Landforms (First Step Nonfiction) - Series

TEACHING
GUIDE
TEACHING
Landforms
1st Grade Reading Level
ISBN 978-0-8225-9221-1 Blue
2
TEACHING
LANDFORMS
Standards
Language Arts
• Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the reading process.
• Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies for reading a variety of
informational texts.
• Demonstrates competence in the general skills and strategies of the writing process.
• Demonstrates competence in the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing.
• Uses grammatical and mechanical conventions in written compositions.
• Gathers and uses information for research purposes.
• Demonstrates competence in speaking and listening as tools for learning.
Earth Science
• Understands Earth’s composition and structure.
Geography
• Understands the characteristics and uses of maps, globes, and other geographic tools
and technologies.
• Knows the location of places, geographic features, and patterns of the environment.
• Understands the physical and human characteristics of place.
Multiple Intelligences Utilized
• linguistic, logical-mathematical, spatial, interpersonal, and naturalistic
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Manufactured in the United States of America
1 2 3 4 5 6 — IG — 13 12 11 10 09 08
Books in the Landforms series
include:
Coasts
Islands
Mountains
Plains
Plateaus
Valleys
TEACHING
Lesson 1
Label the Landforms
Purpose: Students will identify and label a variety of
landforms and the animals that live there.
Materials
• Landforms books
• landforms diagrams
pp. 9–10
• animals p. 11
• pencils
• crayons
• scissors
• glue
Objectives
• Define the word landform.
• Identify various landforms.
• Explain the features of various landforms.
• Distinguish landforms from each other.
• Label landforms on a diagram.
• Explain similarities and differences among landforms.
LANDFORMS
Model
(teacher)
• Show students how to cut out the animal pictures
and landform labels on landforms diagrams pp. 9–10
and animals p. 11.
• Explain how students should color the landforms
diagrams and glue the labels and the animals to the
correct landforms. Label one landform together as a
class.
Practice
(students)
• Each student will color the landforms diagrams on
pp. 9–10 and the animals on p. 11. They will cut out
the animals and landform labels and add them to the
appropriate landforms. Encourage students to add
additional plants, animals, and people to their
diagrams.
Discuss
(class)
• As a class, discuss where students placed each label
and animal. Were any of the landforms confusing to
label? Which ones? Why?
• How are some of the landforms related?
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy landforms diagrams pp. 9–10 and animals p. 11
for each student.
Pretest
(teacher, students)
• What is a landform? Define landform for the
students. (A landform is a natural feature of the
earth’s surface.)
• List some landforms you know.
Read
(class)
• Read the Landforms books. This may take several days.
• Review what students have learned about each
landform after reading the books.
Evaluate
(teacher)
• Assess each student’s ability to accurately label the
landforms on landforms diagrams pp. 9–10.
• Students may take their landforms diagrams home to
share with their families, or you may have them
explain the diagrams to students in another grade.
3
4
TEACHING
LANDFORMS
Lesson 2
Make a Relief Map
Purpose: Students will create relief maps to
demonstrate understanding of landform concepts.
Pretest
(students)
• What does a mountain look like? How about a
plateau? (Ask about the other landforms as well.)
• How could we show someone what these landforms
look like?
Read
(class)
• Read all of the books in the Landforms series.
Materials
• Landforms books
• cardboard, shoe
boxes, and/or other
building materials
• scissors
• paint brushes
• salt dough (see
recipe below)
• acrylic paints
• painting T-shirts or
smocks
• newspaper
Objectives
• Recall various kinds of landforms.
• Discuss the features of each landform.
• Construct a relief map.
• Identify the features of a map.
• Explain the features of a map.
• Assess understanding of landform concepts.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Prepare an area for relief map construction and
painting. Cover the area with newspaper or plastic.
• Divide students into small groups for the relief map
activity.
• Prepare a sample relief map.
• Prepare salt dough just before the students are to use
it, or prepare it ahead of time and store it in sealed
plastic bags so it won’t dry out.
Salt Dough Recipe:
1 cup salt
11⁄4 cups water
3 cups flour
Dissolve salt in water. Gradually stir in flour until
it forms a soft dough.
Model
(teacher)
• Show students the sample relief map you created.
• Model how to create specific features of the map
using cardboard, salt dough, and other building
materials.
• Once students’ maps are complete and dry, show
them how to paint the maps.
Practice
(small groups)
• In small groups, students will create their own relief
maps, showing each of the following landforms:
coast, mountain, plain, plateau, valley, and island.
Paint maps once they dry. (This will take several days
to complete.)
• You may wish to have each group create one of the
landforms, and then put them all together to make a
single large relief map.
Discuss
(class)
• Are all of the landforms represented on your map?
Show the class the different features.
Evaluate
(class, teacher)
• What did you like most about this project? What did
you like least?
• How did this project help you better understand the
landforms?
• Teacher will assess each group’s map for
understanding of the landforms.
