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Grade Level(s): Fourth through sixth

Length: One 45 minute class period

Performance Expectations:

• The students will make a physical map for an imaginary country they create.
• The students will give their country a name and write it in Black ink on their map.
• The students will include at least five different land forms on their map and will give each a name (i.e. The Merry Mountains).
• The students will include a compass rose on their map (they need to use a ruler to get straight lines on their compass rose).
• The students will have at least five major cities (including a capital designated by a star) in their country. The cities will be designated by a large black dot and they must all be named.
• The students will neatly color their maps with colored pencils.

Materials:

• One piece of white paper per student
• Colored pencils
• Pencils
• Black ink pen or small tip marker
• Rulers
• Maps the students can look to for examples

Procedures:

Introduction: The teacher will begin this lesson by reviewing all the students have learned about land forms, maps, directions (North, South, East, West), etc. This can be done by allowing students to create a list on the chalkboard of all of the things that they now know about all of the above. Then the teacher will get out the big class map of the United States and the children can locate land forms named by the teacher on the map.

Development: Students will be told that they are going to create a country of their own. The teacher will hold up the physical map he/she has created and point out the features of the map that they will be looking for when they grade the maps. Then the teacher will post a list of all of the things that are required of each map on an overhead or a poster at the front of the room along with the example map and the classroom map. This list should be a detailed list of performance expectations written in terms all the children in class will understand (this may be a copy of the rubric included in the assessment section of this lesson plan). The teacher will then ask the students to get out their supplies and begin working. The teacher will then circulate throughout the classroom and give assistance when needed.

Closure: When the students are finished with their maps, the class can have a time of sharing in small groups or as a class. The students can take turns showing their maps and naming their country, its cities, and its land forms. The teacher can make a list a the land forms used as the class shares its maps and then the class can discuss whether or not they ended up seeing each land form previously talked about in class in a map or if they left some out.

Assessment: The teacher will grade the students' work based on the performance expectations. The project will be worth 30 points and a certain number of points will be allotted for each performance expectation.

Example:

-The student named his/her country and wrote it in black ink:

2 1 0

-The student included at least five different land forms on his/her map and named them in black ink:

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

-The student included a compass rose on his/her map and labeled North, South, East, and West:

5 4 3 2 1 0

-The student included at least four major cities designated by large black dots and a capital designated by a star and named them in black ink:

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0

-The student colored his/her map neatly with colored pencils (inside the lines, light enough names of cities and land forms can be read):

3 2 1 0

Adaptation/Consideration: Keep in mind that this lesson may take more than one class period for students to complete their work. Allow more time if needed. The teacher may want to draw a large compass rose on the chalkboard so that students will know how to label it. Make sure plenty of examples are available for the students. The teacher may want to have an aid circulating throughout the room during this project to help (this is a very engaging project and some students may need a little more help getting started). Make sure students have available their list of land forms and definitions (written in a journal a previous class period) to look to for help.

Reference:

West Blvd. Aiding experience, Fifth Grade

Myself