Exploring Geography in a First Grade Classroom · Gene Bob Junior on the Map 1 1 Gene Bob Junior on...

Gene Bob Junior on the Map 1

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Gene Bob Junior on the Map:

Exploring Geography in a First Grade Classroom

By: Alix Rose

2009-2010 Gray’s Woods Intern First Grade

[email protected]

May 8, 2010


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Table of Contents Background Information……………………………………………..... 3

Description of Teaching Context Wonderings and Questions…………………………………………….. 5

Main Question

Sub Questions Data Collection………………………………………………………… 6

Clear Description of Data Collection Data Analysis.………………………………………………………….. 9

Steps Taken to Analyze the Data Explanation of Findings……………………………………………….. 12

List of Claims Reflection and Implications for Future Practice……………………….. 17 Appendices……………………………………………………………… 20 Brief…………………………………………………………………….. 20 Annotated Bib………………………………………………………….. 25


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Background Information

Description of Teaching Context As an intern in the Professional Development School (PDS) through Penn State

University, I have worked in a first grade self-contained classroom at Gray’s Woods

Elementary in the State College Area School District for the 2009-2010 school year.

This first grade class consists of twenty-one students being made up of thirteen females

and eight males. Each and every one of the twenty-one students in this class brings

something unique to the classroom community. We have a class full of similarities and

differences that make them a well-rounded group of students. If you were to observe the

classroom differences, you would not find much physical diversity. All of the students

are Caucasian, and all but three students come from two parent families and live with

both parents. Twenty of our students have attended Grays Woods Elementary since

Kindergarten. All of the students have the same nationality and come from the same

country.

When examining behavior and academic characteristics of each student, we have

a wide range of diversity present. One student has an Individual Education Program

(IEP) for autism. He is accompanied by a Therapeutic Support Services (TSS) aide

during the school day and makes weekly visits to the school guidance counselor and

autistic support teacher. He currently has a behavior plan in place that the teachers and

TSS must follow. There is a wide range of diversity within academic ability in our

classroom. Five of my students attend Response to Intervention (RTI). RTI, is a title one

program that works with students who are struggling to meet the first grade benchmarks

for reading. They attend this instruction daily for one hour. We currently have four

leveled reading groups in our classroom. This will play a huge part when incorporating


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reading and writing into the geography inquiry I will explore in the classroom. The red

group is made up of our highest leveled readers who reached the end of the year

benchmark for first grade at the beginning of the school year. They are reading on a

second grade level and continually improve their reading skills. The yellow group is my

second strongest group, and many of them are close to reaching the end of the year

benchmark for first grade as well. Additionally, the blue group continues to make

progress daily. They are the group of students who do not qualify for additional support

services like RTI, but do not meet benchmark skills for this time of year. Lastly, the

green group consists of the students who do attend RTI each day. None of these students

have met the benchmarks for first grade at this time, and continue to need extra practice

and specialized instruction to develop their reading skills.

Overall, the classroom consists of five students who are advanced in language arts

development, five students who are working below grade level, and the rest of the

students are functioning at benchmark expectations. I plan to implement geography

lessons that will include reading and writing activities; therefore, I must differentiate

instruction based on individual needs and specific grouping so that all students are

engaged and active within the lesson. The twenty-one students in Room 27 are working

together to build a community of friendship and acceptance to create the best learning

environment possible. Each student obeys the classroom rules and continues to respect

each other’s differences. The unique experiences of the students will play a large role

when incorporating geography into our daily schedule. Students will be able to share

their experiences with the class. These experiences include places they have visited,

places they want to visit, or their basic knowledge of the world they live in.


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Wonderings and Questions

Main Wondering

My inquiry focuses on Geography activities and mini lessons incorporated into a

first grade school day to develop an interest in the students. I am seeking to discover if

first grade students develop an interest in geography through the implementation of

traveling mascot, mini geography lessons and other activities, such as, Google earth and

PowerPoint presentations.

How will incorporating Geography activities into a first grade school day engage

students and activate student interest in the topic?

Sub- Wonderings

• How can I help children develop an understanding of their place in the world

looking beyond State College?

• How do students’ reading groups relate to student knowledge and retention?

• What impact do multiple travel experiences have on student prior knowledge and

understanding of Geography?

• How does Geography fit into a first grade classroom?

• What map skills can be effectively developed in a first grade setting?

• What are the benefits of using a class mascot to introduce geography terms and

ideas in a first grade classroom?

