Date: January 30, 2000

Grade Level(s): 6

Subject(s):

• Interdisciplinary
• Social Studies
• Language Arts/Writing
• Computer Science

Description: Students will be learning about the different characteristics of each state and we will reenact a story that will be read.

Goals: Students will engage in a real-world simulation and use research skills to gather necessary information for decision making purposes.

Objective(s): Students will be able to:

1. use reference, on the computer, specific information on a given state.
2. manipulate a specific state such as in the story being read.
3. describe, to the entire class, the reasons he/she chose to move their state to a different location.
4. creatively write an ending to the class activity that is similar to the ending of the story.

• The 50 states (in a format so the states can come apart and be put back together)
• The Scrambled States of America, Keller
• Computer Lab
• Writing Paper

Anticipatory Set

Tell the students that today's lesson will be a continuation of the unit on the different states of the United States.  Today we will be learning about the different characteristics of each state and we will reenact a story that will be read.

Ask the class if any student has visited another state and what types of characteristics they can remember about that state.  Begin by giving an example.

Introduce, read, and discuss The Scrambled States of America.

Main Activities

Give each student a state from the map.  The students will first figure out which state they have, they may use their textbook, or the map in front of the classroom.  If any student is unable to find the name of his/her state there will be a number on the back of the state, and there will be a paper on the table in the front of the classroom with all the numbers of the states.

Now that the students know the name of their states, explain that they will be doing some research on their state.  While researching the students should be looking for: location, climate of their state, certain characteristics (such as if it is near water, or if it is a desert), and what the state is known for (example: Idaho is known for potatoes).

The class will then go to the computer lab and each student will be allowed to research their state using the given web sites.
This will probably take-up one class period, the closure will continue the next day.

Closure

After everyone has finished researching the given information, ask the class what happened in the story after the party.
(After the party the states switched places)
Have the students look at their research findings and think of a place opposite of their state.
Allow the students to talk to other students and find a state that would be opposite of their state.
The pair of students will then sit beside each other.  Each pair will be allowed to come up to the Velcro board and place their state in their new (switched) location.  Before the two pairs can sit down they must explain to the class why they chose to switch and the findings they found that were opposite of the other state.
When every group is finished sharing about their states, the students will go back to their seats and write (on given paper) an ending to their state's story, such as in the story that was read.

Assessment:

Oral responses from when I asked the class to discuss the story.
The information each student found when researching their state using the computers.
The ability to use other resources to find the name of their state.
How well the students were able to find an opposite state of their state.
Oral responses to the question: "Why did you chose that state to switch with, and what are some characteristics that are opposite of your state?"
Written response to the ending of their story.

References:

Keller, Laurie. (1998). The Scrambled States of America. New York, NY: Scholastic.

Quick Reference World Atlas. (1992). New York, NY: Rand McNally & Co.

Useful Internet Resources:

All 50 American States
http://www.globalcomputing.com/states.html

Facts about US States
http://www.geobop.com/world/NA