Southwest Region

Name: Lauren Brenner

Time Allotted: 58 Minutes
th
Grade Level: 4 Grade
Subject(s): Social Studies
Materials Required:
Southwest PowerPoint
The Southwest lyrics
Karaoke Music to Pompeii
Interactive worksheet and pencil for every student
Center directions: Hoover Dam, Colorado River, Census Bureau
Census Bureau Website
o U.S. Department of Commerce. (2013). Census Data Mapper. Retrieved
from http://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/datamapper/map.html
Hoover Dam YouTube
o National Geographic. (January, 2009). New Hoover Dam. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7_rzojvKdE
The Colorado River Facts handout
o Primary Facts. (June, 2013). Colorado River Facts. Retrieved from
http://primaryfacts.com/1895/colorado-river-facts/

Southwest Region Project

Southwest Region rubric
Laptop
Student Artifacts
Michigan Content Expectations:
4- G1.0.4 Use geographic tools and technologies, stories, songs, and pictures to answer
geographic questions about the United States.
* This lesson is in preparation for the standard: 4-G2.0.2 Compare human and
physical characteristics of a region to which Michigan belongs (e.g., Great Lakes,
Midwest) with those of another region in the United States. First we will learn about
each region, and then compare them with the Midwest.
Objective(s):
Objective 1: The student will identify human and physical characteristics of the
Southwest region so that students can create a final project where they describe
the Southwest, and earn a 2/3 on the rubric.
Assessment:
Objective 1 Informal Formative Assessment: Through listening to student
discussion and answer, I will be able to generate if students understand the basics
of the Southwest region. I will also be able to witness students critical thinking

skills and their ability to collaborate with one another as they attempt to discover
important aspects of the Southwest region.
Objective 1 Formal Formative Assessment: Through reviewing student notes, I
will be able to generate if students are writing down, and understanding the
correct information. I will be able to decipher if they are gaining important
knowledge about the Southwest, so that they can later use it for different lessons.
Objective 1 Formal Interim/Summative Assessment: The student will create a
final project displaying their knowledge of the Southwest region. This project
requires students to either create a song, poem, drawing, or a paragraph that
describes a minimum of 7 facts about the Southwest. In order for students to be
considered proficient, they must receive a minimum of 2/3 on the rubric. Through
students completing this project, the teacher will be able to see if they clearly
understand the key information about the Southwest region. Directions and
Rubrics for this assessment have been attached to this lesson, and will be handed
out individually to each student.

Through my assessments, I will be able to generate if students are proficient in their

understanding of the Southwest region. I will clearly be able to see this through their
summative assessment by how many facts about the Southwest they are able to convey.
However, before the summative assessment I will be able to get a feeling for who is
struggling with this subject based on class discussion and participation. When a student is
not active in conversation, and is not able to critically discuss topics, then there is a large
chance that they are struggling with this topic. I will also be able to see how much
information students are getting out of the lesson depending on how many notes they are
writing down. If their paper has little to no writing on it, then I know that something in
their learning has broken down here and will find a way to resolve it. If students have not
met the minimum proficiency level on the summative assessment, then those students
would get together in a small group with the teacher the next day. Together, we will go
over their notes to see what information they wrote down (because if they did not do well
on their summative assessment it is either one of two reasons: they were just lazy on their
assessment and didnt care, or they did not take good notes). After going over their notes,
I will be able to see where student learning broke down and will be able to reintroduce
important information to students, and will aid them in discovering some new
information for themselves. After they have completed this and I feel confident in their
knowledge, I will have students redo the assessment in order for them to have a better
grasp on the concept.
Instructional Procedure: What information do students need to accomplish the
objective?
(The following steps do NOT have to occur in number order 1-6, nor are they necessarily separate
components. You may structure your lesson however you like to best meet your planning needs but
make sure to somehow still identify that you have each component.) Consider and plan how you will
transition and other classroom management components that will affect your instruction.

