Christine
Witt
States and Capitals
Unit
Overview: The
purpose of this unit is to educate students about the regions, states and
capitals that make up the
Standards Addressed:
Standard 5.9 –
Students know the location of the current fifty states and names of their
capitals.
Unit Learning Goals:
Instructional Overview:
This unit is designed to help
students to acquire knowledge of locations and names of regional, state and
capital facts about the
The lessons progressively build on
one another beginning with introducing the students to the basic proper names
of the current states and capitals in the
The purpose of the second lesson is
to help students find ways of remembering the states and their corresponding
capitals. Although, this lesson focuses
on states and capitals, it is designed to teach the skill of using mnemonics
and it is my hope that the students will be able to apply these skills
throughout their education. This lesson
begins with a brief explanation by the instructor but ends up in the computer
lab visiting a website that better explains mnemonics in the context of
learning the states and capitals. The
website is interactive and offers funny animated characters that the students
will surely like. Each student is
responsible for researching at least two states and reporting their findings to
the whole class. Although this is an
individual learning experience, the students will likely learn from one another
when they each get up to explain the memory device they have learned. Moving away from the acquisition of facts,
the next three lesson plans involve more cooperative learning as a means for
students to have a better understanding of the big picture in our
The third lesson involves a group
effort to investigate a specific region.
This lesson gathers students into a group but also requires them to work
individually as they develop their research skills. This particular lesson does not involve the
internet because finding the information using web resources is too easy. This lesson seeks to sharpen research skills
using the encyclopedia and atlas. This
lesson is not the most creative but it is a challenge to make researching the
encyclopedia exciting. The purpose of the
research being conducted this way is to educate students on the specific characteristics
or facts that all states have in common. Over the next two lesson plans,
students will need to gather more information about specific states and by
completing this exercise students will feel comfortable using these text
resources to locate needed information.
At the end of this lesson, students will work together to post their
collective findings on a poster board that will represent their regional
research.
The fourth lesson involves more
state research but this lesson is designed to involve web resources and
different kinds of information. The
students are asked to create a travel pamphlet and are guided by an information
sheet that provides options for students to choose what information they would like
to highlight in their pamphlet. As with
the other lessons, my role is that of facilitator because I provide the
students with the necessary information and guidelines and they are allowed to
interpret, create and explore individually and with groups. The students are given a rubric prior to
creating the pamphlet so that they include basic information but they can be as
artistic and creative as they want.
The last lesson requires the
students to gather in the same regional groups that they were assigned to
during the third lesson. This exercise
ties all of the previous lessons together in that each student will be involved
in creating a radio recording of the highlights of the region that they studied
with their group. This is a fun
cooperative learning exercise and engages students in discussions and making
decisions collectively about how they would like to present their
findings. The students will be provided
with a guidelines regarding time, participation and content but there is plenty
of room for exploration and self-expression.
My instructional strategies for this
entire unit are really guided and I use a lot of direct instruction because of
the nature of the material we are covering.
I have tried to make the unit interesting by allowing for students to
discover information that pertains to them.
For example, they were directed to find fun things for kids to do in
their travel pamphlets. Also, by
recording a radio advertisement about their region, they are required to think
about what is appealing to them and how to make that information sound exciting
to others. It was my intention to allow
for some self expression and creativity in this somewhat dry subject.
Assessment Techniques:
The overall goal of my unit is for
students to acquire knowledge of the regions, states and capital of the
The first exercise in this unit
concentrates on creating flashcards in pairs using mini maps and 3x5 index
cards. The method of assessment that I
selected for this lesson was a checklist and personal communication. The checklist is an appropriate choice of
assessment because I just want to see that the students have completed the task
with their partners. Students are
required to get checked off of a list with their partners indicating that they
have prepared their flashcards appropriately and are ready to begin using them
as study aids. The students know that
they will be swapping decks of flashcards and so they are invested in making
sure that their partner completes the directions correctly. When the students ask to be checked off of
the list, the teacher can visually flip through the cards and communicate with
the students to ask about the completion of the task.
The second lesson involves
researching mnemonic devices to use when learning the states and their
capitals. Students were asked to print
two pages off of the mnemonic website and present them to the entire
class. I chose a checklist and personal
communication as the method of assessment for this lesson and believe that this
is most appropriate for the purpose of this lesson. I wanted students to become familiar with the
website that provides memory aids for all of the fifty states. I will see evidence of students familiarity
with the website when they bring their two pages printed directly from the
site. The other purpose of the lesson
was for students to explain and present the memory aid that they researched to
class because if they can present it, they will most likely remember it. Also, most of the mnemonics are funny and students
are more likely to be interested in the lesson if they are having fun and their
fellow students are saying silly things.