Data Collection


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Clear Description of Data Collection

I collected a variety of data to gain a better understanding and explore all aspects

of my inquiry study. Data collection provided me the opportunity to discover the

benefits, drawbacks, misconceptions, student understanding and the success in the

integration of Geography activities and mini lessons into a first grade classroom. Data

collection was conducted before, during, and after the implementation of the Geography

activities and lessons.

BEFORE

Prior to the start of my research, I designed and distributed a parent survey, which

asked questions focusing on the students’ travel and geographical experiences. In

addition, there were questions asking parents if they discuss geography with their

children on a regular basis and what type of geography materials they have within their

home and vehicles. My intentions for this survey was to gain a better understanding

about the individual travel experiences of each student along with the access each student

has to learning materials related to geography within the home environment. This helped

me gain a better understanding of the students’ prior knowledge and experiences related

to geography. In addition, the surveys gave me insight into the home, by examining

whether or not, the topic of geography was discussed. (See Appendix A for Parent

Survey)

My next step consisted of developing a student pretest in order to explore my

students’ prior knowledge regarding geography. The test is made up of basic geography

questions, such as, “what is the name of our town,” “what country do we live in,” as well

as more difficult questions like “name a state that starts with the letter A,” and “what are

the four largest bodies of water in the world.” Answers to the questions on the pretest


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provided me with a starting point for the implementation of my inquiry based on the prior

knowledge of the students. I was able to gauge the knowledge level of the students and

base my instruction around the content the students knew and the concepts I wanted to

further explore with them. (See Appendix B for Student Pretest)

DURING

Once I knew where to begin my inquiry, I introduced the students to our class

mascot, the hermit crab. Together we brainstormed the name, Gene Bob Junior, and sent

him off on his adventures around the world. Along with the traveling mascot, I

incorporated mini geography lessons into reading stations once a week. I chose lessons

that focused on important aspects of geography that allowed the students to make

personal connections to the world and their surroundings. The lessons provided me with

student work that illustrated their internalization of the learning objectives covered

through the instruction and travels of Gene Bob Junior.

A particular mini lesson I utilized focused on answering the questions “What is a

map” and “How can we use maps to help us?” To answer these questions, students

produced maps of their personal bedrooms, which contained specific details about objects

and their locations. The maps were complete with a title and legend. (See Appendix C

for Map of Bedroom) Students were able to follow the guidelines of a map and made

personal connections to the essential questions asked in the beginning of the lesson.

Furthermore, the maps of their bedrooms demonstrated understanding and

comprehension of the main ideas associated with a map and its importance. Another

example of a mini lesson is a latitude and longitude worksheet that students completed.

(See Appendix D for Latitude and Longitude worksheet) It is evident that the students

are capable of using their knowledge of direction, learned in another lesson, to complete


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the worksheet and further understand other aspects associated with geography and

mapping skills. Overall, student work examples demonstrate that students retained

information taught to them and were able to use that knowledge to complete assignments

and to make connection in relation to Gene Bob Junior and the world that surrounds

them. This provided me with insight into their interests and understandings of

geography.

Lastly, I recorded anecdotal notes that consisted of writing down student

comments during geography activities, lessons, and adventures of our traveling mascot.

I found that students were making comments or references to geography during

instruction of other subject areas as well. My mentor and I tried to write down every

comment we heard to use when analyzing data. All comments were positive and students

were making many cross curriculum connections to geography and the world that

surrounds them.

AFTER

After collecting student work and taking a closer look at anecdotal notes, my

mentor and I were curious to see if the students had retained any or all of the information

taught through the mascot activities and mini lessons. The best way to see this was to

have the students take the same test they took before I started my inquiry study. (See

Appendix E for Student Posttest) This helped me understand which students grasped

the objectives faster than others, and identify which students struggled to learn the

content.

Furthermore, I included four more questions after the post test to continue my

exploration into the level of student understanding, as well as their interest and

excitement about geography. (See Appendix F for Extra Post Test Questions) I asked


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the students if they had fun learning about geography and encouraged them to give it a

number ranking on 1-10 scale, with 10 meaning that they really enjoyed it. Another

question I asked was for them to write their favorite geography activity that we have done

over the course of the last few weeks. I was able to gauge an understanding of what

activities the students liked more than others.

