Midwest Comparison

Lesson 14

Name: Lauren Brenner, Kelli Cross, Taylor WoodruffTime Allotted: 65 Min.

Grade Level:4thSubject: Social Studies

Materials Required:

  • Region Feature Analysis Chart
  • Venn Diagram packet (1 per student)
  • Region Features Analysis Chart
  • Family Feud: Midwest and West PowerPoint
  • Beach Ball with questions
  • Masking Tape
  • Midwest and Southwest Fact Sheets
  • Menu Board
  • Menu Board Rubric

Michigan Content Expectations:

4 – G2.0.2 Compare human and physical characteristics of a region to which Michigan belongs (e.g., Great Lakes, Midwest) with those of another region in the United States.

Objective:

  • Objective 1: The students will compare human and physical characteristics of the Midwest with other regions in the United States so that they can create a project where they compare 10 physical and human characteristics, where at least three are human characteristics, of the Midwest with those of another region where they get at least 3 out of 4 on the rubric.

Assessment:

  • Objective 1 Informal Formative Assessment: The students will pair and share two characteristics of the South, each partner sharing different characteristics. If they could share four different characteristics total, give the teacher a thumbs up.
  • Objective 1 Formal Formative Assessment: During “10 questions” students will write down what they think the answer is. Lauren and Kelli will check to see which students get the answer correct. If Lauren notices a clear struggle on a certain concept, she will revisit it with the class. Kelli will be coming up with data to split the class into three homogenous groups for centers.
  • Objective 1 Formal Interim/Summative Assessment: The students will create a project where they compare the Midwest with another region. They may pick any project from the menu board to complete and must include at least 10 human and physical characteristics from the regions, with at least 3 being human characteristics. To be proficient the student must earn 3 out of 4 on the rubric.

We will generate data from the formative assessment to generate homogenous groupings for centers so students who are highly proficient are together and students who are struggling are together. We will also generate data from the summative assessment to show if any concept needs to be explored more before the final summative assessment to the unit so that students can be proficient on the final summative assessment. Students will have the option of redoing this summative assessment if they have not met the minimum level of proficiency on it. First the students who have not met the level of proficiency will meet with the teacher to review misconceptions about the regions and compare them. The students will have one week from the time of meeting to finish their assessment.

Instructional Procedure:

  1. Anticipatory Set: (5 Min)
  2. To grab the student’s attention at the beginning of the lesson, we will be showing this YouTube video:
  3. This video is an overview of the 5 regions of the United States. This video will get the students thinking about all 5 regions together, which prepares them for this lesson.
  4. Kelli is going to provide an overview of the previous lessons, explaining that as a class we have learned about human and physical characteristics of the 5 regions in depth. She will tell the students they will be using the information we learned about the 5 regions and using the information to complete today’s lesson.
  5. In today’s lesson we will be comparing human and physical characteristics of our home region, the Midwest, to the other 4 regions of the United States. Once we have compared all 4 regions to the Midwest, we will work on the final assessment. The final assessment will be choosing 1 region and comparing it to the Midwest, and you will select one way to display the comparisons from the menu board option.
  6. The students will be respectful to their classmates and the teachers throughout the entire class period.
  7. The students will be actively engaged throughout the entire class period.
  8. The students will be creative, challenge themselves, and think out of the box.
  1. State Purpose and Objective of Lesson: (1 Min)
  2. We want the students to learn how to compare different regions to each other. We also want them to learn about how the region they live in is both similar and different from the other regions of the United States.
  3. This is important for the students to learn because they need to be aware of the many similarities and differences of the human and physical characteristics of the United States. This is important because the United States is a very diverse country, but it is our home country and we need to be aware of the diversity.
  4. This lesson connects to all of the prior social studies lesson. In the last 5 lessons, the students were identifying human and physical characteristics of each of the 5 regions of the United States. These lessons prepared them for this lesson because they are taking the information they learned from the previous lessons and applying it to this lesson. This relates to our theme of “There’s No Place Like Home” because the students will be looking at their home region, the Midwest, and comparing it to another region of the United States to see how their home region is unique compared to the other regions.
  1. Instruction: (45 Min total)
  2. Direct Interactive Instruction:
  3. The teachers will model comparing the Midwest with another region and then facilitate centers for students to compare the Midwest with other regions.
  4. The students will work as a class, independently, and in small groups to compare the Midwest with other regions and create a project where they compare the Midwest with one region.
  5. Modeling: (20 Min)
  6. (1) Semantic Feature Analysis:Pass out the Region Feature Analysis Chart (see page 10) Tell students, “you will have five minutes to complete the chart to the best of your ability based on the lessons we have learned about the regions. The regions are on the left column and the features are across the top. Who can remember what we do in the boxes?” Call on a student to explain. Make sure they understand that they will put a plus sign (+) if the region and feature match up and a minus sign (-) if they do not. After five minutes, complete the chart on the board as a class. Call on various students to explain why they either put a plus or minus in the box.
  7. (Objective 1 Informal Formative Assessment) Taylor will lead the students by instructing them to pair and share with a partner two characteristics of the West, so that they share four different characteristics. Ask them to give a thumbs up if they have shared four different characteristics. If there are multiple students who do not give a thumbs up, give them one more minute or call on a few students to share some of the characteristics they discussed.
  8. Pass out the Venn diagrams to the students and instruct them to fill them out during the lesson with the Midwest region on one side and the region we are discussing on the other side. We will be comparing the Midwest with the Southeast as a class and then comparing the Midwest with the other regions at centers. They should fill it out so that they have at least five characteristics on each side for each Venn diagram and at least one in the middle. Instruct the students that it may be helpful to get out their “Physical and Human Characteristic Worksheet” they completed in the previous lessons.
  9. First as a class, we will be comparing the Midwest with the South. Taylor will model, Lauren will assist, and Kelli will observe. Tell the students “We are going to play ‘10 Questions’ where I will be thinking of a physical or human characteristic in the Midwest or the Southeast and you can ask “yes or no” questions to figure it out. When you think you know it, write it down on a piece of paper and give a thumbs up. (Objective 1 Formal Formative Assessment) Lauren and Kelli will come check it. At the end of 10 questions, you all will write down what you think it is.” Kelli will be observing which students are proficient and which are struggling so that she can create homogenous groups for centers. After 10 questions, Lauren will write the characteristic on the board in a Venn diagram which will have Midwest on one side and Southeast on the other and tally the number of questions they have asked.
  10. Taylor will pick these characteristics in order. Do as many as possible in five minutes.
  11. Soybeans (Midwest)
  12. Mississippi River (Both)
  13. Cotton (Southeast)
  14. Plains (Midwest)
  15. The Whitehouse (Southeast)
  16. Four seasons (Both)
  17. Disneyworld (Southeast)
  18. Ask “what else belongs in this chart that you have learned about?” Call on students to come up to the board and write more characteristics so that there are at least five in each circle.
  19. Guided Practice: (30 Min [10 Min per center])
  20. At the beginning of each center we will ask if any students have been to that region and allow them to share about their experience for the first minute.
  21. Center Northeast: Students will work with Taylor comparing the Midwest with the Northeast. The students will be passing a beach ball to each other. The beach ball will have multiple human and physical characteristics from the Midwest and the Northeast region written around it. When the student catches the ball, they will look at the placement of where their thumb is on the beach ball. They will then determine whether or not the characteristic is human or physical, and then place it in either the Northeast or Midwest region on their Venn Diagram.
  22. Center Southwest:The students will work with Lauren comparing the Midwest and the Southeast.
  23. For this center, students will be split into partners to complete an activity.
  24. Within the activity, partners will create a compare and contrast Venn diagram on the floor using tape.
  25. Partners will be given 15 different cards with statements on them regarding the Midwest and Southwest region
  26. Directions for the activity are as follows:
  27. Students are to make a Venn diagram on the floor using tape.
  28. After creating their Venn diagram, students will be given 15 statement cards that relate to the Midwest and/or the Southwest region.
  29. Using these cards, students are to determine what category the statement falls under: Midwest, Southwest, or Both.
  30. Once all students have completed their Venn Diagram, we will come together as a class to discuss which statement belongs in which category
  31. Once we have all agreed on where the statement belongs, students will write down all of the information on their Venn diagrams.
  32. During this activity, students may finish early when completing their Venn Diagram with a partner and when writing it down all of the information on their own personal Venn diagram. If this happens, students are to write down more facts that they remember about the Southwest and Midwest on their own personal Venn Diagram.
  33. Center West: Students will work with Kelli comparing the Midwest with the West. They will play “Family Feud.” The group will be divided into two teams who will compete during the game and Kelli will keep track of their points on a piece of paper. They will fill out their Venn diagram during the game and be allowed time between questions to complete it.
  1. Independent Practice: (5 Min)
  • Kelli will lead the students. (Objective 1 Formal Interim/Summative Assessment) Students will work individually to create a project where they compare the Midwest with another region. They can pick any project from the menu board to complete. They will have time in class tomorrow and may take it home if needed.
  1. Differentiated Consideration
  • Multiple Intelligences weaved throughout the lesson to meet the needs of all types of learners:
  • Visual-Spatial: The students will be sorting physical and human characteristics into the charts in one of the centers. There is also a YouTube video that will be shown at the beginning of the lesson. The students who learn through visual-spatial awareness will benefit in multiple ways during this lesson as well as in the assessment.
  • Bodily-kinesthetic: The students who are able to learn best through movement will thrive during the center with the beach ball activity. This is a very hands-on center that has the students passing the ball back and forth to each other. They will also benefit from the transitions between centers to keep them moving and out of their seats.
  • Musical: The students will be given the option to create a song or poem when completing their assessment of the comparisons between the Midwest and another region. The video at the beginning will also be beneficial to these students because it is visual and incorporates music.
  • Interpersonal: When the students are in their center work they are given the option to work with their groups to find information out about the northeast region. Discussion throughout the lesson is also another form of interpersonal interaction for the students.
  • Intrapersonal: The students will have an option to work alone during the centers if they wish. They are also to work independently on the menu board assessment.
  • Linguistic: For the linguistic learners, the use of the Family Feud game will benefit them. They will be able to apply their knowledge of the regions using the game and words.
  • Logical -Mathematical: The objective for this lesson is to have the students identifying the patterns and relationships between the Midwest and another region. The student who learns through logical or mathematic will benefit from this lesson because they are able to think critically to compare the regions.
  • Our assessment menu board integrates all multiple intelligences to ensure students are able to express their knowledge of the regions in a way that best fits their learning style.
  • If a student finishes early during centers and they have written down all human and physical characteristics for the regions they will be asked to draw pictures of the human and physical characteristics on their Venn Diagram.
  • All teachers in the classroom will be leading a center; therefore we will be able to identify the students who might be struggling during the centers. We will take that time to work independently with the student during the centers.
  • All students will be broken up into center groups based on their proficiency and understanding during the 10 questions game. These groups will be homogeneous.
  1. Closure: (4 Min)
  2. Lauren will lead the students. Today, students have been able to compare and contrast the Midwest region with other regions in the United States (Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, and West)
  3. Students are to share with a partner two things that they appreciate about the Midwest.
  4. Once everyone has finished talking with a partner, students will have an opportunity to share with the class one thing that they appreciate about the Midwest.
  5. Students, thank you for your learning today! Our learning today connects to our Unit of “There’s No Place Like Home” because we have looked at our home region (the Midwest) and compared it to the other regions of the United States (Southwest, Southeast, Northeast, and West) to see how unique how home truly is.
  1. References:

Benevides, L. A Comparison of the West and Midwest Regions of the USA. Retrieved November 16, 2014, from

Bower,B., Lobdell,J., & Teachers' Curriculum Institute. (2003). Social studies alive!: Regions of our country. Palo Alto, CA: Teachers' Curriculum Institute.

García,J.R., & Silver Burdett Ginn (Firm). (1997). Regions and resources: Teaching guide 4. Parsipanny, NJ: Silver Burdett Ginn.

How Stuff Works. (2014). Northeast region population density. Image. Retrieved from

Mdk12.org (2014).Geographic Characteristics. Retrieved from

National Geographic. (January, 2009). New Hoover Dam. Retrieved from

NW Okie & Sadie. (2012). The Okie Legacy. Image. Retrieved from

Power, Caroline. (2013). The Northeast Region of the US. YouTube. Retrieved from

Primary Facts. (June, 2013). Colorado River Facts. Retrieved from

Social Studies Alive: Regions of Our Country. (2003). Palo Alto, CA. Teacher Curriculum Institute.

Stopera,M. (n.d.). 100 Incredible Views Out Of Airplane Windows.

U.S. Department of Commerce.(2013). Census Data Mapper. Retrieved from

Vesco. Midwest Region Song.

Zane Education. (2010). The North East States: Location and physical features. YouTube. Retrieved from