Title – Important U.S. Landmarks

By – Jennie Wang

Primary Subject – Social Studies

Grade Level – 1

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Standards:

• 113.3.b.5 Geography. The student understands the purpose of maps and globes.
  (B) The student is expected to locate places of significance on maps and globes such as the local community, Texas, and the United States.

Learning Objectives:

• The students will locate important locations.
  
• The students will obtain knowledge about Texas.
  
• The students will identify in which state landmarks are located.

List of materials needed:

• worksheets
• whiteboard
• pictures of landmarks
• markers
• tape
• pencils

Pre-Activity Preparations:

• Get pictures of landmarks.
• Write the names of the states where these landmarks are located on different parts of the board.
• Research the landmarks so that you can tell student about each one.

Transition:

• None is needed until the middle of the lesson.

Establishing Set/Motivation/Introduction:

“Today I will be teaching you about the important landmarks of the United States. I also have a surprise for you, but only if the WHOLE class behaves.

Learning Experiences/Presentation/Procedure:

1. “Today I will be teaching you about the important landmarks of the United States and also some fun facts about those places.”
   
2. First, ask the students if they know what a landmark is.
   
3. Explain that a landmark is a building or other place that is of outstanding historical or cultural important, often declared as such and given a special status ordaining its preservation by some authorizing organization
   
4. Ask “Has anybody in here ever been to an important landmark?”
   
5. Show one of the pictures to the students and ask if anybody knows what it is; where it is.
   
6. Then tell them what it is and where it is located and its significance.
   
7. Pick on a student to come up to the board and tape the picture under the state it is located. (Also have a map of the U.S. and show them where the states are.)
   
8. Repeat until you have done step 5, 6, and 7 for all the pictures.
   
9. When you are finished, give them the worksheet (that you make on your own with the pictures that you have).
   
10. Tell them to write (under the picture) the state that the landmark is located in.
    
11. Give them about 15 minutes to finish this assignment.
    
12. When they are done pick up all the papers and call on groups to line up. (This part of the lesson can only be done if you have a map of the United States painted on the playground. You can improvise if you like.)
    
13. Play a game where you yell out the landmark and the students run to the state. (Warn them that if they don’t be careful and they start pushing, that we will end the game and go inside.)

Closure:

• Review: “What is a landmark? What is the importance of [each landmark]? Why are landmarks important?”
• Go over your worksheet.

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Jennie Wang

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