My last method of data collection was a whole group graph that was labeled with

every geography activity we did throughout the inquiry study. Each student received two

post it notes with his or her name on it and were asked to put the sticky in the space

provided for his or her two favorite activities. (See Appendix G for Whole Group

Graph) I was able to use this information to look at the majority to determine which

activities are class favorites.

Data Analysis

Steps Taken to Analyze the Data

I chose to research the topic of Geography in a first grade classroom because there

were specific questions and wonderings that I wanted to further explore. When collecting

data for this inquiry, I was careful to choose activities and data that would help me

answer my main wondering and sub questions. I focused on three specific results that I

was interested in analyzing and evaluating: (1) Did the implementation of geography

activities and mini lessons develop an interest in geography within first grade students?;

(2) Were some activities more beneficial than others in regards to developing an

interest?; (3) Is there a place for geography in a first grade curriculum?

The parent survey I distributed before starting my inquiry was informative in

providing me with insight into the students’ travel background and experience, as well as,

what conversations or materials are present in the home environment. This helped me


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generate a starting place for my inquiry, along with the information that would need to

taught and reviewed based on prior knowledge. I read through all of the parent responses

and looked for patterns to help me differentiate and adapt instruction based on student

experiences and prior knowledge. I designed a data sheet to take a closer look at each

student and their personal experiences. I was looking for a pattern of students who had

more travel experiences and material in the home, to know more information about

geography, as opposed to those students who did not have those experiences. (See

Appendix H for Parent Survey Data Sheet)

I also analyzed the student pretests to find patterns of prior knowledge in

correlation with traveling experiences of students and geography materials readily

available in the home. (See Appendix B for Student Pretest) The pretest questions

helped me gauge a starting point for instruction and choose the topics I wanted to teach

within the mini lessons that accompanied the larger geography activities of our traveling

mascot and goggle earth activities. I felt it was in important to provide students with

instruction that would carry over into other activities giving the students an opportunity

to make personal connections through their comprehension and understanding of

geography terms and skills need.

Once I incorporated my inquiry into our daily schedule I did not analyze any more

data until after student work and anecdotal notes had been collected. I chose to analyze a

few student examples from each of the four reading groups, which we have in place for

our daily reading stations. (See Appendix C for Map of Bedroom) (See Appendix D

for Latitude and Longitude worksheet) Throughout analyzing and evaluating the

student work, I was able to find patterns associated with the instruction taught and


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student comprehension. Overall, all students were able to complete all the activities and

had a general understanding of geography terms and skills.

Evaluating the anecdotal notes presented a very clear pattern of students carrying

over the content they learned through the geography activities into other subject areas

within our school day. Students were making cross-curriculum connections on regular

basis, and were very excited and anxious to share this information with the teachers.

The majority of my data analyzes was completed during the after part of my data

collection. I had the students take the pretest over, as a posttest, to compare and contrast

scores and answers. I was able to compare the individual student scores along with

overall scores of the class. Patterns are very evident throughout the data. (See Appendix

I for Student/Class Scores) Overall, the whole group scores went up for every question

except for one, which stayed at the same number of students answering it correctly. All

of the students’ personal scores went up except for two students, whose score each

dropped by one point. Furthermore, I analyzed the information more clearly and group

the students by their reading groups. (See Appendix J for Student Grouping data

worksheet) This helped me take a closer look at the scores in each reading group and

evaluate if there is a pattern associated with reading levels and student ability based on

test scores and answers to the questions.

I then produced a chart that showed student scores from highest to lowest, as well

as, showed the reading group each student was in. As see in the chart there is a pattern

showing students from the red and yellow groups having the higher scores. These are our

two highest reading groups. (See Appendix K for Student scores with Rank) All of

these documents helped gather a variety of information the showed multiple patterns in


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regards to student learning, ability and reading level, which have all played a part in the

success of my inquiry study.

Lastly, I analyze the whole group graph that showed the students favorite

activities. A pattern was very evident with the activities that were enjoyed more so than

others. I was able to see the top two activities that the students liked and these activities

are what I expected students to choose based on anecdotal notes taken throughout the

activities. I also took a closer look at the four questions added to the student posttest,

where students rated how much fun they had learning about geography on a 1-10 scale.

All students said they had fun, and all but one student put a 10 or higher and many of the

students put 100 or 1000. The other questions on the posttest focused directly towards

the mini lessons that took place during reading stations. I analyzed the answers to each

question and looked for patterns of student comprehension and understanding based on

the objectives and content of each lesson. I was able to use this information when

comparing and contrasting overall student understanding and interest in geography.

