VerHage !

Betsy VerHage
ED 260
November 2017
Model Teaching Project

Rationale: The purpose of this lesson is to acquaint students with the natural resources found in
Michigans environment as well as to understand how and why these resources are used.

3 G5.0.1: Locate natural resources in Michigan and explain the consequences of their use.

3 G5.0.2 Describe how people adapt to, use, and modify the physical environment of
Michigan.

Grade level: 3rd

Time: 60 minutes per lesson

Instructional Strategies
1) Read-aloud
2) Discovery/Inquiry-based learning (research and outside exploration)
3) Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum (opinion letter)
4) Think, Pair, Share (TPR) discussions
5) Activating Prior Knowledge

Vocabulary Strategies
1) Keyword Method: Lesson #1
2) Vocabulary Chart (with definition/picture): Lesson #3

Assessments
1) Exit Slip
2) Opinion Writing
3) Environment interaction drawing

Summative (Lesson 3: Our Changing Environment)

The summative assessment is a poster project in which students will show how they (as third
graders) interact with and use the natural resources in Michigans environment. Posters must
display all three parts of the environment (land, air, and water) and include at least three natural
resources, pictured and labeled. Students will present their posters to a small group. Posters will
be graded based on inclusion of the required elements as well as an accurate explanation of
interactions.
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GLCE Verbs Know What Understand Do What Vocabulary I Can

will students What will will students
know upon students do to show
learning this? understand? they
understand?
3 G5.0.1 locate Students will Students will Students will -Natural I can name and
Locate natural explain know what the understand the locate natural resources locate several
resources in natural resources consequences of resources on a natural
Michigan and are in Michigan using natural physical map Consequence resources in
explain the and what they are resources in and verbally Michigan and
consequences of used for. Michigan. describe how explain the
their use. they are used. results of their
use.
3 G5.0.2 describe Students will Students will Students will -Adapt I can explain
Describe how adapt know that there understand how describe -Modify different ways
people adapt to, use are a variety of people use and different ways -Physical that people
use, and modify modify uses for the modify the that people use environment change and use
the physical physical environment in the land and the environment
environment of environment in Michigan environment in in Michigan.
Michigan. Michigan Michigan
either in
writing or
visually (on a
poster)
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Day 1: Title of Lesson: What Date: Grade: 3rd

is a Natural Resource?

Objectives: Students will know what a natural resource is and will be able to describe the
major natural resources in Michigan.
Students will be able to locate natural resources on a map of Michigan using
a map key.

GLCEs: 3 G5.0.1: Locate natural resources in Michigan and explain the

consequences of their use.
Materials: Teacher:
-Trade book: M Is For Michigan: A Michigan Alphabet, by Annie Appleford
-Chart paper for vocabulary chart and brainstorming
-Markers
-Michigan resource map photo http://michfb.wsoldev.com/MI/
uploadedImages/Images/Ag_Ed_and_Leadership/Michigan-Commodity-
Map.jpg?n=9493
-Computer and projector

Students:
-Vocabulary chart handout
-Notebook/notebook paper (for brainstorming)
-Resource map handout (linked above)
-iPad (for research)
-National Geographic magazines and other expository texts (for research)
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Instruction: Introduction: (10 minutes)

Read-Aloud: M is For Mitten: A Michigan Alphabet, by Annie Appleford

Teaching: (10 minutes)

1. Teacher asks students to raise their hands if theyve heard this book
before. Then she tells them that she LOVES this book because it talks all
about Michigans natural resources.

2.Activating Prior Knowledge: What is a natural resource?

(Students brainstorm and teacher writes down their ideas on chart paper.
Then she flips the page and writes a definition for them to copy down onto
their charts.)

3. Keyword Strategy (vocabulary): Teacher asks students if the vocabulary

term itself natural resources provides them with any clues about its
meaning.

(Students respond with their ideas)

Teacher responds: We can remember the term natural resources because

the words natural and nature have the same roots. Since we know that
nature means outdoors, we can predict that natural resources would be
materials and substances found outdoors in nature!

4. Teacher says: What do you think are some natural resources that can be
found in Michigan?

(students brainstorm and the teacher writes down their ideas on a new piece
of chart paper) (5 minutes)

Task: (25 minutes)

1. Teacher explains the next task to students: Now it is your turn to explore
and discover the natural resources in Michigan using the internet as well as
some books and magazines. Be sure to record a list of your findings either
on lined paper or in your Social Studies notebook.

(Teacher provides iPads (to be used with a partner) as well as various

expository texts and magazines to explore.) (5 mins)

Inquiry-based Learning: Students spend 20 minutes browsing the internet,

looking for information/examples of natural resources, and jotting down these
examples.

