Teaching > Multi-Level Concepts and Lessons

Geography Lesson

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AlexMokpo:
Man...the last three lessons are mine...  Where are you folks!  I hate having to come up with my own ideas! :P  (not that this is entrirely mine...I copied a lot of it from Phil in Yeosu)

ANYWAY, this is geared towards my lower-level students, so should be good for middle-school, maybe even grade 6.

Start by teaching "Continent" and "Ocean".  I do this by writing them on the board, then asking them the korean word, and write it for those who didn't know. 
Now write "7" beside continent, and "5" Beside ocean, and see how many they can name in English.  Then fill in the missed ones (no kid knows Antartica yet), and clarify with description words for each, so they know what you're thinking. 
EG:  (South, Cold) = Antartica    (North) = Arctic Ocean
       (Australia) = Oceania          (Big) = Pacific Ocean

Give the first handout (to each individual) and have them fill in the blanks...you'd think it was easy since all the answers ARE on the board, but it's not.  You'll have to go around helping.

Now explain you're going to teach Europe today.  What are some European countries (they know them all, basically, from watching Soccer).  ...but they don't know WHERE they are.
So hand out the second map to groups of 4 - 6.  It's Europe with every country's name.  They have 5 minutes to study it, then you're going to take it away and give them the third handout, and have them write as many of the names as they can remember.  (I like my attached map b/c the Black Sea still looks like a country haha).  They're really interested in the rediculously small countries like "Andora" and "Lichtenschtein".
Take up on overhead (or whatever you have), just pointing "what is this country?" 

Now write on the board:
<country name> is famous for _____ and _____.  (things)
______, _____, and _____ are three famous people from <country name>.  (you'll probably only get soccer players)
Everyone knows the city of _____ in <country name>.

Every group is a different country, and they must write this and fill in the blanks.  Use easy ones they've learned about in other topics, such as Russia, Italy, and Germany.

Present, and class should be over after.
50mins run time.

Brian:
During my winter camp I did a little geography exercise.  I picked an activity that I thought'd take maybe 10 minutes, and be a little fun.  They made teams and I gave them maps of Asia with the countries written on them.  Most students knew the main ones: Japan, Korea, China, Russia, Vietnam, Thailand.  I told them to look at it and remember where the countries are (I gave them a few minutes).  Then I gave them the map with the country names erased, and they went apeshit. 

To "help" the students (I thought) I cropped off western Asia, so places the "-stans" weren't on the map.  (I didn't expect them to actually remember these countries, but they just happened to be on the map I gave out.  So, that meant the countries remaining on the nameless map were pushed to the left to compensate for the cropping.  This caused problems for everybody because *knocks head against the table* the kids memorized where the countries were on the paper, not where the countries were in relation to the Earth.  Most of the names were either written on the ocean or on mainland China.  Anyway, the kids complained basically all class long that the maps were different, which ruined what should have been a 10 minute exercise. 

It was largely my fault, as I had just read about a similar activity on Dave's and decided to try it that morning.  I couldn't find suitable maps, though, so I ended up using two different ones (both of Asia but *knocks head against the table* with the countries in different places on the paper). 

This has little to do with your lesson, but I was just reminded of that fiasco after reading your post.  Your lesson sounds hard . . . I envy you your students if they're able to do anything approaching that.  I'm gearing up for yet another lesson of "How old are you?" where the kids will respond "It's sunny." 

Arsalan:

--- Quote from: Smee on June 05, 2007, 11:29:11 am ---I'm gearing up for yet another lesson of "How old are you?" where the kids will respond "It's sunny." 

--- End quote ---

LOL, this is the level of a good part of my highschoolers.  My middle school kids are much better it seems.

I haven't posted lessons because I've been borrowing ones from this place, and playing games like hexagons.  They also can't seem to follow if there isn't candy involved.

AlexMokpo:
HAHAHAHA, 
Oh god, how I'm addicted to candy.  I now start all my classes with a good brainstorming session about whatever topic I'm teaching to get them going (Virginia's idea), and it's great...except it doesn't even START to begin until I pull candy out of my pocket and dangle it for them. 
NOW...What is a country in Europe??!
And all of a sudden the entire class knows answers and shout them all at once.

And I didn't think my lesson was hard at all...in fact, I worried that it was too EASY!  Though I must admit, when I did it with the lower level classes, it always took them so long to come up with words to fill in the blanks that there was no time to present.

ladymp22:
Busy work to say the least, great supplemental material to a main lesson.  Each worksheet inlcudes a few paragraphs with questions. I used this with mid to high level students to practice reading and comprehension.

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