Evaluation of Findings

After analyzing my data in the steps provided above, I was able to identify

patterns and trends that became evident throughout the data analyzes. I was able to use

this information to establish four strong claims regarding geography activities and mini

lessons implemented into a first grade school day.

Claim #1: Geography activities selected for this curriculum extension appear to

have an effect in developing an interest in geography.

My main wondering throughout this inquiry was if by incorporating geography

activities and mini lessons into a first grade school day, would it develop an interest in


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geography for the students. I have collected strong evidence that supports the fact that

the implementation of geography activities, such as a class mascot, mini lessons, and

Google earth, has in fact interested the students in geography. After taking a closer look

at student comments and answers to the variety of questions asked of them regarding

their excitement and enjoyment with geography over the last few weeks, I found that they

are enjoying it and like learning about it.

For example, students would find words, pictures, assignments or objects that

related to geography and were eager to share with the teachers in our classroom. One

student showed me a book during D.E.A.R time that had a picture of a compass rose in it.

The student went on to explain how he learned about the compass rose and why it was

important. It is evident that the students are making cross-curriculum connections and

are very excited to share their findings. The student posttest answers and scores show

that the students made progress throughout the couple of weeks that the inquiry was

present. All but two students increased their overall scores of correct answers from the

pre test to the posttest. The progress and achievement is accompanied by interest or

students would not have improved their scores.

Students were eager to share their excitement and interest in geography with the

whole group graph I used for assessment. All of the activities on the chart had at least

one name in it. I think this not only shows student interest, but it demonstrates that some

students like one activity more than another, or it illustrates that students have different

interests or likes within the topic of geography. On the student posttest I asked the

students to rate how much they liked geography on a 1-10 scale. All of the students put a

10 or higher except one. This was an opportunity for them to provide feedback and

assess the implementation of geography into our daily schedule, and the majority really


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enjoyed it. Overall, all data supports that the students have an interest in geography and

all activities played a part in this claim, not just one.

Claim #2: Children who have prior knowledge about Geography, due to life

experiences, participate and extend their learning more readily on a regular basis.

The parent survey and student ability are both valuable examples of evidence that

support this claim. I was able to analyze the experiences each child in my classroom has

had, as far as traveling and geography materials, and relate that to the pre and posttest

scores. I was also able to evaluate the understanding within the mini lessons and

determine which students participated and were knowledgeable about the geography

content.

When I created the graph that put the test scores in order from highest to lowest

there was a pattern evident. Examples I used were student test scores in correlation with

the amount of times they have traveled and where in the world they have traveled. The

students who had the higher scores on both the pre and posttest were also the students

who had the most traveling experiences. I also took into consideration the access

students had to geography materials at home. This provided valuable evidence that

students, who have prior knowledge about geography and experiences, do indeed

participate and extend their learning more often. Informal assessments during mini

lessons showed this claim to be true. One student who is in our top reading group has

had a lot of experience traveling, but also has a variety of materials available to him at

home. He participates regularly and is very eager to share his understanding and

knowledge with the class.


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Other students who are on the other end of the spectrum, only traveling a few

times and not a lot of materials at home, they are quieter and less likely to participate due

to their lack of knowledge. I can support this comment with the test scores of the pre and

posttests. The students who travel less and have limited access to materials at home are

the students with the lower scores. Therefore, I feel that the travel experiences and

geography materials at home have an impact on student understanding and idea of our

world, which in return connects to student participation and the eagerness to share

thoughts and ideas regularly.

Claim #3: The majority of students are making connections to Geography and their

place in the world.

Student interaction and participation were great resources to provide evidence of

students making connections to geography. Most importantly, the anecdotal notes taken

during the implementation of my inquiry study show students making connections to all

aspects of their lives. Cross-curriculum connections were a big section of my anecdotal

notes. Books and stories were just a few ways that students demonstrated geography

connections. Students were bringing in maps from home and places they had recently

visited. When we interacted with the big map, students were able to identify places they

were born or lived prior to living in state college. Students were also able to show where

their relatives live or places they have visited. The anecdotal notes I recorded show that

it is not just the students who have traveled more that are making connections it is all of

them across the board.

During parent teacher student conferences, the parents were sharing stories about

their child coming home from school and asking to get on Google earth to explore. They


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also made comments that their child was asking more questions regarding geography.