1. Anticipatory Set: (Allotted Time: 2 minutes)

a. Sing the song The Southwest to the tune of Pompeii (created by Lauren
Brenner)
i. Lyrics will be provided on the PowerPoint, and are attached.
b. Previously we have learned about the Midwest and Northeast regions.
c. In the next few lessons we will be learning about the West and Southeast
regions, in order to be able to compare all regions to the region in which
we live (the Midwest region).
d. During our lesson, it is important that we respect one another. This means
that we do not talk when someone else is talking and we are active
listeners.
e. Let students know that at the end of class, they will be given an
opportunity to share their artifacts that they have from the Southwest with
their classmates.
2. State Purpose and Objective of Lesson: (Allotted Time: 1 minute)
a. Today I want you to learn about the human and physical characteristics of
the Southwest region.
b. This is important for you to know because it will allow you to understand
the differences between your Midwest region and other reasons, and could
impact the decisions you make in the future of where you would like to
live.
c. This connects to our upcoming lessons because after learning about all of
the different regions you will need to understand how to compare and
contrast them. This relates to our theme Theres No Place Like Home
because it allows us to see the characteristics of the United States (which
is our home country) and the characteristics of the Midwest Region (which
holds our home state, Michigan).
3. Instruction (45 minutes):
a. Direct Interactive Instruction:
i. The teacher will guide students in discovering physical
characteristics of the Southwest region through CGI, and will
create centers for students to allow them to discover different
human characteristics of the southwest.
ii. The students will take control of their learning in discovering
physical and human characteristics of the Southwest region
through center work and group discussion. Throughout this
process, students will be filling out a work sheet to aid them in
comprehension of the topic. As a final activity, students will be
creating a project that displays student understanding of the
Southwest region. Students will be presenting this small project the
next day in class to a group of peers.
b. Modeling (11 minutes):

i. Students will be given an interactive worksheet to fill out during

this lesson to aid them in future comprehension. They are to fill out
this worksheet throughout modeling and guided practice. A copy of
the worksheet has been attached to this lesson plan, and a copy will
be given to each individual student.
ii. A map of the United States will be posted on a PowerPoint
1. Ask students, Using your previous knowledge, where on
this map do you think the Southwest region is?
a. Have students come up to the screen and point out
to students the area in which they believe to be
southwest
b. Have the student explain to the class their reasoning
iii. One the next slide, there will be a picture of the Southwestern
states
1. Have students read together the four states that make up the
southwest region: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and
Oklahoma.
a. Ask students reasons why they think these states
have been considered the southwest?
b. What do you think these states have in common?
iv. Ask students to share with a partner what they think the weather in
the southwest region may look like.
1. After students have shared with a partner, choose a few
students to share their thoughts out loud with the class,
2. Then go through the different types of weather found in the
southwest with the students.
a. This information will be written down by the
students on their worksheet
b. The information can be found on the PowerPoint
attached to this lesson
v. The students will now look at topographic map of the United
States. They will focus on the southwest region.
1. The teacher will ask students what information they notice
about this map
vi. Students will now be split into 4 different groups to discuss
different landforms that are found in the southwest region. These
areas include: Canyon, Plateau, Mesa, and Desert. Pictures of each
landform will be up on the screen.
1. The groups are to come up with a definition for each
landform.
2. After students have discussed, they will come together as a
class to share their definitions with one another and explain
their reasoning.
3. Then, students will be given the definition of the landforms
through the PowerPoint to write down on their worksheet.
c. Guided Practice (24 minutes):

