G1-2 History: Geography of United States and Native Tribes – Mr. Josh – Trial Class

Description

All lessons in this thematic unit will include: Warm-up Question, Guided Reading, Vocabulary, Activity, and Assessment. Google Earth, Youtube and other platforms will be utilized to bring the students an interactive experience that assists them with the process of building English language skills while learning about the geography and history of the United States.

Geography of United States and Native Tribes

Lesson 1: Understanding the Globe and Maps- In this lesson, students will learn about Earth and all of its parts, as listed on maps of the world. Topics will include hemispheres, longitude, equator and more as students investigate the concept of a globe.

Lesson 2: Water and Landforms- Students will take a deep water dive into cartography to identify water formations that appear all over the world. Words learned will include peninsula, bay and valley while students examine maps to discover physical land properties that exist around the United States.

Lesson 3: Physical Features of the United States- Topics will include plains, mountain ranges, the Pacific Ocean and more, while the class examines the various types of formations that make up the land, as well as the oceans which surround it.

Lesson 4: Project-Based Learning- During this class, students will present their land formation project, which was presented in Lesson 2. The students will create their own topographical map  be a duplication of the basic major land formations in the USA) on paper (24 inches X 36 inches) – identifying and illustrating items like rivers, lakes and mountains.

Lesson 5: Indigenous Origin Stories- This lesson will introduce students to terms like environment and migrate, while discussing how the natives believed people became spread out all over America. We will examine the origin stories of one native tribe and discuss the value of storytelling to the indigenous people.

Lesson 6: Migration Routes of the First Americans- Terms like routes and buffalo will be discussed in connection with how the first Americans came to this land. Students will also learn about concepts like land bridge and hunter-gatherer to understand the cycle of migrations.

Lesson 7: American Natives and the Environment- Students will learn about the four main terrains that exist in the United States. Students will read about topics like natural resources and deserts, understanding the different environments in which the first Americans lived.

Lesson 8: Native People Adapt to the Environment- Topics include adaptation and igloos studying how the native tribes survived in the different environments around America. They will also discover what kind of shelters people built, what they ate, and how they survived.

Lesson 9: Project-Based Learning- During this lesson, students will present their projects, introduced during Lesson 6. The project will be a representation for how the individual students would adapt to one specific chosen environment. They will explain what they would eat, how they would hunt and what type of shelter they would live in.

Lesson 10: Introduction to Native Cultural Regions and European Exploration- This lesson will give a breakdown of all the things that we will learn together in the extended unit courses. Children who continue with the extended courses will have a deeper understanding of the material learned in later years of their schooling. These extended course lessons will cover topics like Native American cultural regions and European exploration while we take a glimpse at events that shaped our history.

About the Teacher

Joshua Bowman’s purpose in life is to provide children with opportunities and resources to enable them to grow academically and personally. A California native, Mr. Bowman began his career upon graduating Cum Laude from California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) with a BA in Liberal Studies and an MA in Education. He has taught all primary grade levels and is currently teaching 8th grade in Monterey County. His dedication to the principles of service, and individual maturity is reflected in his long-term association with a national leadership and mentoring organization. Mr. Bowman enjoys a fun and lively classroom setting in which he typically focuses on critical thinking analysis, discussion, and the expansion of vocabulary understanding and usage.