Tracey Hartman - 4th: NC Regions Using Google Earth

Technology Best Practice Lesson

North Carolina Regions and Google Earth

Teacher: Kate Shields and Carla Gilchrist
School: Glenwood Elementary

Grade: Grade 4

Content Area: Science and Social Studies

Standard Course of Study Objective(s) Met:
Technology:

Because our current SCoS does not include Web 2.0 and 21st Century skills the technology SCoS did not align with this lesson.

Social Studies:

Competency Goal 1 The learner will apply the five themes of geography to North Carolina and its people.

Objectives
1.01 Locate, in absolute and relative terms, major landforms, bodies of water and natural resources in North Carolina.
1.02 Describe and compare physical and cultural characteristics of the regions.
1.03 Suggest some influences that location has on life in North Carolina such as major cities, recreation areas, industry, and farms.
1.04 Evaluate ways the people of North Carolina used, modified, and adapted to the physical environment, past and present.
1.05 Assess human movement as it relates to the physical environment.

Competency Goal 6 The learner will evaluate how North Carolinians apply basic economic principles within the community, state, and nation.

Objectives
6.02 Analyze the choices and opportunity cost involved in economic decisions.

6.04 Assess how the state's natural resources are being used.

Best Practice(s) Modeled:
Students will use Google Earth to explore various themes of North Carolina. The boundaries of Science and Social Studies are crossed as they learn about the three regions and their topography, commerce, landforms and the relationships between humans and the land. Students will follow an open ended task card that allows for collaboration and the use of higher-order thinking skills. Upon completion of the task card, the teacher will go through the various tasks using a projector and google earth for a whole class discussion of their ideas.

Description of Lesson and/or Unit:

This is possibly a three day lesson. The task card is three pages (one for each region). After learning about some of the basic tools students explore Google Earth with a partner as specified by the task card. Students are encouraged to build their own knowledge about North Carolina as a result fo their tasks. The cullminating activity is to go through the tasks as a whole class and talk about what the students discovered for each task.

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