UbD Unit and Video Podcast AssignmentTitle of

Unit Georgia’s RegionsGrade Level 2nd grade

Curriculum Area Social Studies

Time Frame 2 weeks

Stage 1 – Identify Desired ResultsContent Standards:

SS2G1 The student will locate major topographical features of Georgia and will describe how these features define Georgia’s surface.

a. Locate all the geographic regions of Georgia: Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau.

UnderstandingsStudents will understand that:

Location affects a society’s economy, culture, and development. Where people live matters. The past helps us to understand how we live now. Georgia has a multitude of differing landforms from beaches to mountains.

Related Misconceptions: Many people believe that because the Piedmont is home to most of Georgia's

population that this region is also the largest. There are 6 main land regions of Georgia that include the Appalachian Plateau, the

Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region, the Blue Ridge, the Piedmont, the Atlantic Coastal Plain, and the East Gulf Coastal Plain, rather than 5 land regions.

Georgia has always looked the way it looks now. Georgia does not have a lot of geographic diversity.

Essential QuestionsOverarching Questions:

Why is the world around you important in your life?

Why is the _(i.e. Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Coastal Plain, Appalachian Plateau, and Valley and Ridge)_ located there?

How does where I live influence how I live?

What do you mean by ‘region’?

Topical Questions: Where can you locate each of the five

regions of Georgia on a map? How does living in ________ region

affect the way we live? How are the 5 regions, Piedmont,

Coastal Plain, Appalachian Plateau, Valley and Ridge, and the Blue Ridge Mountains alike and different (or unique)?

What makes a region unique and different?

What can we learn from the past? How can the places we live, make a

difference in the way we live?

Knowledge and SkillsKnowledgeStudents will know:

Key termsregion, landform, coast, plateau, ridge, natural resource, environment, river.

Where each river in Georgia is located. The ways we use rivers and how river

they are helpful to our way of life. The names of the 5 regions in Georgia

and where they are located. The differences and similarities between

each of the 5 regions.

Skills Students will be able to:

Locate Georgia’s 5 geographical regions on a map.

Identify Georgia’s natural resources. Describe how people’s use of natural

resources affects the environment. Locate Georgia’s major rivers.

Performance Task

Performance Task: Tourism Association of Georgia PowerPoint

Other Evidence(e.g. tests, quizzes, work samples, observations)

Test – Georgia Regions Unit TestThe students will complete at Unit Test over the five Georgia regions independently. The assessment will have multiple-choice, true/false, and short answer questions.Facet – Self-Knowledge//Explanation

Graphic Organizer: Tree Map – Thinking Map on the 5 RegionsThe students will complete a thinking map graphic organizer (a Tree Map) for each of the five regions in Georgia. Important facts and information about the five regions will be listed on the thinking maps.Facet – Explanation/Interpretation/Application

Writing: Life as an animal in Georgia’s RegionsStudents will write about the following given topic: Write about a day in your life as if you were an animal from one of the five Georgia regions. If you could be one of the many animals that live in one of our five regions in Georgia, Which would you be? Why? What region would you come from? What types of things would you see? What would you do for the day? Facet – Interpretation/Application/Self-Knowledge/Perspective/Empathy/Explanation

Teacher Observation/Conferencing: The students will participate in class discussions and teacher conferencing.Facet – Interpretation/Application/Empathy/Explanation

Student Self-Assessments: Student Evaluation of Performance Task: Tourism Association of Georgia PowerPointThe students will reflect upon small group assignments (the tourism PowerPoint) they have produced with their group members and their own role in completing the assignment.Facet – Self-Knowledge/Explanation

Week 1

Materials: Georgia’s Regions Pre-Test, paper, books about Georgia’s regions, SS textbook, pencil, Regions Thinking Chart, Five Regions of Georgia PowerPoint/Video Podcast, speakers, “Georgia On My Mind” by Ray Charles, Performance Task

Vocabulary: Region, Landforms, Natural Resources, Geography, Climate, Appalachian Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge,   Piedmont, Coastal Plain (Upper Coastal Plain and Lower Coastal Plain), Performance Task

Learning Activities – Georgia’s Regions (Day 1) - Give the students the Georgia Regions and Rivers Pre-Test (Evaluation). (Day 1) – Introduce and explain the standard (SS2G1 The student will locate major topographical features of Georgia and will describe how these features define Georgia’s surface. a. Locate all the geographic regions of Georgia: Blue Ridge Mountains, Piedmont, Coastal Plain, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian Plateau.) and the essential questions (listed below) for the activity. Also, discuss and explain the culminating performance task (Tourism Association of Georgia PowerPoint) and the rubric that is attached. (W)

Essential Questions to be Answered:1. Where can you locate each of the five regions of Georgia on a map? (Day 2-5)2. How does living in ________ region affect the way we live? (Day 4)3. How are the 5 regions, Piedmont, Coastal Plain, Appalachian Plateau, Valley

and Ridge, and the Blue Ridge Mountains alike and different (or unique)? (Day 2-4)

4. Why is the (i.e. Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Coastal Plain, Appalachian Plateau, and Valley and Ridge) located there? (Day 2)

5. What do you mean by ‘region’? (Day 1-2)6. What makes a region unique and different? (Day 2-4)

(Day 1) – Have students watch Georgia’s Official Tourism Video to spark some interest in learning more about Georgia. Then ask the class, “Have you ever wondered why some places in Georgia are mountainous areas, some are flat, and others are forest? “ “Well, we are going to answer those questions in our unit about Georgia and its regions and rivers.” (Hook)

