Unit Topic: Geography and Math

Grade: 3

Lesson Topic: New England States and Money

Lesson Objectives:

-Students will be able to complete the state and money questions on the “Traveling Around New England” website.  Specifically, students will be able to answer questions about the 6 New England states and solve subtraction and addition money problems involving decimals.

-Students will be able complete the “Traveling Around New England” handout, in which they fill in the blanks for the states and capitals, keep track of the money spent on souvenirs and how much money is left, write two facts about each state, and color in a blank map of New England.

Instructional Technique:

●       Whole class instruction and discussion

●       Independent work on laptops

●       Turn-and-Talk with a partner

Instructional Materials:

●       Blank map of New England

●       State and capital cards

●       Laptops

●       “Traveling Around New England” Website

●       “Traveling Around New England” Handout

Theoretical Perspective:

It is important for students to learn about the states of New England in an interactive way, rather than simply memorizing facts from a textbook.  It is also important for technology to be incorporated into classroom lessons and to make connections across the curriculum.  By having math problems about money mixed in with U.S. geography questions, it makes learning more meaningful and connected, rather than only learning math in math class.  The website also allows students to research the states by visiting given links throughout their road trip, and the handout packet helps them to remember the information and have it all in one place to reference.

Procedure:

A.    Introductory Activity:

The students had previously learned about the locations of the states of the Northeast Region of the United States and their capitals, and now they will focus on New England, within the region.  They have also been practicing with adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers and coins, which will be incorporated into the lesson.  The teacher will call the students up to gather on the rug and ask them if they can name the individual states in New England.  While looking at a blank map of New England, with each state labeled 1-6, the teacher will call on volunteers to name the states in New England one by one, and the teacher will ask the rest of the class if they agree.  If they are correct, the teacher will give the student the state name card to place on the map.  Students will then share if they have lived or traveled to any of these New England States, and they can share what they know about them.  The teacher will also briefly go over how to set up addition and subtraction problems involving decimals.  The teacher will ask for a volunteer to come up to the board and write out vertically, using the standard algorithm, 100-62.25, and the teacher will ask the class if they agree.  The teacher will highlight to always line up the decimals and add .00 if there is no decimal written.

B.     Step-by-Step:

The teacher will tell the students that they will be working independently on laptops using the “Traveling Around New England” website that they can access on their laptops.  The students will each get a laptop and go back to their desk.  The teacher will hand out the “Traveling Around New England” handout that goes along with the questions on the website and will tell the students that they can begin.  On this website, students will be completing multiple choice questions about the 6 New England States and about money spent on souvenirs.  If students answer a question incorrectly, it will direct them to a page and they will have the opportunity to try again until they get the question correct.  If students answer the question correctly, it will direct them to another page and then they will either move on to the next question or click on a link to learn more information.  As students individually work on this website, they will be filling in the “Traveling Around New England” handout.  On the handout, students will be keeping track of each New England state they visit, the capitals, the amount of money they spend on souvenirs and how much they have left, and two new or interesting facts about that state.  They can use information provided on the website or information on any of the links included on the website.  Also, at the end, students will total up all of the money they spent on their road trip.  They must show their work, and they can use a separate piece of paper if they need more space.  The students will then create an illustration for each New England state on separate index cards The teacher will be walking around the room, observing the students working and answering any questions they may have.  If students finish early, they are encouraged to review their answers and further explore the links on the website.  They can write more facts on a separate piece of paper and can write a story about a character traveling to a New England state and what they do and see there.

C.     Closure:

At the end of the lesson, after all the students have finished the online multiple choice questions and the “Traveling Around New England” handout, students will put their laptops away and come back to the rug with their handouts.  Students will be asked to turn and talk with a partner and talk about strategies they used with subtracting and adding money, a few interesting facts that they learned about the New England states, and explain what state interests them the most.  They can see if they had any of the same facts and can learn new facts from each other.  Then, the students will have the opportunity to share their facts with the whole class.  Then, the teacher will introduce the homework assignment that goes with this lesson and explain how they will be sharing their homework with the rest of the class the next day.

The teacher will explain that next week, the class will be focusing on another area/region of the United States, and by the end of the year, the students will have a folder containing the handout packets with information for all of the states in the United States.

D.    Adaptations for Different Learners:

If a student struggles with reading and writing in English, the teacher may pair them with another student, so the student can learn by listening rather than reading, especially for the external links. This lesson is designed to accommodate students who may not get the answer correct on the first try because they can keep answering the question until they get it right without losing points, which eliminates anxiety that comes along with tests and assignments.  This lesson also accommodates students who tend to finish their work up early because they can explore the websites until everyone is finished, record more facts about the New England states, and work on an extra credit writing assignment.

E.     Homework:

Students will randomly be assigned one of the six New England States, and they will have to create a mini poster about this state.  The poster must include the state’s name, it’s capital, a drawing to represent the state, and at least two facts about the state (one of the facts must include the state’s nickname).  Students can use their “Traveling Around New England” handouts and the “Traveling Around New England” website to help them complete this homework assignment.

The next class, students will be sharing their mini posters with other students who were assigned the same state as them.  They will compare their posters, the choice of illustration, and the facts, and then they will have a gallery walk in which they see everyone else’s posters.

Extra Credit Enrichment Activity:

Students will plan and write a story about a character traveling to a New England state of their choice and what they do and see there.  They must include facts about the state, its history, the attractions there, and landmarks to visit, along with making up their own prices for at least three souvenirs the character will buy and the total cost.  Students must include facts relevant to the state and be thorough, descriptive, and creative.

Evaluation:

A.    The first objective is:

-Students will be able to complete the state and money questions on the “Traveling Around New England” website.  Specifically, students will be able to answer questions about the 6 New England states and solve subtraction and addition money problems involving decimals.

The teacher will document successful completion of this objective by circulating around the room, watching how students approach the questions and the websites.  A completed handout will also show that the online multiple choice activity was completed because it directly goes along with the multiple choice questions.

The second objective is:

-Students will be able complete the “Traveling Around New England” handout, in which they fill in the blanks for the states and capitals, keep track of the money spent on souvenirs and how much money is left, write two facts about each state, and color in a blank map of New England.

The teacher will document successful completion of this objective by collecting the “Traveling Around New England” handouts the next day and making sure that they are complete and accurate.

B.     Some concerns about teaching this lesson are that I worry that some students will rush through the online questions and simply click options until they get the correct answer, without remembering or understanding the answer.  Another concern is that I worry that the internet will not be working, which will impact the teacher’s ability to carry out the lesson. A backup idea for this lesson could be using a printed out, paper copy of the website’s questions and then go over the questions together as a class when everyone is finished.