Researching the North Carolina coastal plain

This lesson plan will provide students with a more in-depth knowledge of the animals, industry, and land geography of the coastal plain. Students will conduct research on the internet and in other resources to find information on the vital parts of the coastal plain. The lesson culminates with group presentations of their research and a Venn diagram developed individually comparing the outer and inner parts of the coastal plain.

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

By Ana Sanders and Heather Ennis

About the authors

My name is Heather Ennis, and I am an Assistant Principal at Four Oaks Elementary School in Four Oaks, NC. I am in charge of Curriculum and Instruction at our school. I have taught the fifth and fourth grades, and I have had several experiences with English Language Learners in my own classroom and as an administrator. I participated in the workshop entitled English Language Development Standard Course of Study Lesson Planning Institute where I became more aware and knowledgeable about lesson planning and the English Language Learner’s modifications.

My name is Ana Milazzotto Sanders. I have been teaching English as a Second Language for five years at Four Oaks Elementary School. Besides the pull-out program, I have been developing ESL Inclusion classes.I taught Portuguese as a Second Language for about fifteen years at the Graded School (an American school in Brazil). I have a Master’s degree in Education with a focus in ESL from Michigan State University. I have been trained for Reading Recovery, and I am working now on my AIG (gifted and talented) certification. I am a natural advocate for the English Language Learners, and I fight for quality instruction for them and have high expectations of my students. They can be very successful when they break the language barrier walls down. I participate in the training of new ESL teachers in our county as well as some mainstream teachers for ESL modifications.

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Related pages

• Homegrown Handmade: Culture and agriculture come together on these unique “agri-cultural” trails which can be found in 72 North Carolina counties.
• Blue Ridge Parkway: Contains information about various cultural, natural, and recreational resources located along this beautiful and historical roadway.
• In full bloom: This mini-unit uses the wonderful story of Miss Rumphius by Barbara Clooney. Miss Rumphius travels to faraway places and makes the world more beautiful by planting her favorite seeds. The book sets the stage for activities relating to core curriculum objectives to be implemented into the learning environment, using technology tools and applications to create student products.

Related topics

• Learn more about North Carolina, biology and life science, geography, science, and social studies.

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• use research skills and strategies to find information.
• select important information to be shared in the oral presentations.
• learn more in-depth information about the North Carolina coastal plain.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

5 days

Materials/resources

• Materials for the students to create a visual presentation for their part of the research, i.e., markers, posterboard, crayons, construction paper, typing paper, magazines with the pictures related to the Coastal Plain theme. Notebook paper, pencil and guideline for research located as an attachment at the bottom of this lesson.
• KWL chart. The chart is a graphic organizer used to brainstorm what children know, what they want to know, and at the end of lesson what they have learned. See the LEARN NC Education Reference for more information about the KWL chart.
• Venn diagram. This is a graphic organizer that allows students to compare and contrast the topic. See the LEARN NC Education Reference for more information about Venn diagrams.
• Rubric. A rubric is an authentic assessement used to measure students’ progress. See the LEARN NC Education Reference for more information about rubrics and links to online rubrics.
• Resource materials about the coastal plain:
  • Blaxland, Beth (2002). Water Worlds: Sea Shores. Broomall, PA: Chelsea House Publishers.
  • Jennings, Terry (1998). Coasts and Islands. Parsippany, NJ: Silver Burdett Press.
  • Lye, Keith (1997). Our World: Coasts. Silver Budett Press.
  • Schulz, Andrea (1994). North Carolina. Lerner Publications Co.

Technology resources

Computer lab with internet access for all students.

Pre-activities

Students already should have an overall understanding of the coastal plain and North Carolina’s regions. This basic knowledge should have been acquired through partner reading of the North Carolina textbook chapter on the coastal plain. The class discuss the vocabulary words together.

Review research strategies for the internet and library.

Teacher will draw a KWL chart (refer to the definition and website listed above) on the board and ask the students to draw one in their notebook. The teacher will review with students what a KWL is: K for What do I already know?; W for What do I want to learn?; and L for What have I learned? Teacher will facilitate brainstorm about what the students already know and teacher write on the chart and students copy on their own chart. After the class has explored all of their prior knowledge about the coastal plain, then move on to the W part of the chart (want to know). Teacher will facilitate the second part of the brainstorm asking students what would they like to know about the coastal plain. Write the students’ questions on the chart. At the end of the completed lesson, the teacher should go back to the chart with the students to review what they have learned.

Activities

1. Divide the class into two groups (inner and outer coastal plain). Within the two groups, divide students into smaller groups of three or four. These groups should be heterogenous with English Language Learners and Native English Speakers. Each group will be responsible for researching a specific aspect of the coastal region (animals, industry, geography).
2. First, the students will receive the guidelines for note taking. Next, the students will use the websites provided to complete their research and/or visit the library for other resources.
3. After the research, each group will prepare their oral presentation for the entire class. All members should have a part to present. English Language Learners have the option of presenting in a way that they will feel confortable, as mentioned in the modifications above.The oral presentation should also have posters demonstrating visuals of their aspect of the Coastal Plain. Also the teacher may provide a guideline for the students to follow, i.e. ten facts about coastal plain animals, show at least one type of job/industry, tell five reasons why the coastal plain is important.
4. The students will present their research products to the class. Visuals should be posted in the room at this time to help with the creation of the Venn diagram until the lesson is completed.
5. The students will create a Venn diagram (referred to the definition and website listed above) in order to compare and contrast the inner and outer coastal plain according to the presentations.

Assessment

Teacher will use the rubric. For additional assessments consider having the students do a peer rubric on the presentation or self-evaluation rubric.

Supplemental information

Modifications

• Vocabulary should be mastered by English Language Learners student before the lesson with use of pictures and/or picture dictionary.
• Peer buddy in the cooperative group.
• Provide magazines for the English Language Learners student in order for them to cut out pictures for their part of the presentation.(optional)
• Teacher should use simple vocabulary during the creation of the KWL chart in order to make it comprehensible to the English Language Learners student.
• Oral group presentation is optional to the Novice High English Language Learners student.(English Language Learners student will participate, but the speaking part needs to be optional in front of the whole class or should be to the peer partner and/or teacher.)
• Venn diagram creation should be labeled with pictures/drawing and simple words/sentences for English Language Learners students.
• The rubric for the Venn diagram should demonstrate some comprehension of the presentations and research through the drawings/pictures/simple sentences and words.

Alternative assessments

The English Language Learners student should be able to present a part of the group’s presentation either in front of the whole class or to their partner and/or teacher.

The Venn diagram can have pictures and drawings that demonstrates a general understanding of the difference and similarities between the inner and outer coastal plains region.

A separate rubric that has been developed for Novice High English Language Learners students.

Critical vocabulary

coastal plain, inner, outer, animals, industry, geography, landform, graphic organizer, Venn diagram, rubric

Comments

This lesson plan was developed during the English Language Development Standard Course of Study lesson planning institutes hosted by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction and LEARN NC, June and July, 2004. It includes specific strategies, instructional modifications, and alternative assessments which make this lesson accessible to limited English proficient students. Please note that this lesson has been aligned with the goals and objectives of the N.C. English Language Development standards.