Closing: (10 minutes)

1. Teacher asks students to share the resources that they came up with, and
she adds new ones to their brainstormed list.
2. Teacher projects photo with map of Michigans natural resources and
compares the resources on this map to the list that the students generated.
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Lesson 1 (cont.) -Students compare the resources on this map to those in their list in order to
check the accuracy of their findings. Did they miss any key resources? Did
they find any resources that are not represented on the map?

3. Finally, the teacher shows students how to use the maps key to locate
natural resources on the map.

Extension: If there is time, the teacher may ask questions that require
students to use the map key to interpret the location and prevalence of
various natural resources.

Assessment Evaluation: Formative: Exit Slip (5 minutes)

Students are asked to fill out an exit slip and respond to the following:

1) In your own words, define the term natural resources

2) What is the most common natural resource in Michigan according to the
map?
3) What is one natural resource found in Michigan that surprised you?

Day 2: Title of Lesson: How Date: Grade: 3rd

do we use natural
resources?

Objectives: Students will be able to describe the consequences of cutting down trees in
Michigan.

Students will demonstrate their knowledge of issues with deforestation by

writing a short opinion letter.

GLCEs: 3 G5.0.1: Locate natural resources in Michigan and explain the

consequences of their use.
Materials: Teacher:
-whiteboard
-whiteboard markers
-Michigan resource map photo (source linked above)
-Computer and projector (for showing map and video)
-Forestry video
-News article

Students:
-journal/lined paper
-pencil
-copy of article
-highlighter
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Instruction: Introduction: (10 minutes total )

Activating Prior Knowledge: Teacher shows map of Michigans natural

resources and asks review questions to help the students recall previous
learning (5 mins):

1. How does this map/map key help you to decipher which resources are
most prevalent in our state?

2. Based on the map, which natural resources would you say are most
commonly found in Michigan?

Teacher says: Today we are going to talk about the consequences that may
occur when we use natural resources. We will start by watching a video that
shows how our state has used its forests over the past 200 years. While you
watch the video, make a list in your Social Studies notebook of all the uses
that you can think of for trees (their wood, leaves, branches, etc.)

Video Clip: Michigans Lumbering History https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ShqFL9vWXmY (5 mins)

Teaching: (15 minutes)

1. After the video is finished, students will Think Pair Share (TPR) and
discuss the uses for trees that they observed in the video (2 mins).

2. Teacher calls the class back together and asks each group of partners to
share at least one use of trees/forests in Michigan that they observed from
the video (5 mins).

(As students share, teacher writes down their ideas on the board).

3. Teacher says: Based on what we learned from our video, it seems that
there are a lot of consequences both positive and negative that come as a
result of cutting down and using our trees.

4. Teacher calls the class back together and creates a T-chart on the board.
One side is labeled Positive consequences and the other side is labeled
Negative consequences. She asks students to share the consequences
they have found, and she adds them to the chart (5 minutes)

5. Teacher says, Now We are going to read a short newspaper article that
talks about more of the consequences that come from cutting down trees. As
a class, lets read this article and when you come to a consequence I want
you to highlight it on your page. We will stop after every couple paragraphs
and share what we found.

Task: (20 minutes)

1. Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum: Class reads newspaper

article together: http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/
tree_cutting_can_have_positive_environmental_consequences
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2. As they read, the teacher stops every couple paragraphs and fills in the
chart with evidence.

Closing: (15 minutes)

1. Teacher says: After today, you can probably tell that there are lots of
positive and negative consequences of using and cutting down the trees in
our forests, just like there are positive and negative consequences
associated with using any natural resources. After today, some of you might
think it's a good idea to cut down the trees and use them (because of the
good consequences), but others of you might think that its better to save our
trees (because of the bad consequences). I want you to decide if you think
its better for the people in Michigan to start cutting down more trees or if we
should cut down less trees. And once you have decided what you think, you
will write a short letter to the leader of the Michigan DNR, giving him your
opinion and at least two reasons why you think we should either cut down
more trees or less.

2. Students write letters

Assessment/Evaluation Formative: Students letters are evaluated and assessed for their inclusion
of evidence from the video and article using words and drawings/visual
representations.

Day 3: Title of Lesson: Our Date: Grade: 3rd

changing Environment

Objectives: Students will be able to describe the different ways that humans affect
Michigans environment.

Students will demonstrate their understanding of environment interaction by

creating a poster to show positive environmental interactions.

