LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Finding Your Way In North Carolina

Students will become familiar with the regions and local features of North Carolina and be able to write directions for others to find these features on a map.

A lesson plan for grade 4 English Language Arts and Social Studies

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

  • locate the three regions of North Carolina on a map.
  • locate features on a map of North Carolina using a Compass Rose.
  • write directions for other student groups to locate features on a North Carolina map.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

1 Hours

Materials/resources

One two-pocket folder for each cooperative group, large blank map of North Carolina for each cooperative group, Compass Rose drawing for each cooperative group, pencils, glue, markers, crayons, North Carolina History textbook, handout for each group with directions for locating selected North Carolina features.

Technology resources

None

Pre-activities

Use prior knowledge of communities to help students understand the abstract concept of “state”. Use map of United States to show students their state is part of the nation, United States of America. Discuss why it is important to learn to use a map as a resource. Help them name ways that the use of a map has relevance for them. Review how to work in cooperative groups and how to use the two-pocket folder.

Activities

Activity 1:

Student cooperative groups will get their two-pocket folder. Student Reader will read the activity to the group. Student cooperative groups are to use their North Carolina History text to label the three regions of North Carolina on their large group map. Student Artist will write in the names of the three regions as instructed by the group. Cooperative groups can lightly color each of the three regions. Student Recorder will fold large group map and place it in their folder.
Activity 2:
Student Reader will read the activity to the group. Student cooperative groups will use their Compass Rose, North Carolina History text and the following handout to locate features on their large group map of North Carolina.
  • Atlantic Ocean (body of water east of the Coastal Region)
  • Great Smoky Mountains (mountain range in the Mountain Region)
  • Raleigh (state capital, located in the Piedmont Region)
  • Charlotte (largest North Carolina city, located in the Piedmont Region)
  • Asheville (city in the Mountain Region)
  • Wilmington (city in the Coastal Region)

Student Artist will label the features for the cooperative group. Student Recorder will fold the large group map and place it in the group folder.

Activity 3:
Student Reader will read the activity to the group. Student cooperative group will generate a list of at least five locations for other student groups to find on their large group map of North Carolina using direction words from the Compass Rose (i.e. It is a city east of Asheville and located in the Coastal Region.) Student Recorder will write the list of location questions. Student Reader will read their list of location questions and see if they can use the directions to find the locations on their own map. Once they are satisfied that their location questions are good, Student Recorder will place them in the answer pocket.
Activity 4:
Teacher will give lists from Activity 3 to cooperative groups and no group should get its own list. Cooperative groups will use location questions to practice locating the places on their large group map. Teacher will circulate to monitor their progress using location questions to find places on their large map. After all groups have had an opportunity to practice locating the features on the large group map, the teacher will call “time” and tell students to get ready for a large group activity. Student Recorder will place large group map in the group folder. Teacher will take up location questions and give them to groups which generated them in Activity 3. Student Recorders will place questions in answer pocket of group folder.
Group Activity:
Teacher will call out some location questions and randomly select students from various teams to answer for game points. Each team will record points their team members answered correctly. Hopefully, this type game will not only reinforce map concepts but will also show how cooperative groups need to work together to learn.

Assessment

The activities in this lesson will be evaluated on the basis of student participation individually and within their cooperative groups. Cooperative group folders contain the directions for completing each group activity. The activities placed in the answer pocket will be graded. Each cooperative group will be encouraged by the teacher as they proceed through the activities. The teacher will serve as facilitator and guide as they proceed through the activities. Each student will receive a daily grade of 100 if they participate with their group appropriately. Completion of the four activities with a cooperative group yields a test grade. Each activity will be evaluated as follows:

Activity 1:

If the large group map has the three regions of North Carolina labeled correctly, each group member will receive 10 points.

Activity 2:
Each correctly labeled feature on the large group map is worth 5 points for each group member. A perfect score for Activity 2 would be 30 points.
Activity 3:
Each location question generated by a cooperative group is worth 10 points. A perfect score on Activity 3 is 50 points.
Activity 4:
If a cooperative group used another group’s location questions to practice map skills, each member of the group should receive 10 points.
Large group closure activity:
Each team member should score an extra credit bonus point for questions answered by their team members.

Supplemental information

None

Related websites

N/A

Comments

This lesson requires two 45 minute sessions. The lesson plan is from the collection of the Tried *n* True lesson plans from the Department of Public Instruction.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: The learner will apply the five themes of geography to North Carolina and its people.
    • Objective 1.01: Locate, in absolute and relative terms, major landforms, bodies of water and natural resources in North Carolina.

English Language Arts (2004)

Grade 4

  • Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.
    • Objective 4.02: Use oral and written language to:
      • present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner.
      • discuss.
      • interview.
      • solve problems.
      • make decisions.
    • Objective 4.03: Make oral and written presentations using visual aids with an awareness of purpose and audience.