i. Students will now be split into three separate centers

a. Each center will be three minutes long
b. Within each center, students will be split up into
three groups. This way, students will have smaller
groups to work with and will be able to have better
conversation and accomplish more.
2. Census Bureau Website
i. During this time, each group of students will
be working off of a different computer to
allow for more research!
b. Students are to explore the website, and discover
information about the Southwest population and
race
c. Students are to write down their findings on their
notes
d. Directions for this station are attached to this lesson,
and will be posted at each station.
3. Hoover Dam Informational Video
i. During this time, students will all watch the
video as a large group
b. Students are to watch this informational video and
take notes on it
c. Directions for this station are attached to this lesson,
and will be posted at each station.
4. Colorado River Article
a. Students are to read the information within the
article
b. After reading, students are to discuss how the
Colorado river affects the lives of citizens of the
southwest.
c. Students are to write notes on their discussion
d. Directions for this station are attached to this lesson,
and will be posted at each station.
d. Independent Practice (10 minutes):
i. Students will be reminded about the song that Ms. Brenner sang at
the beginning of the class as an example of what the teacher is
looking for.
ii. As a final assessment, students will create a project to display their
understanding of the Southwest region.
1. In order to complete the assessment, students will choose
one of the four options: song, poem, drawing, or paragraph.
a. Students will pick one project, and will follow the
directions for that single project. A rubric will also
be attached in order to give students a better
understanding for what the teacher is looking for.

2. Students will be allowed to work on the assignment at the

end of the lesson if there is time, but will need to take what
they have not finished home for homework.
iii. Students will be informed that the following day they will present
their projects to small groups in order to make their learning more
concrete.
4.

Differentiated Consideration (Adjust instruction and assessments, tools,

resources or activities for students who):
Students who finish centers early, but may not have mastered the objectives
will be told to share their notes with a partner. This way they will be able to
discover more information that they may have not found on their own, and
will be able to hear the information from a different angle. Students will be
able to write this new information on their notes so that they can use it as a
source for later on.
Students who struggle to complete the activity will be given extra time and
resources in order to enhance their learning. Due to the way in which the
materials are presented, students who struggle with work individually with the
teacher or aid, or in a small group, to enhance instruction. The teacher can aid
them in writing their notes to help them with further comprehension.
Students who show proficiency early will be given more informational topics
to research on their own. This will deepen their understanding of the topic,
and allow them to share new information that they have discovered with
others when they share their final project.
Students who are still not proficient at the end of the lesson will be given
individual instruction on note taking and will be given different tools to aid
them in comprehension. These students will not do the assessment that night,
and will instead meet with a teacher aid in the morning to go over and deepen
their personal notes. Once students notes are correct and understandable,
students can take their notes home with them and complete their final project.
Students who struggle with writing their information down on paper may have
the option of writing using the Ipad for their personal notes.

5. Closure: (Allotted Time: 10 minutes)

a. With the last 10 minutes of class, I will bring the students all back together
to conclude the lesson. I will restate the objectives for the students from
the lesson.
b. To have the students summarize the objectives and what they have
learned, they will be given a piece of paper that resembles a yellow brick,
from the yellow brick road. On the brick they will write one complete the
sentence Theres no place like home because... The students will write
one way there is no place like home in regards to the lesson they have
created. This brick will be their ticket out of the door for each lesson. After

each lesson the brick will be added to the yellow brick road, leading the
students one step closer to Oz.
c. The students can share with a partner about why theres no place like
home based on the lesson.
i. An example would be Theres no place like home because the
southwest region is made up of deserts, mesas, plateaus, and
d. This lesson connects to our theme of Theres No Place like Home
because they will be identifying different aspects of how their home is
unique. Each lesson throughout this thematic unit will be building the
students knowledge of what makes their home unique.
6. References:
a. U.S. Department of Commerce. (2013). Census Data Mapper. Retrieved
from
http://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/datamapper/map.html
b. National Geographic. (January, 2009). New Hoover Dam. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=D7_rzojvKdE
c. Primary Facts. (June, 2013). Colorado River Facts. Retrieved from
http://primaryfacts.com/1895/colorado-river-facts/
d. Social Studies Alive: Regions of Our Country. (2003). Palo Alto, CA.
Teacher Curriculum Institute.

The Southwest
Today you will learn about the southwest region
There it gets very cold, but can also snow
Oklahoma, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas
Are the states in the southwest region of the wonderful United States
If you open your eyes
You will see the landforms of this countryside
Because they have plateaus,
Mesas, canyons, deserts, and rivers flow
The culture of the region is very diverse
Caucasian, Native American, and Hispanic

Southwest Region Project

Directions: Choose ONE of the following options to display your learning about the
southwest region. Rubrics for each
option can be found attached to this
sheet.

