Title

: City Life and Country Life

Grade Levels

: 3

^rd

and 4

^th

Length

: 80 minutes (2 class periods)

Performance Expectations: Using the KWL method, students will

answer the questions: What I know about living in the city and

living in the country? Students will compare/contrast life in

the city and life in the country.

Materials

:

Teacher:

Country Life and City Life Books


, (such as Social

Studies texts, Encyclopedias, books about large cities, rural

areas, etc.). Examples might include countryside pictures, farms,

towns, crops, livestock, Appalachian children, Amish, city parks,

activities, subways, roads, traffic, buildings, etc.

Magazines


, such as National Geographic, Life, Outdoors,

Country Living, Rural Missouri, etc.

Posters/Pictures


depicting City and Country Life

Butcher Paper

Students:


Drawing paper




Drawing and coloring

media (crayons, markers, etc.)

KWL Form


(What do I Know?, What do I Want to know?

What did I Learn)

Procedures

:

1. 
   
   Introduction
   
   
   :
   1. Begin a class discussion by showing posters/pictures depicting

      both Country and City Life and asking students what these represent

      or mean to them.

   2. Divide students into groups of 3 or 4. Give students a few

      minutes to make a list of items related to life in the city and

      what they
      
      k
      
      now. Next, ask students to make a list of items

      related to life in the country and what they
      
      k
      
      now.

   3. Teacher makes a divided list on the board or on butcher paper

      with headings of Country and City. Students contribute to the

      category of each list beginning with Country.

   4. The teacher and students then break the list into different

      categories. This is based on the items provided by students. In

      groups, students create a list of what they
      
      w
      
      ant to know

      about country and city life.

2. The students list is broken down into people, places, and

   things. Students are given an area of interest and research the

   topic using books and other resources provided. The teacher and

   students create an outline of what is expected from each group.

   This information is consolidated in individual groups and students

   present their findings to the class in a teacher and student decided

   format.

1. Students individually make a list of what they have
   
   l
   
   earned.

   Next, students will create a picture ( in their choice of mediums)

   of a country or city scene with a narrative of what is happening

   in the scene. This drawing should represent what students have

   learned from the information presented.

1. 
   Closure
   
   : Students voluntarily share their pictures

   with the class. All artwork is posted in the room or outside the

   room under the title "City and Country Life".

Assessment

:

Observe students as they work individually and in groups, assuring

everyone is contributing. Review each student group list (all

students names are included on the list). Review each individual

narrative drawing for ideas.

Adaptations/Extensions

:

Depending on the age and developmental needs of the student, the

teacher might have students work as a large group or individually,

keeping a log of their needs and interest in regard to the KWL

method.

References

:

Bennett, L. (1997). Elementary social studies education [on-line].

Available Internet: http://tiger.coe.missouri.edu/~esse/kwl.html.

Sherwood, K (1997). I created this lesson using KWL layout from

Bennett, L. site.