Lesson Plan Outline

Grade/Class/Subject being taught: 1st grade, social studies w/ ELL

Unit/Theme of Class: Theme: Geography, Creating Maps
Standards Applied: Common Core G1.0.3 Use personal directions to describe the relative
location of significant places in the school environment/ELP Standard S.4.3.a Participate actively
in cooperative group activities and projects
Content Objective(s): I can use my understanding of maps to create a map of the school. I can
understand personal directions(left, right, up, down, etc.) and use them to create instructions
someone else could follow to a place within the school.
Language Objective(s): I can use personal directions(left, right, up, down, front, back, etc.) to
give instructions. I can use various English words and vocabulary to work with my group in
order to complete our map and instructions.

Key Vocabulary to be Covered Supplementary Materials to be Used

Meaningful: Students will need to know the
following vocabulary: map legend, compass
rose, and the following directions: left, right,
up, down, front, back
Grammatical: Students will need to know
commands(go, turn, stop, etc.)
-Sample map to be used as a model
-Large pieces of paper for students to create
their own map
-Crayons/colored pencils/markers for students
to use to create their map
-Very large piece of paper to use for the final
map of the school
 Lesson Sequence

Minutes activity should Activity

take
1 min. Teacher writes objectives on white board in front of classroom
5 min. Introduction to the topic: Ask students if they or their parents
have ever used a map for anything. Explain that maps are used to
help people figure out where things are and how to get to places,
etc. Ask if students have ever made a map before, and if so how?
What kinds of things did they include?
5 min. Further explanation of topic: explain what kinds of things are
included in maps: map legend=where all the map symbols and
their meanings can be found, compass rose=points out East,
West, North, South, and is useful for trying to follow directions.
Then use various sample maps to point these things out
5 min. Present activity/give instructions: Instruct students that they will
get into groups of 3, then pick a location in the school, then they
will work together as a group to create a map to this place. After
making the map, the group will write out instructions explaining
to someone else how to get from the classroom to their chosen
place.
2 min. After presenting full activity instructions, teacher will place
student into groups, and instruct them to begin
1 min. Groups will find a place to work, and begin the activity
45 min. Students will work for the rest of the class period in their groups
to complete their map and their instructions
10 min. Next class period, students will have a few minutes to work on
finishing anything they may not have finished in the last class
period
20 min. After all groups have finished, willing groups will volunteer to
share the instructions they created. The whole class will then
physically follow the instructions step-by-step, to see if they end
up where the group intended
5 min. Everyone will return back to the classroom, and teacher will
allow the students time to settle in
20 min. Each group will take turns presenting and explaining their map
to the class
5 min. At the end of the class, explain that during the next class period,
everyone will create a large map of the school together, using the
smaller maps each group created.
5 min. At the beginning of the next class period, teacher will refresh
students memories about the instructions and what is expected of
them during the next activity
55 min. For the rest of the class period, all the students(led by the
teacher) will work together to create one large map of the school.
They will use each groups smaller map to do this.

Rationale
 I chose the activity in this lesson plan with TBLT and SIOP guidelines in mind. All four

TBLT guidelines are met throughout this lesson. Beginning with focus on meaning, this is met by

having the students use the information theyre learning to actually complete a task. They arent

just learning about what a map is and then memorizing it, theyre actually using their knowledge

of maps and their components to create a map of their own. And the fact that students will have

to use the vocabulary and language they learned to communicate during this lesson helps ensure

that the focus is on meaning there as well. The main type of gap in this activity is a reasoning

gap, because students could have to deduce how to get from the classroom to somewhere else,

and they have to use reasoning to figure out the best way to get there. There could also be an

opinion gap, if students have different ideas about how to create their map or how to get from

place to place. The students would also be relying on their own resources for this activity, since

they have to come up with the map and figure out the best way to get from place to place all on

their own. Lastly, this lesson has a clearly defined outcome. Having the class physically walk

through some groups instructions is one clearly defined outcome, and the other is using every

groups maps to create one larger map of the whole school as a class.

This lesson also fits within SIOP guidelines. There are clearly defined content and

language outcomes, which will both be clearly displayed for the students to see. Student

groupings will be made with care and thought, in accordance to SIOP guidelines. Different maps

will be used as a visual aide to help provide students with comprehensible input.

Besides SIOP guidelines, this lesson also uses multiple forms of scaffolding and

integrates as many skills as possible. Bridging is used because the activity begins with a

classroom discussion that is relevant and helpful for the activity. Modelling is used when the

teacher displays different maps, including a model of the one that students will create, and uses it
to show what is expected of students. The main skills integrated into this lesson are speaking and

writing. Since participating in a group activity was a language goal for this activity, that means

that students will have to practice speaking skills in order to meet this goal. Writing skills will be

practiced when students work in their groups to create the instructions telling someone how to

get from the classroom to their chosen location. Listening skills will have to be used a little, in

order for the group to successfully work together to create a finished project. Reading skills

would be difficult to integrate into this lesson. Overall, the format I chose for this lesson and the

activities used throughout should fit well within TBLT and SIOP guidelines, providing my ESL

students with the best opportunities for learning.