Students were taking the information from school and making connections at home. This

is evidence that students are making connections to their world and are very interested in

what they are learning.

Claim #4: There is a direct connection between students reading levels and ability to

connect and retain new information.

When incorporating mini lessons into our reading stations once a week, I was

often using children’s books to introduce a new aspect of geography of vocabulary that is

important for understanding the skills needed for geography. I asked the reading

specialist at our school to level the books I had used because I wanted to see if they were

on a first grade level.

The books I have used in my mini lessons are leveled J and K which is past the

first grade benchmark. My red group, which is our highest reading group, is reading a

letter J book. The yellow group is in an I, blue is reading a level H and green, which is

our lowest group, is currently reading a level H. This information supports the claim that

there is a direct connection between student reading levels and ability to connect and

comprehend. I was also able to see a pattern of comprehension in the data sheets that had

the students grouped by their reading group. Most of the red students got the question

right on the pre-test but if they did not, they most likely got it right on the post test. I also

used the graph of student scores to support this claim. If you look at the top 5 students

with the highest scores, there reading groups are yellow and red, which are our two

highest and no one from red or yellow went below missing 50% of the questions on the


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post test. Overall, there is an obvious pattern that is supported by data that students who

read on a higher level are able to connect and retain information more easily.

Reflections and Implications for Future Practice

In completing this inquiry study, I have discovered that first grade students are very

interested in geography and have enjoyed all of the hands-on activities and mini lessons

included in their school day. I am very excited that my inquiry has turned out a success

and that I was able to find valuable evidence to support the wonderings I had, regarding

student interest in geography.

As I reflect on my inquiry study, I am well aware that this topic was very new to

some of the students, while other students had more experiences and prior knowledge.

With that being said, their lack of knowledge about geography did not discourage

students in my classroom, but rather, challenged them to learn and explore a topic that

was new to them. As adults, we use geography everyday and we are well aware of our

surroundings, or we know where and how to gather information. We understand the

importance of a globe and a map, where some students do not know why they are present

in the classroom. My experiences and observations have shown me how difficult it is to

include deliberate lessons in geography during a packed school day including, Reading,

Writing, Spelling, Math, Science and Social Studies, as well as, special subjects such as

Art, Music and Physical Education. The students in my class have exemplified the

interest and excitement they possess through the implementation of hands-on activities

and mini lessons that introduced them to Geography.

So the question is: What to do in further practice? I can say that my students have

enjoyed themselves so much that our traveling mascot and hands on mini lessons will


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continue until the end of the year. I will continue to focus on the important aspects of

geography that provide the students with information that connect to their everyday lives.

Now that my data has shown me what activities were more beneficial that others, I will

focus on using those activities to enhance learning within the classroom. Google Earth

was hands down the favorite activity I did throughout my inquiry. I have learned the

strong impact technology plays in student learning and interest. I will continue to explore

Google Earth with my students and introduce them to the world that surrounds them.

My interest in geography continues to drive my instruction for students of all

ages. I hope to use my experiences with my inquiry study to adapt geography for

whatever age group I teach in the years to come. I am confident that the hands-on

activities are what made a difference in my classroom. Every time I talked about

geography, I had the full attention of all the students. This is a topic that interests

students because it surrounds their lives. It appears they are curious to learn about it and

are eager to share their findings. I have had a great experience with my inquiry study and

have enjoyed every minute with my students.

I highly encourage teachers to find time in their curriculum for geography.

Whether it is looking at the map once a week, exploring on Google Earth, or simply

taking a closer look at places the students have traveled or will be traveling in the near

future, there are great ways to include geography into the classroom. I plan to implement

a lesson where students will get an opportunity to share with the class places they have

been or where they currently live, using Google Earth. This is a great way to learn more

about one another, while working on community building at the same time. Geography

can be used in a variety of ways and I highly encourage teachers to explore the

opportunities and enriched learning that geography has to offer in the classroom.


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Lastly, I have a few wonderings after completing my inquiry study that I

would like to further explore. Through collecting my data I wondered if gender had

anything to do with the interest levels of geography from the students. This would be an

interesting factor in my inquiry study but I did not think about it soon enough. My last

wondering is, would students be interested in geography without the use of hands on

activities and a traveling mascot? What makes a first grade interested in geography?


