Differentiated+Lesson+Plans

** Differentiated Lesson Plans- Social Studies/Alabama History ** about Alabama on thematic maps. *Discussing patterns and types of migrations as they affect the environment, agriculture, economic development, and population changes in Alabama
 * Goal: **
 * Alabama Course of Study Standards - SS(4) 1, 4 **
 * 4(1): * **Identify historical and current economic, political, and geographic information
 * Examples: weather/climate maps, physical relief maps, waterway maps, transportation maps, political boundary maps, economic development maps, land-use maps, population maps

* Describing natural resources of Alabama. Examples: water, trees, coal, iron, limestone, petroleum, natural gas, soil
 * 4(4): * ** Describe the relationship of the five geographic regions of Alabama to the movement of Alabama settlers during the early nineteenth century.


 * Describing the natural environment of Alabama. Examples: wildlife, vegetation, climate, bodies of water
 * Describing human environments created by settlement. Examples: housing, roads, place names

__Lesson One__
**Alabama History: Where Are We?**


 * Overview/Introduction**: In this lesson students will explore various maps, globes, and diagrams to locate Alabama in relation to the rest of the world. Students will compare different types of maps to see which ones would be most helpful under different circumstances.

· Identify the state of Alabama on a given map. · Determine the appropriate map to be used in a variety of situations. · Explain the usage for at least 5 out of 8 different maps. · Compare and contrast a variety of maps.
 * Objectives**: By the end of the lesson students will be able to:


 * Materials:** Lesson will begin with a table set up with globes, examples of each type of map, and an atlas. Centers are set up around the room for assessment activities.


 * Assignments**:

1. Teacher asks the question, “Where are we?” Listen to student responses. Use a world map to guide their answers. Break down into a US map, and finally to a map of Alabama. Guide students to use words from prior knowledge such as north, south, east, west, and hemisphere. Review words as given for students who may have forgotten. (Aud/Vis)

2. Let students get out of desks and come to the table of maps. In groups of 2-3 students, they can take a map and examine it. (Kinesthetic) Over the next 10-15 mintues, signal when groups should swap with a group that has a different kind of map. Teacher may need to facilitate swapping. Students should be looking for things that make the map different from others they may have seen, special features that are prominent on their type of map, and anything else they see of interest. (Vis/Kin) One of the group members should take short notes to remember what they saw.

3. Call students back to desks or floor (wherever teacher prefers). Have each group share the characteristics of the maps they are holding. (auditory)Teacher will provide the name of the type of map the group is describing. Teacher will keep a record of their responses by making a chart for students to refer to that details the map name and characteristics. (visual)

4. Ask: In what situations would you use/need a topographical map, a weather map, atlas, political map, road map, etc… Listen and discuss responses. If student responses are lacking, guide and fill in the cracks as necessary. Provide examples and let students decide which type of map. (Ex. I need to get from Montgomery to Huntsville- What do I need? I’m going hiking at Mt. Cheaha and I want to know the lay of the mountain terrain- What do I need?)

5. Run through review of the types of maps for students who need to hear/ be presented the material more than once.

6. Activity: Centers Rotation

a. Students will use graphic organizer to compare and contrast 3 types of maps of their choosing from the maps discussed today. b. Students will read situational cards and match the cards to the type of map needed. c. Students will use blank map, label Alabama and add symbols and details to make their map look like one of the types of maps discussed today.

- Teacher observation throughout lesson and during discussion. Check center activities to see that they are completed correctly.
 * Assessment**:

__ **Lesson Two** __

**Alabama History: Across the State**


 * Overview/Introduction**: In this lesson, students will learn about the five different geographic regions of Alabama. They will also develop a 3D topographical map that will reinforce what they have learned about the geographic regions.

Objectives: By the end of the lesson students will be able to: · Identify and label the 5 different regions of Alabama on a map or diagram. · Compare and contrast the geographic features of the regions using Venn Diagrams or similar graphic organizer. · Demonstrate their knowledge of the regions by constructing a 3D map which correctly represents the geographic differences in each of the 5 regions.


 * Materials**: playdough, sharpies, cardboard


 * Assignments**:

1. Lesson begins with teacher asking students to describe the lay of the land where they live. (hills, mountains, forests, rivers…) Do they think all of Alabama looks the same? How do they think the geographic features of Alabama vary across the state? Listen to student responses. Students will have different prior knowledge of the state. Guide them using cues and a map to show them that the terrain of Alabama changes from hilly mountains to flat river land to coastal beaches.

2. Students will receive blank map of Alabama and will section off and label the map to represent the 5 geological regions with teacher guidance. As map is completed, teacher will explain the geographic features of each region.

3. Students will go and get 1 piece of cardboard and 5 colors of playdough. Following the instruction son the overhead, students will recreate/copy/transfer the outline of the map they just made of Alabama’s regions onto the cardboard. They will then use the playdough to cover and designate each of the 5 regions. They should use the playdough to make sure that each region is geographically correct (mountains, plains, valleys) so that the differences in the regions is obviously displayed. Next, they will use the sharpies to label the regions.