I will see evidence of students the students developing their memory
when they present the mnemonic that they researched. I will communicate with the students prior to
their presentations to clarify any questions they may have regarding the
concept. If they are struggling I can
see this by talking with them prior to and during the presentations.
The third lesson involves students
conducting research on a specific state using encyclopedias. The purpose of this lesson is for students to
become familiar with locating specific profile information about a state. Another component of this lesson is that
students needed to post their profile information on a poster board with their
group. I used a checklist as the method
of assessment for this exercise because although there was some group work, the
majority of the task is individual. I
would not go through and double check all of the profile facts to determine the
comprehension level of the students.
Instead, I would check the students off of a list indicating that the
student completed the assignment individually.
I would also personally communicate with the students to see if the
students understand where they need to go to locate information. In regard to the group work, the students
will be with the same group over the two week unit and I would use a check list
to determine if the students all participating in the cooperative activity.
The fourth lesson involves students
creating a travel pamphlet. The
assessment method that I decided on for this exercise is a primary traits
rubric. The rubric includes four levels
and the traits are compiled of organization, content and presentation. This is an appropriate form of assessment for
this exercise because the students were required to produce a product that has
a complex series of traits. It would be
inappropriate to assess something as good or bad without deciding what makes a
good product prior to students beginning the lesson. The creation of a pamphlet requires the
assessment of quality. The desired components of the product were characterized
and up front so that the students could all know what they had to do to succeed
in getting the most wanted results.
The fifth lesson required the
students to produce a radio advertisement with their group. The purpose of this
exercise is for students to combine the research that they have conducted with
that of their classmates that has been gathered over the duration of the
unit. The students are required to
summarize and chose the most important information to be included in this radio
ad. A primary traits rubric was used as
the method of assessment for this exercise using levels 0-4 and the traits of
organization, content and presentation.
This is an appropriate form of assessment for this task because this
assignment required creating a product that contains many components that all
vary in quality. I will see evidence of
the students’ ability to combine, edit and summarize information based on the
content as specified in the primary traits rubric. The students are also assessed on
presentation and this is important because there are specific characteristics
that need to be included in the delivery of the advertisement.
Authentic Performance
Assessment Instrument: Please see lesson #4
Lesson
Plan #1
Title:
Flash-Cards: Name that State and
Capital
Overview: Students will make flash-cards in pairs
during class to use as study aids over two weeks to learn the names of the
fifty states and capitals and the shape of each state.
Standard:
Time: 1.5
hours/1 day
Behavioral Objectives:
·
TLW
identify the shape of each state in the
·
TLW
label each state shape with the correctly spelled state name and state capital.
·
TLW
create 1 flashcard for each state that includes the state shape, the state name
and the state capital.
·
TLW
identify the location of each state capital and label it with a handwritten
star.
·
TLW
work with a partner to complete this assignment.
Advanced Organizers: The
teacher will prompt students to recall the recent studies about how the
Materials:
This lesson
requires about 150 copies and 50 index cards per student. It is suggested that the teacher write a
letter home asking the parents to donate the 50 index cards for their
students. The instructor should prepare
flash-card making contents packets ahead of time.
Use 2 colors (one color is for capitals
and one color is for states)
FLASHCARD
PACKET CONTENTS: (make these packets
ahead of time so that lots of time is not spent on making sure that students
have all of the handouts that they need)
TEACHER
MATERIALS
Procedures:
1)
The
teacher will introduce students to the
2)
The
teacher will point out the different shapes of the
3)
The
teacher will pair up students and ask them to decide on one person to make
state flashcards and one person to make capital flashcards.
4)
The
teacher will explain that the mini shaded state will pasted on one side of the
index card and will be labeled either states or capitals depending on what the
students have decided is their responsibility.
The partners will swap flashcard decks to take home and practice. Students will be able to recognize a state
shape and identify it with the appropriate state and capital.
5)
Teacher
will explain to students that on the back side of the index card (where the
mini shape is not pasted) the student will label the corresponding state or
capital to the label on the front.
6)
Teacher
will hand out the flash-card making packets and ask students to work with
partner to end up with 50 State Flash-cards and 50 Capital Flash-cards
7)
Teacher
will monitor student’s progress by roaming the classroom and checking for
understanding verbally with partners.
8)
After 1
hour the teacher will ask students to wrap up making their flashcards and to be
checked off of the teacher list with their partners.
Follow-up:
1)
For the
next two weeks, the students will switch decks of flashcards nightly in order
to learn the name of the states and capitals as associated with the shape of
the state. Students will also assist
each other to gain the state/capital knowledge by practicing in class.
2)
Students
will take home a letter to parents asking the parents to participate in
assisting their student in mastering the knowledge of all of the fifty states
and their capitals.
Assessment:
The assessment of
this task is very simple. The teacher is
just checking to make sure that the partners have created the flashcards in the
directed manner. The teacher will use a
check list and check off the partners that have created flash-cards with one
stack of state cards and one stack of capital cards.