• Display the relief map in a hall or school display case.
(You may wish to have students add labels before
displaying.)
TEACHING
Lesson 3
Make a Volcano
Purpose: Students will demonstrate how volcanic
eruptions can make mountains grow.
Materials
• Mountains and
Islands books
• Volcano Worksheet
p. 12
• cardboard
• tape
• scissors
• newspaper
• flour
• water
• acrylic paints
• paint brushes
• paint shirts or smocks
• glue or another
thick, quick-drying
liquid (e.g. flour and
water mixture)
• squeeze bottles
Objectives
• Define key terms from the texts.
• Explain what happens when a volcano erupts.
• Construct a volcano model.
• Demonstrate a volcanic eruption using a model.
• Explain how a volcanic eruption can make a
mountain grow.
• Compare an experiment to a real volcanic eruption.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Prepare an area for volcano construction and
painting. Cover the area with newspaper or plastic.
• Make a sample volcano.
• Cut holes in the center of cardboard pieces, large
enough to fit a squeeze bottle inside. (You will need
one for each student pair or small group.)
• Divide the class into small groups or pairs.
• Make paper-máché. Combine flour and water until
the mixture is the consistency of thick glue.
LANDFORMS
Pretest
(students)
• How do mountains form? How do islands form?
• Define the terms volcano and eruption.
Read
(class)
• Read Mountains and Islands.
Model
(teacher)
• Show students your volcano model.
• Explain the steps for making the volcano. You may
wish to have students create their models along with
you, step-by-step.
Practice
(pairs or small groups)
• Build volcanoes:
Step 1 Make a cone out of newspaper. Make
sure the opening at the top is not too large.
Tape the end of the newspaper to the side
of the cone so it keeps its shape.
Step 2 Tape the cone to the cardboard base
so the large end is over the hole.
Step 3 Dip strips of newspaper into the papermáché mixture and cover the entire cone.
Extend the paper-máché onto the base to
hold the volcano in place. Let dry overnight.
Step 4 When paper-máché is dry, paint the
volcanoes. Let dry overnight.
Step 5 Make your volcanoes erupt. Fill a
squeeze bottle with glue or a flour and water
mixture. Hold the squeeze bottle inside the
volcano and gently squeeze so the liquid
oozes up and out of the volcano’s mouth.
Observe how the liquid makes a shell on top
of the volcano rather than soaking in.
Discuss
(class)
• What happened when your volcanoes erupted?
• How do eruptions make mountains grow?
Evaluate
(teacher, students)
• Students will complete Volcano Worksheet p. 12, and
teacher will assess for understanding.
5
6
TEACHING
LANDFORMS
Lesson 4
Explore a Landform
Purpose: Students will research specific landforms to
determine what kinds of activities people could do
there.
Materials
• Landforms books
• additional books/
websites about
landforms
• lined paper
• drawing paper
• pencils
• crayons or markers
• chalkboard
• chalk
Objectives
• Research a specific landform.
• Discuss the features of a landform.
• Determine the kinds of activities people could do on
a specific landform.
• Identify an activity the student would like to do on a
specific landform.
• Explain reasons that a specific landform is ideal for a
specific activity.
• Compare different landforms and activities.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Gather books and/or bookmark websites about
various landforms.
• Divide students into small groups.
Pretest
(class)
• What landforms are near where we live? What kinds
of activities can people do there?
Read
(small groups)
• Each small group will read a different title from the
Landforms series.
• Explore additional books/websites about the
landform you read about.
• As they read, students should write down the kinds of
activities people might do on their specific landform.
Model
(teacher, class)
• Using one landform as an example, talk about its
features.
• What activities might people do there? List these on
the board.
• Choose a single activity and model how to write a
short paragraph about what you would like to do on
that landform. Give reasons for wanting to do this
activity, and explain why this landform is a good
place to do this activity.
Discuss
(small groups)
• In their small groups, have students discuss what their
landform is like and what activities people might do
there.
Practice
(students)
• Each student will write a short paragraph about an
activity they would like to do on the landform they
researched.
• Students should draw a picture of themselves doing
the activity. (You may wish to have students draw
before writing so they can use their drawings to guide
their writing.)
• Regroup students so one person from each original
group is in each of the new groups (for example, one
person will have researched islands, one will have
researched valleys, etc.).
• Have students present their drawings and paragraphs
to other members of their group.
Evaluate
(teacher)
• Observe student presentations.
• Assess each student’s paragraph for understanding of
the landform and for other features specified (e.g.
text-illustration correspondence, capital letters,
punctuation, complete sentences, etc.). Make sure
students know what you will be assessing before they
begin their writing.
TEACHING
Lesson 5
Minibooks
Purpose: Students will make minibooks to
demonstrate knowledge of various landforms.
Materials
• Landforms books
• minibook template
pp. 13–16
• pencils
• crayons or colored
pencils
• stapler
• magazines, glue, and
scissors (optional)
• chalkboard or chart
paper
• chalk or marker
Objectives
• Identify various landforms.
