: Directions: Please select two new locations for travel on the U.S. map. Name the Starting Point A (City, State): Name the Ending Point B (City, State): Explain the major landforms you will pass through? Find the total mileage for your trip