Closure:
At the end of the 2
weeks, the students will be asked to label a blank map of the
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Lesson
Plan #2
Title: How to Remember: An Exploration of Mnemonics
Grade: 5th grade and up
Standard:
Time: 2
hours / 1 hour per day
Behavioral Objectives:
Advanced Organizers:
The teacher will
explain how the organization of information by using mnemonic devices can
assist in the ability to recall information and facts like states names and
capitals. The teacher will give examples
of first letter and image mnemonics taken from the website that the students
will be researching. The students will
be making a mnemonic reference book that will be available for all students to
review in class.
Materials:
www.geocities.com/mrjosecanseco/sindex.htm
Procedures:
Day 1:
(1.5 hours) The teacher will assign each student two states
to research on the given website and use a check list to make sure that all of
the states are covered. The teacher will
explain the concept of mnemonics and provide further clarification by using the
hand-out with examples of the four mnemonic devices that are being introduced
in this lesson. The class will take a
trip to the computer lab and the students will research and print their memory
device for the states that they were assigned.
Day 2:
(1.5 hours) The students will cut and paste their memory
aid retrieved from the website (it is a small animation) on ˝ of an 8 ˝ x 11
sheet of construction paper so that their device is ready to place in the state
and capital memory aid book that the teacher is compiling. The students will present their memory aid
orally to the entire class and turn in their pasted pages for insertion into
the book.
Follow-up:
Students will be
encouraged to return to the website at home with parents. Also students can share with one another the
way they have used mnemonic devices found on the website. The teacher can call upon the state and
capital experts over the two week unit for assistance in helping others develop
their memories. Students will be
encouraged to look through the memory aids reference book that we are creating
as a class containing all of the fifty states and capitals.
Assessment:
The teacher will
check for understanding during the brief lecture/explanation of memory aids by
asking them if they can provide an example of what they are learning. The students will be better able to
understand the concept once they have visited the computer lab and have had an
opportunity to view the animated state and capital memory aids.
The students will
orally present the memory aids (2) that they retrieved from the website. The teacher will use a checklist to determine
if the student has completed the task.
The checklist will contain the following items:
1)
The
student orally reported on two assigned states.
2)
The
student is able to explain the memory aid to the students and to classify the
mnemonic as first letter, key word, image or rhyme.
3)
The
student retrieved two memory aids form the given website and has turned them in
to be included in the class reference book.
****************************************************************************************
Lesson
Plan #3
Title: A
Study of the States as Part of Regions
Standard:
Time: 3 hours (1.5 hours per
day)
Overview: This lesson will focus on students retrieving factual
information about a state within a region they are assigned to. The students will not use technological
resources to gather their information, they will use the encyclopedias and
atlases that are available in text form.
The students will be filling out the data on pre-made sheets and posting
them on a poster board with their fellow group mates that are assigned to the
same region.
Behavioral Objectives:
Materials: Encyclopedias, World Atlas,
Poster Board (to post all of the students findings) Worksheet (see attached), glue, construction
paper, blank maps for each group, art supplies (colored pencils, crayons,
markers) for art work, blank and annotated U.S. map available at www.fiftystates.com
Procedures:
Day 1: The
teacher will assign 3-4 students to be in groups that will study the six
regions of the
The regions that
the teacher will use are:
The students will
begin their independent research using the texts that are available in
class. This lesson does not use the
internet to find the information. Students
will be given 1.5 hours to complete their research and art work spread out over
2 days.
Day 2: The
students will be finishing up their research and coming to a close on the
exercise. The teacher will allow the
students 35 minutes to post their research findings on the poster board along
with their shaded map of the region.
Follow-up:
The teacher will
pass out the poster boards with the large title of the region already
attached. The students will place their
state on these boards under the appropriate regions. The teacher will explain that this is the
beginning of our study of the region and that we will soon be creating travel
guides and radio advertisements about the regions we have just discovered. Students should remember the students in
their groups because they will be involved in learning with them over the rest
of the unit.
Assessment:
The assessment
procedure is a check list because this is a worksheet with factual
information. This assessment procedure
is appropriate because the lesson focuses on the students becoming familiar
with retrieving research from a source like and encyclopedia or atlas. This lesson seeks to assess the skill of
researching. The teacher will roam the
class during the research section of the lesson and assist students in locating
the specific information.
The checklist will
be compiled of the following items and the students will be assessed as a group
and individually:
1)
The
state researched is in the assigned region.
2)
The
state profile sheet is completely filled out with correct information.
3)
The
student created 2 pieced of art work from options (flag, bird or flower).
4)
A blank
map is properly shaded in representing the region that the students are
researching.
5)
All of
the students have attached all state profiles to the poster board with the
appropriate information completed.
