Christy Barrow

Social Studies Lesson Plan

Title: Exploration of the New World

Standard 4-1: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the exploration

Indicator 4-1.3Use a map to identify the routes of various sea and land expeditions to the New
World and match these to the territories claimed by different nations—including the
Spanish dominance in South America and the French, Dutch, and English exploration in
North America—and summarize the discoveries associated with these expeditions. (G, H)

Objective: The student will be able to locate the routes of various sea and land expeditions to
the New world

Assessment: A poem and map- each student will write his or her own poem that includes the
seven continents of the world. They will write seven stanzas (one for each continent) describing
what he or she knows about each continent. The student is to be creative. The final copy of his or
her poem will be written on construction paper and the student will be able to color and decorate
their poem. The teacher will put the poems on the classroom wall for all the students to see.
Afterwards each student will color a map of the world and label the continents- North America,
South America, Europe, Africa, Antarctica, Australia, and Asia- and two nation-states of their
choice. The following criteria will be used to assess each poem and map: the accuracy of
information about each continent and correct labels on the map.

Materials:
1. A globe
2. Atlas book
3. Map of Continents and countries
4. Construction Paper
5. Markers
6. Blank maps to be colored
7. SmartBoard
8. Notebook paper

Key Vocabulary:
1. Atlas- a book of maps
2. Globe- a spherical model of the earth showing the continents and seas
3. Continent- one of seven great divisions of land on the globe
4. Nation-state- a state, or country, that has defined borders and territory
Procedures:

1. The teacher will introduce the lesson for the students. The teacher will tell the class that
they will be learning about continents and nation-states by reading a book, looking at
maps and globes, writing a poem, and labeling a map.

Why? I want the students to know what they will be learning in the lesson and how they will
go about learning it. I want them to be aware my expectations for the lesson. This will give
the class an introduction into the lesson.

2. The teacher will write the key vocabulary words (atlas, globe, continent, and nation-
state) on the board and show the students an atlas and a globe. The teacher will point out
the seven continents on the globe and map. The teacher will show the students where the
United States is on the globe and tell the students that the United States is located in the
continent of North America.

Why? I want my students to see the definitions of the key terms that we will be discussing in
the lesson. I also want them to see the seven continents on an atlas map and a globe so that
they can remember their locations and it can construct meaning. When the teacher shows
where the United States and North America are located, the students will be able to draw a
personal connection to learning about continents. This will grab their attention for the rest
of the lesson.

3. The teacher will briefly talk about nation-states. He/she will talk about how a nation-
state is a country in which the people share many things in common like race, cultural
background, language, religion, and values. The teacher will also explain to his/her
students that the United States is not a nation-state because we have multiple ethnicities,
numbers of religions practiced, and different cultural norms. Some examples of nation-
states include Iceland, North Korea, South Korea, Portugal, and Japan.

Why? Learning about nation-states is apart of the objective. The teacher will give examples
of countries that are nation-states and one that is not so that the students can better
understand the characteristics that make a territory a nation-state.

4. The teacher will introduce continents to his/her students by reading My Sticker Book
Atlas, by Dorling Kindersley Publishing.

Why? Engage! The book will interest the students because it has a lot of pictures. The book
also focuses on content. It will help them digest the information that is being read to them.

5. The teacher will encourage the students to ask questions about the continents after
he/she reads My Sticker Book Atlas.

Why? After step 4, the students will be able to think about what the teacher has just read to
them. They will be able to discuss and reflect on continents.
6. The teacher will pull up a website on the SmartBoard that shows an interactive map of
all the continents. When the teacher clicks on a specific continent, it will show all of the
countries that are in that continent. The teacher will model how the website works by
clicking on Europe and showing the students the countries that are in the continent of
Europe. The teacher will also point out that Portugal, which is a nation-state is located in
Europe.

Why? This step allows the students to see an interactive map. It will show them that there are
countries within continents. This will show them the big picture of what a continent really is.
It will also show them that there are nation-states within continents.

7. The teacher will allow the students to participate in choosing a continent on the
SmartBoard. The student will raise his/her hand if he/she wishes to come to the
SmartBoard and choose a continent. This will help the students see which countries are in
the different continents and it will also help the students to see where the continents are
located on a map.
The teacher will ask the students questions such as, “where is South America?”
“Which continent do you wish to select?”
“Where is Antarctica?” and so on