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APPENDIX A: Parent Survey

Your Child’s Name _________________________ Has your child traveled outside of Pennsylvania?__________________ If yes, approximately how many times?___________ Has your child ever traveled outside of the United States?___________________ If yes, where? __________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ How many times? _______________________________________________ Does your family have a map in the car?_______________________________ Do you have a map or globe on display in your home?______________________ Can you recall ever having a conversation with your child related to Geography? If you can recall, please give an example. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Was your child born and raised in the State College area? If not, where else have you lived? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


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For the next four questions, please give specific examples. Does your family own any books that relate to geography? _____________________________________________________________ Does your family own any puzzles that relate to Geography? _____________________________________________________________ Does your family own any placemats that relate to Geography? _____________________________________________________________ Does your family own any games that relate to Geography? _____________________________________________________________ Does your family own a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) System? If yes, do you talk with your child about this electronic device? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Do you know anyone that lives in a different state, city or town that would be willing to send information or items to Room 27 that represent his or her state, town or city. If so, could you please provide the following information. Name: _________________________________________ Address: _______________________________________ Phone #:________________________________________ Email: _________________________________________ Relation to your child: _____________________________


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APPENDIX B: Student Pretest

What do I know about Geography? Name___________________________________

1. Write the name of your town.

2. What state do you live in?

3. What country do you live in? 4. What is your address?

5. What do you see on a map?

6. We live on the planet ___________________.

7. How many states make up the United States?

8. Which is bigger your city or state? 9. How many continents are there? 10. In what direction is Florida from the state that we live in? 11. The four largest bodies of water on Earth are called?

12. Name a state that starts with the letter A.


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APPENDIX C: Student Work (Map of Bedroom)


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APPENDIX D: Student Work (Latitude and Longitude)


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APPENDIX E: Student Posttest

What do I know about Geography? Name___________________________________

1. Write the name of your town.

2. What state do you live in?

3. What country do you live in? 4. What is your address?

5. What do you see on a map?

6. We live on the planet ___________________.

7. How many states make up the United States?

8. Which is bigger your city or state? 9. How many continents are there? 10. In what direction is Florida from the state that we live in? 11. The four largest bodies of water on Earth are called?

12. Name a state that starts with the letter A.


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APPENDIX F: Extra Post Questions 13. What is a map? How do we use it? 14. What are the four directions we use when looking at a map? 15. What is a key on a map? What do we use it for?

16. Did you have fun learning about Geography?

17. What was your favorite thing you have learned about Geography?

APPENDIX G: Whole Group Graph


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APPENDIX I: Student/Class Scores Pretest Answers and Scores


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Posttest Answers and Scores


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APPENDIX J: Student Grouping Data Worksheet


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Alix Rose Inquiry Brief 2/10/10

Context

As an intern in the Professional Development School through Penn State University, I have worked in a first grade self‐contained classroom at Gray’s Woods Elementary in the State College Area School District for the 2009‐2010 school year. This first grade class consists of twenty‐one students being made up of thirteen females and eight males. Each and every one of the twenty‐one students in this class brings something unique to the classroom community. We have a class full of similarities and differences that make them a well‐rounded group of students. If you were to observe the classroom differences, you would not find much diversity physically. All of the students are Caucasian and all but three students, come from two parent families and live with both parents. Twenty of our students have lived in the Grays Woods area long enough to attend kindergarten at Gray’s Woods Elementary. All of the students have the same nationality and come from the same country.

As far as behavior and academic characteristics, we have a wide range of diversity present. One of my students works with an individual education program (IEP) for autism. He is accompanied by a Therapeutic Support Services (TSS) aide during the school day and makes weekly visits to the school guidance counselor and autistic support teacher. He currently has a behavior plan in place that the teachers and TSS must follow. There is a wide range of diversity within academic ability in our classroom. Five of my students attend RTI (Response to Intervention). RTI is a district wide program for students who are struggling to meet the first grade benchmarks for reading. They attend this instruction for one hour each day.