6)
Students
used text reference books to complete this assignment.
STATE PROFILE INFORMATION
Lesson #3 (sample of information)
STATE NAME:
CAPITAL:
REGION OF THE
POPULATION:
GOVERNOR:
ENTERED
AS THE
STATE MOTTO:
NICKNAME:
FLOWER:
BIRD:
SONG:
SPORTS TEAMS:
GENERAL CLIMATE IN SUMMER:
GENERAL CLIMATE IN WINTER:
BORDERING STATES:
HISTORICAL SITES:
LARGEST CITY:
Please draw two of the three
choices: state flower, state bird, or
state flag.
Lesson
Plan #4
Title:
State Travel Pamphlet
Grade: 5th
and up
Standard:
Time: 3
hours over 2 days/ 1.5 hours each day
Behavioral Objectives:
Advanced Organizers:
The teacher will
introduce the students to actual travel pamphlets from a travel store or AAA to
provide the students with an idea of what they will be creating for their
chosen state. The teacher will also
explain the concept of travel pamphlets and their purpose.
Materials:
Website
resources: www.ipl.org/div/kidspace/stateknow/htm. This website is very useful for the purpose
of this lesson. A state can be chosen
and there are many links to travel sites about the state and travel information
for kids. www.fiftystates.org. This website also
has many links to travel sites for each state.
The teacher should provide these websites
to students at the top of the hand out they will use to gather the information
to create their travel pamphlet.
Prompt:
Teacher will ask
student to pretend that student from other countries will be visiting the U.S.
and will be stopping by our class to pick up travel pamphlet about which states
they should visit. Our class is their
first stop and we really want to give them good information in the travel
pamphlets that we create so that they can make the best choice since they can
not visit all fifty states. The students
will be encouraged to make their pamphlets appealing filled with lots of fun
activities and places to see in each state.
Procedures:
Day 1: (1.5 hours)
The teacher will ask students to gather in the
regional groups that they were assigned to during lesson #3. The students will be asked to review the
states that are in their region with one another and to choose a state to make
a travel pamphlet on that they have not previously researched in their
region. Each student will receive a hand
out with a list of items that can be included in their pamphlet and a primary
traits rubric that they can use in creating their project. The pamphlet and rubric can be copied on one
page and should be given to students prior to the visit to the computer lab.
The students should be given about 1 hour and 10 minutes in the computer lab to
gather their information and fill out their hand-out.
Day 2: (1.5 hours) The teacher will ask the students to get out the
information they gathered the previous day and to get back into their regional
groups. The students will be asked to
begin creating their pamphlet and the teacher will give an example of how a
travel pamphlet is usually folded. The
students will be encouraged to express themselves and to highlight features of
the states that are interesting to them.
The students will be given 1 hour and 15 minutes to create their
pamphlets. The students will then be
asked to display their pamphlet in front of their regional poster board in
preparation for our visit from the foreign students.
Follow-up:
Students will be
given an opportunity to walk around and check out their fellow student’s
pamphlets. Students will also be
encouraged to discuss in their regional groups specific highlights that were
important to them in preparation for their next project. The teacher will explain that the next
regional exercise will call for the groups to create a 5 minute radio
advertisement about their region.
Assessment Instrument:
A primary traits
rubric will be used to assess the student’s performance. Levels 0-3 will be used and the criteria will
be organization, content and presentation. Although the students are working in
regional groups, this task is being assessed on the individual’s performance
because they will be making the pamphlets individually. Please see the attached
rubric for more details.
|
Lesson #4 Traits Rubric |
State Travel Pamphlets
|
|
ORGANIZATION |
CONTENT |
PRESENTATION |
|
LEVEL 3 |
Front page of pamphlet has name of state. Pamphlet is folded neatly like model. All information is indicated by headings Information is written neatly. Correct Spelling throughout pamphlet. |
Contains all of the must include information. Contains more than 5 of the items from the guided list. Contains cited references on back page of pamphlet. Suggests a web reference to find more information about
state. |
Front page of pamphlet is eye catching and the state name is
large. Contains multiple colors throughout pamphlet. Contains more than 2 illustrations/drawings. |
|
LEVEL 2 |
Front page of pamphlet has name of state. Pamphlet is folded like model. Some information has headings. Information is legible. Less than 2 spelling errors. |
Contains all of the must include information. Contains at least 5 of the items from the guided list. Contains at least one cited reference on back page of
pamphlet. |
Front page of pamphlet has state name written large. Contains at least 2 colors throughout pamphlet. Contains less than 2 illustrations/drawings. |
|
LEVEL 1 |
Front page of pamphlet has name of state. Pamphlet is not folded like model Information does not have headings. Information is not legible.
More than 2 spelling errors. |
Contains some of the must include information. Contains less than 5 of the items from the guided list. |