Note 1: Key vocabulary is introduced as they are mentioned in the learning activities, textbook, other reading material, and performance task. Students will read and discuss, with the teacher, relevant sections of the SS textbook (pages 74-99) in order to support the learning activities and performance task. (Explore and Equip) Note 2: As an ongoing activity, the students will write a paper about a day in the life of an animal from one of the five Georgia regions, as if you were the animal. Answer the following questions: If you could be one of the many animals that live in one of our five regions in Georgia, Which would you be? Why? What region would you come from? What types of things would you see? What would you do for the day? (Rethink, Revisit, Reflect, and Refine)

(Day 2-3) – Begin the lesson by playing Georgia on My Mind by Ray Charles. Then introduce the Regions by showing them on a map and asking the students if they have ever heard of the 5 regions of Georgia. Discuss each region’s name and where it is located on the map. (Hook, Explore, Equip, Tailor) Give the students the Georgia Regions Thinking Map. (Evaluation) Explain to the students that they will view the Five Regions of Georgia PowerPoint

Video Podcast and will need to record any important information about each of the 5 regions of Georgia using their thinking map. (W) As the teacher presents the Video Podcast, the students will fill in their thinking map recording important facts and information about each of the 5 regions. (Explore and Equip)

(Day 4 - 9) – Give each student a copy of Performance Task: Tourism Association of Georgia PowerPoint along with the corresponding rubric. Explain to the students that they are going to be tour guides for the state of Georgia. Kevin Langston, Deputy Commissioner for Tourism, has asked them to research, plan, and create a PowerPoint presentation to be used as Georgia’s new travel “brochure.” The travel PowerPoint will be presented to their boss (Kevin Langston), the other tour guides, and/or tourists. The presentation must include the following: 1.) The names of all 5 geographic regions. 2.) What does the land look like? (description and picture) 3.) Names of major cities in the regions. 4.) Local attractions for visitors. 5.) Natural resources/manufactured products in each region. 6.) Types of communities in each region (ex. urban, rural, suburban) 7.) Create a creative PowerPoint presentation.The students will identify the five regions of Georgia and any important facts and/or information about each region that they gathered during their research to include in their travel presentation for the state of Georgia. The students will use the Internet and books from the media center to research any additional information for their group’s presentation. Be sure to monitor your students as they surf the Internet. The teacher will observe the students as they work on their presentations and assist when help is needed. (Revisit, Rethink, Explore Experience, Tailor, Evaluation)

Week 2

Materials: Regions Thinking Map, books about Georgia’s regions, SS textbook, Computers, Internet, photos (magazines), pencil, Performance Task

Vocabulary: Performance Task, Region, Landforms, Natural Resources, Geography, Climate, Appalachian Plateau, Ridge and Valley, Blue Ridge, Piedmont, Coastal Plain (Upper Coastal Plain and Lower Coastal Plain)

Learning Activities – Performance Task: Tourism Association of Georgia PowerPoint (Day 6 – 9) – Review and discuss with the students the performance task (Tourism

Association of Georgia PowerPoint) and its rubric. (W) Allow the students to continue working on their PowerPoint presentations and assisting when help is needed.

Essential Questions to be Answered:1. Why is the (i.e. Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Coastal Plain,

Appalachian Plateau, and Valley and Ridge) located there?2. What do you mean by ‘region’?3. What makes a region unique and different?4. Where can you locate each of the five regions of Georgia on a map? 5. How are the 5 regions, Piedmont, Coastal Plain, Appalachian Plateau, Valley

and Ridge, and the Blue Ridge Mountains alike and different (or unique)?6. In what ways do people use the natural resources based on where they are

located?

Note 1: Key vocabulary is introduced as they are mentioned in the learning activities, textbook, other reading material, and performance tasks. Students will read and discuss, with the teacher, relevant sections of the SS textbook (Page 95 and Resources pages R20-21) in order to support the learning activities and performance tasks. (Explore and Equip)Note 2: As an ongoing activity, the students will write a paper about a day in the life of an animal from one of the five Georgia regions, as if you were the animal. Answer the following questions: If you could be one of the many animals that live in one of our five regions in Georgia, Which would you be? Why? What region would you come from? What types of things would you see? What would you do for the day? (Rethink, Revisit, Reflect, and Refine)

(Day 10) – Give the students the Georgia Regions Unit Test (Evaluation) and the Self-Evaluation of PowerPoint (Evaluation and Reflection).

Each student will self–assess his/her groups travel presentation for the state of Georgia. (Reflect, Tailor, and Evaluation)

(Day 10) – Allow students to present their Tourism Association of Georgia PowerPoints for “Mr. Kevin Langston” (a teacher that has dressed up pretending to be Mr. Kevin Langston), other tour guides (their classmates), and tourists (other teachers and students at the school).

Resources(Some information used within the unit was gathered from the Georgia Standards website for the state of Georgia.)

Branyan, J., Fain, K., Forehand, M., & Freeman, C. (2008). Unit 2 - Our Georgia (07/24/2008).

Retrieved from https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks/GSO

%20Frameworks/SS%20Gr%202%0 Unit%202.pdf

Bryson, A. (2008). GRASPS title: Second grade social studies Georgia regions and rivers.

Retrieved from

http://teachingwithpurpose.com/GRASPSU08/Second_GA_Regions_Rivers_Bryson/

Second_GA_Regions_Rivers_Bryson.htm

Georgia Department of Education. (2008). Unit 2 – Our Georgia (07/24/2008). Retrieved from

https://www.georgiastandards.org/Frameworks/GSO%20Frameworks/SS%20Gr%202%0

Unit%202.pdf

Oetter, D., & Skelton, C. (n.d.). Georgia’s rivers. Retrieved from

http://www.hercules.gcsu.edu/~doetter/projects/river/georgias_rivers.ppt

Robertson, H. (2008). The five regions of Georgia. Retrieved from

http://www.slideshare.net/Heatherrenee/the-five-regions-of-georgia