We currently have four leveled reading groups in our classroom. This will play a huge part when incorporating reading and writing into the geography inquiry we will explore in the classroom. The red group contains our highest leveled readers who are past the end of the year benchmark for first grade. They are our most advanced students in language arts and are reading on a second grade level and continually improve their reading skills. The yellow group is our second strongest group, and many of them are close to reaching the end of the year benchmark for first grade as well. Additionally, the blue group continues to make progress daily. They are the group of students who do not qualify for additional support services like RTI, but do not meet benchmark skills for this time of the year. Lastly, the green group consists of the students who do attend RTI each day. Unfortunately, none of these students have met the benchmarks for first grade, yet; and continue to need extra practice and specialized instruction to develop their reading skills. Overall, we have five students who are advanced in language arts development, five students who are working below grade level, and the rest of the classroom is functioning at benchmark expectations. I plan to implement geography lessons that will include reading and writing activities; therefore, I must differentiate instruction based on individual needs and specific grouping so that all students are engaged and active within the lesson. The twenty‐one students in Room


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27 are working together to build a community of friendship and acceptance to create the best learning environment possible. Each student obeys the classroom rules and continues to respect each student’s differences. The idea is that each student’s different experiences will play a large role when incorporating geography into our daily schedule. Students will be able to share their experiences with the class. These experiences include places they have visited, places they want to visit, or their basic knowledge of the world they live in.

Rationale

Over the last few months I have had the opportunity to take a closer look at the

first grade curriculum in a first grade classroom. It is evident that there is not a lot of geography built into a first grade curriculum. I know from personal experiences that I did not learn a lot about geography in elementary school and wish that I had. I have also had the opportunity to work with an upper elementary student and have noticed a lack of knowledge in geography. Our methods class, focusing on social studies in the classroom, inspired me to take a closer look at geography in the classroom. Through these experiences, I have noticed that geography is not present on a consistent basis in the elementary curriculum.

There are many important aspects of geography that help students gain a better understanding of the world that surrounds them. I want to explore the ideas of getting students interested in geography. I feel that geography plays a large part in helping us understand our surroundings and our place in this large world. My passion to learn more about geography and desire to incorporate geography into the academic curriculum has encouraged me to explore the students’ understanding and interest in geography in my first grade classroom.

Main Wondering What impact will incorporating geography activities into a first grade school day have in engaging students and aiding them in learning about geography?

Sub Questions

How can I help the children develop an understanding of their place in the world looking beyond State College? How does geography fit into a first grade classroom? What map skills can be effectively developed in a first grade setting? What are the benefits of using a class mascot to introduce geography terms and ideas in a first grade classroom?

Data Collection Parent Survey: I will use a parent survey to collect data that tells me where the students in my class have traveled and how much they like geography.


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Student Pre/Post Test: This student test will help me gain a better understanding of how much the students already know and how much they have learned once the project is concluded. Interview with Individual Students: Once I have more information about the places students have been and how much they know about geography, I plan to interview the students to get more information about their thinking and interest in geography. I will choose students to interview based on their interest and knowledge of geography. The students will be grouped and I plan to take one or two students from each group to interview. This will help me gain a better understanding of what I need to teach the students about geography and the interests they have. Interview/Survey of teachers and CST: This interview will help me get more information on the standards and use of geography in the building and the use of geography in the classroom for first grade, but also other elementary grades. This will also give me insight into how often the incorporate geography in the classroom and how they engage the students with high levels of interest.

Timeline February 15‐19 I will continue to look for resources and conduct interviews with

teachers and CST’s for more information on geography in the classroom.

February 22‐26 Parent survey will be sent home to parents.

Students will take the pre test during reading stations

March 1‐5 Students will be introduced to the Hermit Crab, we will give it a name and explore the geography we learn about with the crab. Conduct student interviews based on the groups I split them into. The students will be introduced to the basic ideas of a map and the five themes that are common in a first grade classroom. We will begin our journey in State College and branch out to the rest of Pennsylvania focusing on Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. We will discuss daily during morning meeting or reading stations, his where about and important landmarks of those places.

March 8‐12 Spring Break‐ The crab will travel to a certain place for the whole

week of spring break. The students will get one letter from the crab throughout the week.

March 15‐ 19 We will talk about bordering states of PA and learn more

information about a few of them. The students will be introduced to different clues and ideas of geography, which will


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help them understand more about the states of the United States.

From here the places the crab travels will be student choice or depend on the information the students have learned. Daily talks will continue based on the location of the crab.

March 22‐26 Hermit Crab continues to move around the US. It is difficult to

choose places now, because I am unsure of how much the students know or how much they will be able to understand.

March 29‐ April 2 Hermit Crab continues to move around, possibly going outside

the United States. This will only happen if the students are capable of grasping this idea.

April 5‐9 The rest will determine how much the students understand and

how much the Hermit Crab has traveled, this will determine how much more we travel.