Song

Picture

Create a song about the Southwest region

using the information that you have learned
in class today. The song can be to any tune
that you would like, and can be however
long you desire. However, the song must
contain minimum of 7 facts about the
Southwest region within it in order to be
given full credit.

Draw a picture about the Southwest region

using the information that you have learned
in class today. The drawing must convey at
least 7 facts about the Southwest region in
order to be given full credit. Your drawing
must also be labeled in order for the
teacher and classmates to fully understand
your drawing.

Poem

Paragraph

Create a poem about the Southwest region

using the information that you have learned
in class today. The poem can be in any
form that you desire, but must contain a
minimum of 7 facts about the Southwest
region in order to be given full credit.

Write a paragraph about the southwest

region using the information that you have
learned in class today. The paragraph must
have proper sentence structure, and needs
to flow smoothly (use transitions). In order
to earn full credit, the paragraph must
contain a minimum of 7 facts about the
southwest region.

Rubrics
3/3
The student has used
information learned in
class, and has at least 7
facts about the Southwest
region within their song or
poem.

Songs and Poems

2/3
The student has used
information learned in
class, and has between 5-6
facts about the Southwest
region within their song or
poem.

3/3

Picture
2/3

The student has used

information learned in class
to create a drawing. The
drawing displays at least 7
facts about the Southwest
region and each aspect of
the drawing is clearly
labeled.

The student has used

information learned in class
to create a drawing. The
drawing displays between
5-6 facts about the
Southwest region and each
aspect of the drawing is
clearly labeled.

3/3

Paragraph
2/3

The student has used

information learned in class
to write a paragraph. The
paragraph provides at least
7 facts about the Southwest
region and uses proper
sentence structure.

The student has used

information learned in class
to write a paragraph. The
paragraph provides between
5-6 facts about the
Southwest region and uses
proper sentence structure.

1/3
The student has less than 5
facts about the Southwest
region.

1/3
The student has displayed
less than 5 facts about the
Southwest region, or has
not labeled any of their
drawing.

1/3
The student has provided
less than 5 facts about the
Southwest region.

Center Directions
Center One: Census Bureau
Directions:
Follow the directions on the left hand side of the website where it
states Census Data Mapper.
i. Follow These Steps to Customize Your Map
ii. Discover data about the Southwest region population and race
iii. Write down any and all observations that you find through
looking at this site on your interactive worksheet.
iv. If you have extra time, explore other parts of the site involving
the southwest and write down your observations

Center Two: Colorado River

Directions:
a. Read the worksheet on the Colorado River Facts
b. After reading the facts, discuss with your group ways in which the
Colorado river affects the lives of those living in the Southwest region
(example, farming, electricity, survival)
c. Write down your observations on your interactive worksheet.

Center Three: Hoover Dam

Directions:
a. Watch the video on the Hoover Dam with your group
b. During the video, write down information that you have learned
c. After the video, discuss your notes with your group, and write down
any extra observations on your interactive worksheet.

Colorado River Facts

L

The Colorado River is 1450 miles in length.

The river flows through seven U.S. states (including,
Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada and California) and two
Mexican states. Its source in La Poudre Pass in Rocky
Mountains, and its the in the Gulf of Mexico, between the
Mexican states, Baja California and Sonora.
The Colorado River supplies water to more than 25 million
people. It is also responsible for irrigating 3.5 million acres
of farmland.
The Colorado River is home to one of the seven natural
wonders of the world, the Grand Canyon.
There are eleven U.S. national parks along the Colorado
River.
The biggest sport along the Colorado River is whitewater
rafting. Several sections of the river are used, including
Westwater Canyon, Fisher Towers, Cataract Canyon and the
Grand Canyon.
Most of the major dams along the Colorado River basin
were built between 1910 and 1970. One of the most wellknown is the Hoover Dam which was built in 1935.

The river was nicknamed the River of Law because of all

the legal disputes that have involved the flow of the river
and its water over the years. It is now one of the most
highly controlled rivers in the world