The Great Plains

Rationale: The purpose of this lesson

is to explore and interpret information regarding the Great Plains of Texas.

Created by: Lindsay McQuiddy

Grade Level Four

Objectives:
The student will explain how people in different regions of Texas earn their living, past and present, through a subsistence economy and providing goods and services. The student will explain how geographic factors such as climate, transportation, and natural resources have influenced the location of economic activities in Texas. The student will identify oil and gas, agricultural, and technological products of Texas that are purchased to meet needs in the United States and around the world. The student will create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies The student will design original artworks. The student will write letters tailored to the audience and purpose and that use appropriate conventions.

Materials/Equipment:
Various Texas books Dice Construction Paper Online Timer Informational poster boards Fact Sheets Scissors Crayons Glue Postcard Template Texopoly Game Board and pieces Jeopardy Game Board Notebook paper Pencils Brochure Template

Lesson Plan:
Introduction: Gather group in campfire setting on the rug. Our current theme is the regions of Texas. Last week, we discussed the Gulf Coastal Plains and the North Central Plain. Today we will focus on the Great Plains region! Process: 1.Whole Group instruction The great plains region is broken into 3 areas: The High Plains, the Llano Basin, and the Edwards Plateau. High plains= panhandle -Petroleum gas and rich soils for farming -farming and ranching are very important Edwards plateau -South of high plains -land is high and very level -Mohair production Llano basin -rocky and bowl shaped -East of Edwards plateau Major cities: Amarillo -cattle ( Jennifers cattle story) -farming -natural gas Ive brought a balloon with me today. Who can tell me what makes this balloon float? (Helium gas). Amarillo used to have a very large amount of helium. However, POP this natural resource has been completely used up. Lubbock -Home of Texas Tech, one of the largest universities in Texas. -Retail -Wholesale -Railroad caused the population to grow rapidly

TEKS Achieved:
Social Studies 12 A, B 13 B 22 D Art 2B Language Arts 18 B

Blooms Taxonomy:
Knowledge Comprehension Application

Analysis Synthesis Evaluation

Differentiated Learning:
Auditory Visual/Spatial Verbal/Linguistic Intrapersonal Interpersonal

Classroom Strategies:
Cooperative Groups Centers Independent Activities Charts/Graphs/Maps Problem Solving Hands-On Pairing Simulation Lecture Whole-group

Palo Duro Canyon is the second largest canyon in the United States. It is over 100 miles long, more than 6 miles wide. Many hard wood shrubs and trees grow in the canyon. Part of the canyon is now a state park.

2. Break students up into small groups and place them into stations. Stations will rotate every ten minutes prompted by a timer online. 3. Station 1: The students are going to look on the back of their badges to see whether they have a plant or animal. Whichever one they have, they will read the information sheets accordingly. Choose one of the facts sheets and take a postcard template. The student will use the postcards to write a letter to anyone they choose, and it must include three facts from the information sheet. The letter will be written on the top card on the left side. After the students write the letter, they will use the bottom square and draw a picture coinciding with the letter. Cut both squares out and use the construction paper to make a postcard, gluing the squares back to back. Station 2: Texopoly Directions- Pick your game piece and put them at start. To decide which player will go first, each student will roll both dice at the same time, the student with the highest sum will go first. If there is a tie those students will roll again to decide. The students will roll the dice and move that many places. For each city that the student land on they will read a fact about the city. Each City has a list of facts the include population and economic trivia, the students will read the facts in order to ensure that all facts get read. The students will repeat the rolling the dice and reading trivia until there is a winner. The students to reach the finish line first will win the game. Station 3: Climate and Geography Jeopardy- Your group will be divided into two equal teams. One person from each group will record the score for their team. Teams will take turns picking a square worth a certain amount of points. The square that your team picks will have a trivia question attached that must be answered correctly to receive the points. (Other team members can help come up with the answer, but only one person says the answer out loud.) The student that picks the square to answer will also read the question out loud. If the team that chose the question cannot answer it, the other team will get the chance to answer it. If neither team can answer the question, the answer will be revealed, but no points are given. The answers to the questions are located on a separate slip of paper. Members of each team will take turns picking questions and verbally answering them. 4. Transition the students back to the campfire area by calling one group at a time. 5. Reflection and closure activity at the campfire. Check for comprehension and have students sit on the sharing stump to share what they have learned. Accommodations: 1. For a student with special needs a paraprofessional will be available to assist. 2. For an ELL student a buddy will work closely with them. Assessment/Evaluation: Informally assess during closing activity for student understanding. Collect postcards to check students work.