GLCEs: 3 G5.0.2 Describe how people adapt to, use, and modify the physical
environment of Michigan.
Materials: Teacher:
-Computer and projector
-Video
-Fishing pole
-Gas can
-Seeds and shovel
-Winter coat
-Whiteboard/markers

Students:
-Social studies notebook/paper
-Pencils
-White paper
-Markers and other art supplies
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Instruction: Introduction: (15 minutes)

Activating Prior Knowledge

1. Teacher says: Who can remind me what the term natural resources
means? Can anyone remind me of some natural resources that we have in
Michigan?

(students answer)

Teacher says: You are right! There are a lot of different types of natural
resources in the environment of Michigan. Does anybody know what the
word environment means?

(students answer)

Teacher combines their answers to define environment as: the surrounding

area where a person, plant, or animal lives.

2. Vocab Charts: students will copy the definition, draw a picture, and use
the word in a sentence on their vocabulary charts. (Teacher models this
using her own chart on the whiteboard)

3. Teacher says: So how do we think the terms natural resources and

environment are related?

(students answer)

Teacher says: Thats right! Natural resources are found in our environment.
The environment is made up of land, air and water, and humans interact with
this environment in many different ways.

(Write the words air, land, and water, on the board)

Teaching: (30 minutes)

Realia:

1. Teacher says: I brought a few things from home that I might use to interact
with the environment on a given day. Lets see if you can figure out which
part of the environment each object helps me to interact with or adapt to.

-Fishing pole (water)

-Shovel and seeds (land)
-winter coat (air)
-gas can (air)

Teacher brings out each item and models how it is used

(Students raise their hand and guess which part of the environment the item
helps us to adapt to)

2. Teacher says: Now we are going to watch a short video that shows how
students like you are interacting with the environment.
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Video: Preserving Our Natural Resources https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=aPiRdkkYTYc

After watching video, teacher asks students to talk at their table groups and
write down three ways that they saw the kids in this video interacting with the
environment.

Teacher will ask each group to share at least two interactions that they saw.

3.Teacher says: Now that youve seen how I interact with the environment
and how the kids in the video interact with the environment, we are going to
take a walk outside and I want you to think about how YOU interact with the
environment. As we walk, I want you to be very quiet and look around you.
Think about what you are doing as you walk, what you are touching, and
what you are wearing.

School Environment Walk: Teacher will take students on a short walk

through and outside the school. They will pass areas such as the drinking
fountain, a flower garden, a pond, soccer field, the playground, etc. They will
stop to sit in the grass, take a drink, etc. Teacher may guide and scaffold
students thinking

Task: (15 minutes drawings to be continued the next day)

Once students are back inside, they will begin an environment interaction
poster project which will serve as a summative assessment for the unit.

1) Students will create their own poster to represent the positive ways that
they interact with natural resources in the environment.
-Posters must include at least three natural resources, pictured and labeled
-Posters must display all three parts of the environment (land, air, and water).

2) Students will present their posters to the class.

Assessment Evaluation Summative

Students posters will be evaluated based on their Inclusion of relevant and

personal interactions with the three aspects of environment discussed in
class: water, air, and land.
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Bibliography

Cook, Bill. Tree Cutting Does Have PositiveEnvironmentalConsequences.MSU

Extension, Michigan State University, 29 Nov. 2012, msue.anr.msu.edu/news/
tree_cutting_can_have_positive_environmental_consequences.

GovSnyder. Preserving OurNatural Resources: Keith Creagh of Michigan Department

of Natural Resources.YouTube, YouTube, 20 Dec. 2013, www.youtube.com/watch?
v=aPiRdkkYTYc.

Michigan CommodityMap.Wsoldev.com, MichiganFarm Bureau, http://

michfb.wsoldev.com/MI/uploadedImages/Images/Ag_Ed_and_Leadership/Michigan-
Commodity-Map.jpg?n=9493.Accessed2 Nov. 2017.

Land, Air, and Water.Cmich.edu, Michigan Environmental Education Curriculum

Support, www.cmich.edu/colleges/cst/MGA/Documents/
Land%20and%20Env%20sample%20activity.pdf.

Sta, TeachThought. 20 SimpleAssessmentStrategies You Can Use Every

Day.TeachThought, 24 July 2017, www.teachthought.com/technology/20-simple-
assessment-strategies-can-use-every-day/.

Washoeschools.net,Washoe County School District, www.washoeschools.net/cms/

lib08/NV01912265/Centricity/Domain/228/
Instructional%20Strategies%20List%20July%202015.pdf.Accessed2 Nov. 2017.

Wedland, Mike.Michigan'sLumberingHistory.Youtube.com, 1 June 2008,

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShqFL9vWXmY.

Yip, Sandra. 4 Square VocabularyChart.Spring12ELL - 4 Square Vocabulary Chart,

Apr. 2012, spring12ell.wikispaces.com/4+Square+Vocabulary+Chart.