Lesson Plan : Where Things Come From
Teacher Name: | Bonnie Buis |
Grade: | Grade 7-8 |
Subject: | Interdisciplinary |
Topic: | Social Studies, Research Skills and Communication Skills |
Content: | The lesson examines the origin of products and origin of materials using geography knowledge, face to face communication skills, communication skills using cell phones and internet research skills. |
Goals: | Students will gain an understanding of the global origins of the products they use in their daily lives. Students will work cooperatively using technology. |
Objectives: | In groups of 4-6, students will explore to locate 10 items and to gain an understanding of their origins. Each student must participate in both the exploration and research components. They will present their findings to their class using a powerpoint or another presentation method of their chosing. The presentation must include pictures of their items and at least one point of origin for each item on a map. |
Materials: | two or more cell phones with picture texting capability and a computer with internet access |
Introduction: | Students will be gathered and a brief discussion about manufacturing will occur. They will be asked if they know where clothes come from, (a factory) and then if they know anyone that works at a clothing factory (likely to be no). Everything we use has to come from somewhere, so where does everything originate? |
Development: | Students will be asked to examine the tag of a tshirt. The country of origin (COO) designation will be pointed out and the COO will be located on a world map. Students will split into groups ad be asked to take a picture of the tshirt tag and send the picture to the other cell phone in the group (to ensure all phones are working properly). |
Practice: | Working in groups of 4-6 students will explore the classroom/school for items that have a displayed COE. They will take a picture of each item. The COOs will be located and marked on a map for their class presentation. Students will be encouraged to find COO for a major component of their items (ie cotton for the tshirt) and to mark these countries on the map as well. They will create a final presentation using powerpoint to present their findings to the class. |
Accommodations: | The guidelines for this assignment allow for a wide range of participation. Students with special needs could be checked in with by text message through out the assignment. |
Checking For Understanding: | After the final presentations by the groups a class discussion will occur. |
Closure: | Maps will be printed out and hung in the hallways outside the classroom or in the school lobby. |
Evaluation: | |
Teacher Reflections: | This lesson would be a good lesson to use to start a unit. It does not have a lot of cognitive content, but gives students the opportunity to learn to work better cooperatively and to think generally about the world that they live in. This lesson could be followed by a interdisciplinary unit on the Industrial Revolution and the environment impact of industrialization. |
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