• Explain the features of specific landforms.
• Distinguish between landforms.
• Draw various landforms.
• Construct a book about landforms.
• Compare student minibooks.
Activity Procedures
Prepare
(teacher)
• Copy minibook template pp. 13–14 back-to-back,
and pp. 15–16 back-to-back for each student.
(Align the little triangles at the bottom of each page
for copying.) Each student needs one complete book
of twelve minipages.
• Complete an entire minibook with text and drawings
or magazine photos.
• Collect magazines from home (optional).
Pretest
(class)
• Brainstorm a list of words that remind you of
landforms. List these on the chalkboard or chart
paper.
LANDFORMS
Read
(class)
• Read books from the Landforms series.
Model
(teacher)
• Demonstrate how to make the minibook.
• First, cut the pages in half on the dotted lines.
• Fold each strip in half on the solid line. Do this with
each minibook template, keeping the cover page
and pages three, five, and seven on the outside.
• Match the templates so that the page numbers are in
the correct order.
• Staple to bind them together.
• Demonstrate how to complete the minibook:
Step 1 Complete a sentence on one of the
minipages. You may use words from
the list created during the pretest, or
your own words.
Step 2 Glue a magazine image or draw a
picture explaining the sentence.
• Display your completed minibook for the class.
Practice
(students)
• Each student will complete their own minibook.
Discuss
(class, small groups)
• Have students share their minibooks with the class or
in small groups.
• Discuss similarities and differences between the
minibooks.
Evaluate
(teacher)
• Display minibooks and evaluate for understanding.
7
8
TEACHING
LANDFORMS
Additional Resources
BOOKS
Baines, John D. Coasts. Austin, TX: Raintree Publishers,
2000.
This book explores various kinds of coasts, the
plants and animals that live on them, and how
they are beneficial to humans.
Bauer, Marion Dane. The Grand Canyon. New York:
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, 2006.
Young students will learn about how the Grand
Canyon was formed, what people can do there,
and more in this illustrated title.
_____. Rocky Mountains. New York: Simon & Schuster
Children’s Publishing, 2006.
This illustrated book explains how the Rocky
Mountains were formed and describes the
animals that call them home.
Fowler, Allan. Living on the Plains. New York:
Scholastic Library Publishing, 2000. This early
reader introduces students to the Great Plains
and other U.S. prairies. With color photographs.
Oldershaw, Cally. Atlas of Geology and Landforms.
New York: Scholastic Library Publishing, 2001.
This reference book is filled with information
about the earth, inside and out.
Salzmann, Mary Elizabeth. In a Valley. Minneapolis:
ABDO Publishing Company, 2002.
This photo-filled book uses simple, repetitive text
to teach beginning readers all about valleys,
including features of valleys and the organisms
that live there.
Zoehfeld, Kathleen Weidner. How Mountains Are
Made. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1995.
Students will learn how various kinds of
mountains are formed. Photos and illustrations
reinforce simple explanations, and child
characters add to the appeal.
WEBSITES
Face of the Earth
http://www.edu.pe.ca/southernkings/face.htm
This site describes various landforms on Earth,
kinds of rock, the rock cycle, and it has studentfriendly earth science games, as well as a glossary.
FOSSweb – Landforms
http://www.fossweb.com/modules3-6/Landforms/
index.html
Teachers and students can learn about various
landforms and view photos at this informative
site.
Landforms Glossary – Enchanted Learning
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/
landforms/glossary.shtml
Line drawings accompany descriptions of various
landforms.
Types of Land
http://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/
types_of_land_2/
This educational site has photos and explanations
of various landforms.
What’s It Like Where You Live?
http://www.mbgnet.net/
Explore various habitats and landforms. This site
offers simple descriptions as well as color
photographs.
9
Teaching Landforms
Name
Teaching Landforms
Name
10
11
coast
Teaching Landforms
island
animals
mountain
plains
plateau
valley
12
Volcano Worksheet
Name
How did you make your volcano? Write or draw your answer in the box below.
What happened when the volcano erupted? Write or draw your answer in
the box below.
How do some mountains grow? Write your answer on the lines below.
Teaching Landforms
Teaching Landforms
_____________
by
Landforms
Valleys ______________
______________________.
___________________ live
on islands.
4
13
13
14
on mountains.
14
I would like to explore
3
__________________ live
______________________.
Teaching Landforms
_____________________.
Mountains ____________
I would like to __________
________________ there.
2
15
15
on plateaus.
8
Plateaus ______________
9
__________________ live
______________________.
Teaching Landforms
______________________.
Islands ______________
__________________ live
in valleys.
12
5
16
on plains.
10
Coasts ______________
7
__________________ live
______________________.
Teaching Landforms
_____________________.
Plains ________________
__________________ live
on coasts.
6
11