April 12‐16 Analyze Data, conduct student post test and interviews April 19‐23 Work on Final Draft of Inquiry April 26‐30 Continue to work on final Inquiry, prepare for Conference

Works Cited


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Arnold, Caroline. The geography book activities for exploring, mapping, and enjoying

your world. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2001. Print.

Books will help the students make connections. I feel that this book will be a great resource for reinforcing using a map and exploring regularly. The book also talks about direction, water, land, weather and climate and other important aspects of geography at a young age. This book will help the children and myself make connections to the information we are learning through our Hermit Crab mascot.

"Core knowledge lesson plans: Grade 1." Core Knowledge Foundation. Web. 11 Feb.

2010. <http://coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/1.htm>.

This website provides many valuable lesson plans that relate to geography in a first grade class. The lessons make a connection to the five themes of geography I plan to explore with the use of a class mascot that travels around the world. I plan on using these lesson plans and feel they can make a huge impact on my project.

Daily geography. New York: Great Source Education Group, 2006. Print.

This resource is present in most first and second grade classrooms in the State College Area School District. It is a resource used to help teachers introduce geography terms within the everyday curriculum. It provides daily questions and multiple choice questions for testing and daily use of geography. This source has helped me gain a better understanding of the terms a first grade student should be introduced to when talking about geography. I will also use questions from this book to help me write up the pre and posttest I plan to give each student in my classroom. This will help me better understand their prior knowledge and what areas of geography I must focus on more closely.

"Geography standards - the national council for geographic education." Home - The

National Council for Geographic Education. Web. 11 Feb. 2010.

<http://www.ncge.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3314>.

I feel that the best way for me to fully understand the Geography Standards that are implemented in first grade is to look closely at the national standards. This helped me have an idea of the elements that my students should be learning in geography. I will use this source to guide my implementation of geography lessons into our daily schedule. This will help guide the process of my inquiry project and the importance behind it.

Hopkins, Gary. "Education world." Education World. Web. 11 Feb. 2010.


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<http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson071.shtml>.

This article on the education world website provides activities and ways to teach the five themes of Geography. It gives excellent examples of ways to teach these five themes. I feel that this resource helped me because it allowed me to focus in on the five themes when considering how to implement geography into our daily schedule. The article emphasizes the fact that most Americans do not know the basic geography of the country we live in, and this is a main reason for my inspiration to do an inquiry project on this topic.

Junior geographer atlas. Chicago: Nystrom, 2002.

This textbook is triggered for third grade students, but it helped me narrow down the geography terms I would like to focus on in my inquiry project. I was able to look at pictures and information to see what is adaptable for the first grade level. It is a very simple text, as well as, detailed with information. I will use this book multiple times when introducing a new term or topic to the students.

Pennsylvania department of education. 2009. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.

<http://www.pdesas.org/Standard/StandardsBrowser#25997>.

This website provides the geography standards for the state of Pennsylvania. I feel that this is a great resource because it helps me find the most important aspects and objectives of geography in the classroom that I can follow when implementing my study. This website also provides lessons and ideas based on the standards which is a remarkably, valuable tool I can use when adding geography into our daily schedule.

Sweeney, Joan. Me on the map. New York: Crown, 1996.

This source was one of the very first I found. I loved this book and thought about my students while reading it. I believe that first graders have a hard time grasping the concepts of a map and this book helps them gain a better understanding. I will definitely use this book when introducing my students to a map, to help them gain as much understanding as possible about their place in this world.

Vella, Cindy. "Geography in the fourth grade curriculum." Personal communication. 09

Feb. 2010.

I interviewed my partner classroom teacher in fourth grade to get a better understanding of the teaching of geography present within her classroom. I wanted to see the criteria of knowledge for fourth grade but I also wanted to know more information, in case I wanted to do something with geography in my partner classroom. It was very evident that there is more geography in the upper grades


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than in the primary. This interests me because the point of doing my inquiry is to see if implementing it earlier has an effect on or sparks an interest in geography at an earlier age.

Walker, Scott L. "Early instruction in geography: An exploration in the ecology of

kindergarten and first grade geography education." The Journal of Geography

(2007). Web.

This article introduces a study that was conducted based on the cognitive process and knowledge levels of kindergarten and first grade students. It talks about the right time to introduce geography and what a teacher should do to help make this easier for the students. I will take the key points of the article into consideration when creating lesson for my inquiry. This is a great guide to judge the interests and abilities of the students.

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