Lesson Plan Format for

Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE)

With SIOP Elements

Grade/Class/Subject: 3rd Grade/ Social Studies Teacher: Selene Granados

Time/Duration of the lesson:

60-minute lesson (This lesson will prepare students for the Native American lessons that will
follow.)

English Language Proficiency of Students:

The students’ English language proficiency is beginning to intermediate level.

Standards:
3.2 Students describe the American Indian nations in their local region long ago and in the recent
past.
2. Discuss the ways in which physical geography, including climate, influenced how the
local Indian nations adapted to their natural environment (e.g., how they obtained food,
clothing, tools).

Unit/Theme:
Community Interdependence

Lesson Topic:
California Regions

Objectives:
Content:
Students will know that California has four main regions (desert, central valley, mountains, and
coast) with unique characteristics, resources, animals, and landscape and will be able to identify
them on a map.

Language:
Students will be able to describe California’s regions in a written format.

Assessment:
Informal methods will be used to assess students throughout the lesson. For example, while the
students are creating their poster of one of the four regions, the teacher will walk around aiding
the students and making observations. A worksheet in which the students will need to identify
the four regions based on a series of characteristics and add a characteristic for each of the four
regions will be used to assess if the students met both the content and the language objectives.

Key Vocabulary:
Regions
Resources
Features
 Supplementary Materials:
1. Globe
2. California topography map
3. California map worksheet
4. poster paper and markers
5. assessment sheet
6. books

Technology in Support of Learning:

Projector, Laptop

Anticipated Misunderstandings/Difficulties:
Students might have difficulty understanding how California regions are defined given that a
region can be defined by natural or artificial features. For example, a language, government, or
religion can define a region, as can forests, wildlife, or climate. To help students understand that
California regions are defined by natural features the students will be given the opportunity to
draw these natural features in a California map during the “Instruction” stage.

Element Rationale
Describe what will happen. Why did you choose to do it this way?
Introduce the Lesson:

The teacher will show the class where the United
States is located using a globe. The globe will be
passed around the classroom for everyone to see.
When the teacher receives the globe after
everyone has seen it, she/he will proceed by
pointing to the location of California. Then the
teacher will show a map of California which is
made with clay that represents the state's
topography. This map will also be passed around
so that the students can touch and feel the state's
topography. The teacher will then ask the students
to reflect on what they felt, saw, and why they
think that different parts of California felt
different. They will share their thoughts with a
peer and then with the class. The teacher will then
explain that California is made of four regions and
that each region has unique physical features and
natural resources which is why some areas of the
map felt different than others.
*See attachment for topography map of
California.
The lesson will begin with the teacher pointing out the
location of the United States to help ground students
on their location and to visually show the students that
California is a part of something bigger. This will help
the students understand that the four regions are part of
California. The globe is being used to engage the
students in the lesson, especially the tactile and visual
learners. Using the topographic map of California is
another way to support these students. It is a great way
for students to begin interacting with the lesson and to
further engage them. Additionally, the topographic
map helps introduce students to the idea that California
does not have the same physical features throughout it.
Develop Understandings (Instruction):
(How will you make input comprehensible – scaffold the
content-, convey information to be learned, and integrate
the concept and language objectives?)
To help the students comprehend the keywords
(which are regions and resources) the teacher will
give the class a worksheet that has a blank map of
California. Using the classroom projector, the
teacher will draw on the blank map mountains,
cactus, farm animals and crops and label major
cities along the coast. (See attached image for a
visual representation of how the map will look).
As the teacher draws these small symbols, the
students will be asked to do the same. Then the
teacher will ask if they notice similarities between
certain areas, such as how the mountains are
around the crops and farm animals, and other
inquisitive questions. As the students respond the
teacher will inform them that a region is an area
of land that has natural or artificial features.
California’s four regions are defined by their
natural features. Then the teacher will label the
four main regions which are desert, mountains,
coast, and central valley. The lesson will proceed
with the teacher explaining what a natural
resource is and how each region has unique
natural resources such fresh water, fertile soil, etc.
*See attachment for the map of CA that students will
receive.
*See attachment for teacher’s CA map example.
Practice/Application:
Students will be divided into groups of four. Each
group will be asked to do research on a region.
The students will have access to a computer/
laptop/ iPad and a bin of books which contain
information of California’s region to do their
research. They will create a poster that has images
and written descriptions of the region. The student
will focus on the region’s resources and
landscape. When the students are done, they will
participate in a jigsaw activity. The students will
once again be divided into groups, in this case, it
has to be done a manner in which there is at least
one expert of each region in the group. After the
jigsaw activity, the class will come together and
Students are being asked to complete a map of
California along with the teacher to prevent them from
feeling overwhelmed with all the information they are
receiving. Having the students do the map helps them
stay grounded and prevents them from losing focus on
the lesson. Additionally, the map will become a
resource which they can refer to throughout the unit. It
is also a great way to support visual learners and
students who have not have the opportunity to explore
California and who might not understand that
California is a big land that has many different natural
features. As the students complete their map, they will
notice how certain features exist only in certain areas
which will be a great opportunity to explain what a
region is and to introduce the four regions of
California.
The students will work in groups to provide them with
the support of their peers and to give them the
opportunity to work collaboratively. The reason why
students are doing their own research on the regions is
to empower them and help them realize that they can
be conductors of their learning. It is also an
opportunity for them to learn how to use different tools
to obtain information. Images are a requirement for the
poster because they provide the students with visual
references. A jigsaw activity is used because it is a
great way for students to work collaboratively and
share their knowledge with one another. The jigsaw
activity gives the students the opportunity to teach
someone else what they learned which is one of the
discuss their new findings. best ways to learn. After the jigsaw activity, a class
discussion will occur to ensure that the students do not
have any misconceptions and to provide the students
with another opportunity to obtain more information
on the topic.

