Social Studies

April 25, 2015

Geography: The 7 continents

Grade 2

3 class periods

I.

Intended Student Outcomes/ Objectives

A) Students will identify and name the seven continents on a given blank
map of the world. 85% accuracy will be achieved on this activity.
B) Students will create a poster showing the seven continents on a cut out
world in correct location in which the continent is located. 85%
accuracy will be achieved on this activity/assessment.
C) Students will teach a short lesson to the rest of the class about a given
continent and answer questions including the following: the name of the
continent, how many people live there, do you think its warm or cold
there, etc. All students must participate in the preparation and
presentation of this small group activity.
1) Geography, Maine State Learning Results: Students will know how to
construct and interpret maps and use globes and other geographic tools
to locate and derive information about people, places, regions, and
environments.

II.

Preparation

A) Materials1) Student materials: World maps (blank), pencils, poster paper, markers,
crayons.
2) Teachers materials: Worksheets, Smart Board/power point, teach us a
lesson group worksheets, blank maps, maps with continents listed, laptop,
and computer lab.
B) Need to do ahead of time1) Print enough maps of the continents (blank and regular) so each group has
one and each student can take one home; print off the blank activity
worksheet for students to complete, set up the Smart Board with the short
presentation on the seven continents and brief information about each one,
reserve the computer lab for the next class period, and break students into
seven small groups.
III. Body of the lesson
A) Introduction/setting the stage for learning
1. I will start the lesson by showing a brief power point on the Smart Board of
the seven continents and some brief, general information about each one.
Next, I will hand out the blank world worksheet where students will need to
complete the map, on their own, correctly labeling each continent. I will then
explain the poster project that they will be completing individually both in
class and if they dont finish, at home. Finally, I will tell the students about
the upcoming trip to the computer lab to research the seven countries in our
small groups. I will explain the teach me a lesson activity they will be

completing and the information they will need to find to present to the rest of
the class while in the computer lab.

B) Procedure and Closure

1) First, students will gather in the front of the classroom to watch the short power
point presentation on the smart board about the seven continents and some brief
information about each one. Next, I will have students go back to their seats and
explain the next activity we will be completing, which is the continent labeling
worksheet. Students will complete this sheet on their own and will have 10-15
minutes to do so. They will then pass the worksheet in and must achieve 85%
accuracy in order to not have to stay in at recess and re-learn the information and
re-do the activity sheet correctly. Students will then be given the information about
their poster assignment they will need to complete for the following Monday. This
will be a small poster and the students must simply use the cutout of the world I
provided, then cut out the seven continents in which I have already printed out for
them; they will color them and make them their own, but the most important part is
students putting the continents in the proper location on the world map. There is
no room for error with this project and there shouldnt be any as the students have
just learned this material in class. 100% accuracy should be achieved here. For the
last 30 minutes of class, students will be given all the materials they need and will
be able to start working on their poster. Anyone who doesnt finish the poster in
class will need to finish it at home for class next Monday. When students arrive the

next day, I will split them up into small groups (of 3-4 students) and explain the
teach me a lesson assignment. For this, each small group will receive a continent
that they will need to research given information about and present this knowledge,
in a way of their choice, to the rest of the class. With 28 students, each group of 4
students will have a different continent to present. Once I give out the questions
about the continents the students must answer, we will go to the computer lab for
20 minutes to allow them to do the research needed. When we return to class, the
groups will decide how they will present their findings to the class next week and
create a drawing of the continent they are presenting. The students will be graded
on this assignment, but grades will be based on participation in the group,
presentation of the information, and creativity and overall appeal of their project.

IV. Evaluation/ Assessment

For the assessment, students will create a poster showing the seven continents, using a cut
out of the world for the background. Students must cut out the continents, color them in,
label them, and place them in the proper place on the world. 85% accuracy will be
achieved on this activity/assessment.
A)
1.
2.
3.
4.

Assessment with rubric

Name 5%
Accuracy of placement of continents on world 60%
Continents are correctly labeled 20%
Eligibility of handwriting 5%

5. Overall appeal and neatness of poster 10%

6. For a total possible points of 100%

V. Modifications/ Differentiation
A) D/I left/ right brained - Smart Board is used for those students who favor
demonstrated instruction while my brief verbal introduction of the seven continents and
their general information favors those left brained folks that prefer verbal instruction.
B) M/I- The maps are great manipulatives for the students to see and use in class
and at home. The group work teach us a lesson activity gets them up and working
together to get the cooperative learning going. The self-work of the labeling worksheet and
poster project is geared towards the students who learn best by not working with others,
but alone.
C) L/S & V/A/K- Visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners will all do very well with
this lesson, as it connects to all of them. Visual learners will have the Smart Board
examples, the worksheets, and the maps. The auditory learners will have my brief intro
lecture and the answering of any questions during the worksheets/activities, and the
kinesthetic learners will be up and moving around in the groups.
D) I/P- The students will be learning about the seven continents prior to the given 3
class periods we will be working on it. They will also be completing the poster project
which will help them gain a greater understanding of each continents location a little
deeper; each student will have more than ample time to fully understand the continents
and how they are laid out.

E) I/R- Whole class, small group, and independent work. Teacher interaction and
teacher check-ins. Connecting with existing interests/knowledge; list the different
countries students have been to or where they would like to go someday. Also, with
learning where the continents are located on the map of the world, they will use previous
knowledge of maps and connect the new and past information.

VI. Reflection
A) I think this lesson should go very smoothly. The students all enjoy watching
Smart Board presentations and most of the students seem to work very well in
group settings. As they will be going through the halls to get to the computer lab,
keeping noise levels down is very important and they tend to do very well with
that. Students know the expectations I have for them and know what level of
work is expected in order to achieve the grades they want and deserves. They
will have ample time in class and at home to complete their work as well as
asking me any questions they may have on the material. Overall, I think this
lesson should go very smoothly and create a high level of understanding
amongst the students.