4. When finished, students will complete the triple Venn diagram using 3 different regions of the students’ choosing.


 * Assessment**: Teacher observation during whole group parts of lesson for student response and participation. Checklist will be used to assess 3D map and Venn diagram.


 * __Lesson 3__**


 * Alabama History: What's Growing On Here?**


 * Overview/Introduction**: In this lesson, students will learn what things they use in their every day lives that are produced naturally in Alabama. They will also learn what living and non-living things make up the natural environment of Alabama.

· Identify some of Alabama’s natural resources and explain their importance. · Locate on a map where certain naturally resources are in Alabama.
 * Objectives**: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:


 * Materials**: Post-It notes

1. In student groups, have them designate a recorder to compile a quick basic daily schedule. This should be just a general schedule of the average 4th grader from the time they get up to the time they go to sleep.
 * Assignments**:

2. Next, students need to choose one particular event from their day. (brushing teeth, doing the dishes, homework, playing Xbox) List every conceivable material needed to be used to complete the task.

3. Teacher will have list/chart prepared and displayed on the board with a list of natural resources found in Alabama. (For slower learners, go through each resource and make sure each student understands what it is). Students will then go down their list of material needed for their daily task. If something they use comes from one of the sources on the board, they have to write that material on a post-it note and put it in the correct column.

4. Students will observe and discuss among their groups the amount of materials they use daily that come from resources found in our state. Students will elect a reporter for their group to tell the rest of the class about what their group discussed.

5. Revisit the drawn regional map from the other day. Students are to use kid-friendly websites, the AL history textbook, encyclopedias or other informational sources to find where each natural resource is found in Alabama. Using the class set of different types of maps, students should find the place and plot it on their drawn map. Students will create a legend to represent each resource so that someone else could understand what each resource is and where to find it within the state of Alabama. Teacher will monitor and assist as needed while students work. 6. As an extension- students who work at a higher level than most student should go ahead and construct a list of hypotheses (and then research) about what types of wildlife and vegetation can also be found in each region. Students can also speculate on the climates of each. When finished students will then present to the rest of the class.

Assessment: Teacher observation during group work. Checklist to evaluate natural resources map.

**Lesson 4**


 * Alabama History: The Human** **Element**


 * Overview/Introduction**: In this lesson students will explore the settlement of Alabama during the 19th century and hypothesize as to why they settled in different regions. Using various informational texts they will do some research to see if their hypotheses were correct.

· Explain why settlers in the 19th century chose the various parts of the states to settle. · Describe the relationship of the five geographic regions to the movement of the settlers · Describe how the natural environment was changed into a human environment by settlement.
 * Objectives**: Upon completion of this lesson students will be able to:

Resource: Discover Alabama DVD series by PBS Online teaching guide --> **Discover Alabama**


 * Assignments**:

1. Students will have already read the section of their book which describes settlement in Alabama and watched from the Discovering Alabama video series, “Geological History of Alabama” and “Alabama’s Soils” They will have prior knowledge of what makes up the land in each region of the state. They will not have prior knowledge of settlement of Alabama.

2. Students will once again divide into groups. Each group is given 2 groups of settlers who came to Alabama. (Spanish, French, British, Americans after the Revolutionary war). They are to come up with a hypothesis for where each of their groups would have settled and back it up with a paragraph explanation. They can base their hypothesis on the modes of transportation, geographic features of the state, or knowledge of the culture.

3. Students will share their hypotheses with the rest of the class. Look to see if there is overlaps in thinking or unique ideas and discuss.

4. At this point, the teacher will display the map that shows the regions in Alabama where each group really did settle. (Note: I don’t know where this is from or how to site it… it was in my classroom when I got it. I think it came with the text book set. Good resource, though.) Students will discuss if their hypotheses were correct.

5. Using various informational sources (internet, encyclopedia, text book, or other) students will work together to find the true reasons that these groups settled here. They will then add this information to their hypothesis sheet.


 * Lesson 5**


 * Alabama History: Round about Town**


 * Overview/Introduction**: In this lesson, students will explore the history of human migration. Through a group project, they will create a timeline and series of maps to illustrate the history using the information gained from their textbook and the website.

· Explain why settlers moved to different parts of Alabama · Describe the paths taken by different settlers
 * Objectives**: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:


 * Note**: This is a lesson for a student who can work independently at a high level, or with assistance from peers. Teacher will need to be actively involved, circulating through groups for this to be successful.

1. Lesson will begin the in the computer lab. Students will pair with a partner to complete webquest to explore the following website. (If computer lab is unavailable the link is to a PDF which can be printed. []
 * Assignments**:

2. Upon returning to the classroom, students will use their textbook to get the following information and more: Which groups of people migrated to Alabama. In what years did they migrate? What were the reasons for migration?

3. Students compile information and use it to construct a timeline that shows the patterns of migration through Alabama’s history. Then using the settlement map from previous lesson as a guide, students will prepare a series of at least three maps that plots the geography of the migration in Alabama, showing how and which direction human populations spread.

4. Teacher will circulate through the groups to make sure everyone is on task, and no one is struggling. Groups are arranged to have both high and low ability students so they can build off each others’ talents.