Wrap-up:

Students will be given a worksheet in which they
will be asked to identify the four regions based on
a series of characteristics. The students will also
need to include an additional characteristic for
each of the four regions.
*See attachment for the worksheet.
Extension:
This worksheet helps the teacher assess the student's
knowledge and if they met the content and language
objective. Additionally, it is a short assessment that is
not time-consuming (which is great given the length of
the instructional and application process), yet it still
provides the teacher with the information that is
needed. It is also really easy for the teacher to see if
the students need additional support or if they are
ready for the next lesson.

Students will be given the following scenario… This activity is great because students can apply what
You are a travel agent that needs more people to they know about regions in a fun and engaging
come to either of the 4 California regions manner. It requires further research on the topic so
(mountains, coast, desert, or central valley). To students will have the opportunity to continue
convince people to come to one of California’s practicing using different resources to obtain
region you decided to do a traveling brochure information. Additionally, it helps students practice
which informs the people of one of California’s their writing skills, and the students have the
regions. opportunity to work collaboratively.
Your traveling brochure includes:
● images of your chosen region
● a description of the region’s landscape
● a description of the region’s climate
● the region’s natural resources
● the animals that are native to the region
● Optional: Attractions which are located in
the region

This brochure will be done in triads. The students

will have access to a computer and printer to find
information along with their class notes on the
regions and a bin of books which has additional
information of California’s regions. Groups are
limited to three printed colored images.

Differentiating Instruction for EL focus student:

To support English language learners whose This lesson is the foundation of the unit. Therefore it is
native language is Spanish the teacher can help
them form a connection between the English
terms and Spanish terms. The name of the four
regions in English sound very similar to the
Spanish names.
For example:
● desert is desierto
● valley is valle
● central is central
● coast is costa
● region is región
Additionally, I will post all the posters the
students complete of California’s four regions.
Differentiating Instruction for a focus student with
Special Needs:
To support students with an auditory processing
deficit visuals and written directions will be
provided throughout the lesson. Important
information will be repeated several times
throughout the lesson.
important for students to understand it for them to be
successful as the unit progresses. For English language
learners to form a strong foundation, it is important
that they comprehend the terms that will be used
throughout the unit, which is why helping them form a
connection between the English and Spanish names of
California’s main regions is a great way to support
them. Posting the posters that the students complete is
beneficial for all the students, but it is particularly
beneficial for ELL students who can refer to the
posters for examples on the language that is being used
to describe the regions. The can also use the images on
the posters to help them understand what they are
reading.
Providing students with an auditory processing deficit
with written instructions is a great way to support them
given that they typically need more time to process
oral instructions than other students. They can refer to
these instructions if they are having difficulty
processing the teacher's oral instructions at the speed at
which they are being given. Repeating the important
information several times is another way that teachers
can support these students because it is giving them the
extra time they need to process the information.
California Topographic Map Image
California map for students:
Example of teacher’s CA map
Name: Date:
Based on the characteristics given identify the CA region. After you identify the region
add a characteristic that pertains to the region you identified.

Characteristics: Region
● This region has hot summers and cold winters.
● This is a dry region.
● Plants in this region do not require a lot of water.
●

Characteristics:
● This region is a long area of low land that is surrounded Region
by hills or mountains.
● This region is known for its fertile soil.
● It is perfect to farm and grow crops.
●

Characteristics
● This region provides California with most of its water.
● This region is typically cold because of its high Region
elevation.
● This region is full of trees that provide us with wood.
●

Characteristics
● This region is 800 miles long along the Pacific Ocean. Region
● This region is narrow.
● Mountains are located on one side of this region.
●