Paige Sweeney

Subject/Grade: Social Studies/4th Grade

I. Integration of Learning Outcomes

a. Students will be able to create a postcard from a region by following directions
and using their knowledge from what they read in the chapter.
b. Students will be able to present the knowledge they have learned from their
portion of reading from their chapter by presenting their postcards to the class.
II. Standards
a. Standard - 7.1.4.B
i. Describe and locate places and regions as defined by physical and human
features.
b. Standard - 7.2.4.A
i. Identify the physical characteristics of places and regions.
III. Anticipatory Set
a. Morning Work
 Have students open to page 37 of their textbooks and read.
b. 8:45- 8:50
i. Hand out Postcard Rubric
ii. “Yesterday, we each were assigned a PA Region to read about. Who can
remember a name of a region in Pennsylvania?”
1. Have all 5 regions shared
iii. “Today, we will be splitting into groups to create a Postcard from your
assigned region.”
iv. Read criteria on postcard rubric with the class.
IV. Procedures
a. 8:50-9:35
 Display on smart board PA REGIONS GROUPS
 Tell students to take out their social studies notebooks and turn to the
page where they wrote their PA region 3 facts from yesterday.
 Model:
o Show example postcard on Power Point, and hold up blank
postcard.
 “This is the front of your postcard. Here you will write
Greetings from and your Region”
 “You will draw an illustration that accurately represents
the region. What are somethings you might include in your
illustration?”
 “In the picture of PA, you will draw and color in your
region. You may look at your textbooks on page 37 for
guidance.”
 “Let’s take a look at my example. I did my postcard based
on a region in Arizona. This region is called the Colorado
Plateau. I wrote the name of my region, I included a
 picture of something that accurately represents the region,
and I colored in the region to show geographically where it
is located on the image of Arizona.”
 “On the back you have several lines. On these lines you will
write facts about your region.”
 “You will also have lines to write an address. You will write
your postcard to me, Miss Sweeney. This is exactly how it
should look on those lines.” Show on Power Point.
 “Lastly, you will have to come up with an image for your
stamp. It must illustrate an important feature. My example
on the board is an image of a cactus. I chose a cactus
because that is a plant you will find in the Colorado
Plateau.”
 Before instructing students to get in their groups, give directions:
o “With your group, share the three facts you wrote down from your
region. You will each chose a fact that you will write on the
postcard. Each group member will have a fact and it will not be
the same fact as anyone in your group, everyone’s fact will be
different. Therefore, you MUST communicate with your
groupmates about which facts you will use and remember that
you must have 1 fact for each person in your group.”
o “Once you have shared your facts, you will then write the facts on
the post card. Then, follow the directions on your rubric. Are there
any questions?”
 Give students the chance to ask questions and then have them break into
groups and begin.
 They will include an illustration that accurately represents the region.
 Will show region correctly on PA map (on front).
 Illustrate stamp with an important feature.
V. Differentiation
a. Groups were created based on mixed ability.
b. Students will be told directions and have directions in front of them.
c. Needs of visual learners will be met with the example.
d. Needs of kinesthetic learners will be met as they make the postcard.
e. Needs of auditory learners will be met as they are explained directions aloud.
f. All needs of IEP’s will be met.
VI. Closure
a. Bring students back together to ask what they found difficult, interesting, or one
thing they would like to share about their postcard.
b. Students will have all class to complete their postcard and will present it the next
day.
VII. Formative/Summative Assessment of Students’
a. Teacher will walk around the classroom to assess that all students are
participating and contributing in their group.
 b. Teacher will collect postcards when the students are finished and assess them
based on the rubric.
VIII. Materials/Equipment
a. Textbooks
b. PA Regions Postcard Rubric
c. 5 Region Postcards
d. Colored Pencils.
e. Notebooks
IX. Technology
a. Power point and projection