Salem Lesson Plan Format

GRADE/CLASS: Third Grade Social Studies

UNIT TOPIC: Location (Geography)
Desired learning outcome(s):
Students will be able to find absolute and relative locations of places within the local community
and region.
Students will be able to give correct directions to places within the local community and region.
Students will understand the importance of directional words and their affects on peoples
movement in every day life.
I can statement(s):
I can accurately describe the location of a place in the local community.
I can follow directions/directional words to reach a destination
I can find, name and identify specific locations of places within the local community.
Common Core/NC Essential Standard(s):
3.G.1. Understand the earths patterns by using the 5 themes of geography: (location, place,
human-environment interaction, movement and regions).

3. G.1.1Find absolute and relative locations of places within the local community and region.

Learner prior knowledge/learner background experiences:
Students will know and understand what directional words mean and stand for. Students will
have knowledge of the location of places within their community. Students will have already
studied maps and legends and will be able to use them to get to certain places.
Materials and resources needed:
Bandanas
Journals
Pencils
Erasers
Maps (of local area, close in proximity to the school)
Computers
Sticky notes
Teaching strategies:


Engage
Begin the lesson by explaining to students why its important to know the location of
important places within the community (ie. Hospitals, police stations etc.). Then allow
students to partner up and give each pair a bandana. Ask the students to choose which person
will be the direction follower and which will be the giver. The students will decide and then
move to a place taped out on the floor. The students will then be blindfolded. Their partners
job is to give them accurate directions from the taped space on the floor to the door of the
classroom using only their words (no touching). Have students two pairs at a time attempt
this and let the others observe. The students will see how difficult it is to give directions and
will observe that if the person guiding does not give good enough directions they could run
into things like their tables and desks. This gets the students excited to begin talking and
discussing locating specific areas in the community. After this activity let students return to
their seats.
Main instructional strategies
Explore, Explain, Elaborate
At this time give each student an index card. On their index card ask them to give you
directions from the closest fire station to your school. If they dont know where the
closest fire station is allow them to look it up on the local maps provided in the front of
the room. Once each student has gotten the chance to write down their directions have
two or three students share. Students will see the difference in how specific some
peoples directions are and it will also help them to see the importance of knowing where
noted places are in the community. At this point ask students to write down (on the other
side of the notecard) a list of important places they need to know how to locate within the
community. Have students share out their answers after about three or four minutes of
quick write time. As each student calls out a place write it out on the whiteboard. After
introduce students to their new ongoing project. They are to choose one of the specific
places/locations and research it (when it was established the history behind it etc.). Let
them know they will have time later on in the unit to begin their research.
Concluding strategies
Evaluate
After students have chosen their locations and places have them get out their journals and
write what they think they learned about locations of important places in the community,
directions and why they are important to know. This gives students a chance to reflect on
what they did in class and makes them think critically about the activities they did and
why they are important to knowing and understanding location in the community. This is
also a tool the teacher can use for formative assessment to see if the students understood
the lesson. Once students have finished this they are took take a sticky note and write
their chosen location and place it on the teachers side table.

Assessment:
The teacher will use the students journal responses as a formative assessment piece. The teacher
will also use the sticky notes to see where the students will begin their research in the next
lesson.
EC Accommodations/modifications to strategies or assessments:
Students that have ADHD are not required to participate in the blindfold activity if they are
uncomfortable with that idea. They are also able to sit separate from groups in order to keep
distractions to a minimum. The teacher will monitor the class noise level and make sure it is not
too loud.