HGA | ASGI00

Unit: People and Places:
A third grade study of countries around the world

Lesson: Making Ziplock Puzzlers
Sandra S. Yoshimi
Grade 3
June 20, 2000

Purpose: Through a research study of countries around the world, students will understand how physical and human processes together shape places.

Students will use physical and human characteristics to compare and contrast places and regions.

The ziplock puzzler activity done after the gathering of facts about a country allows students to share their information in a creative and fun way.

Focus Question: How do physical characteristics and human processes together shape places?

Secondary Question: How are people and places around the world similar? How are they different?

Geography Standards: The geographically informed person knows and understands:

Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.

Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places.

Hawaii Content Standards and Benchmarks:

1. World in Spatial Terms: Students use geographic representations to organize, analyze, and present infromation on people, places, and environments.

* Read and make geographic representations (i.e., maps, globes, charts, models) to locate and describe locations, distances, and directions and scale.

2. Places and Regions: Students understand how distinct physical and human characteristics shape places and regions.

* Use physical and human characteristics to compare places and regions near and far.

Student Objectives:

The students will be able to:

1. use a variety of reference materials to collect information about a country.

2. write general statements comparing the physical and human characteristics of the countries researched.

3. create a ziplock puzzler of the country they researched (The puzzler consists of clue cards that lists interesting facts about the country).

4. identify countries of other ziplock puzzlers made by classmates.

Geographic Skills/Thinking Skills

Asking/Answering Geographic Questions:

* On which continent is your country located?

* What is the relative/exact location of your country?

Acquire Geographic Information:

* Collect information using a variety of literary and informative texts such as electronic magazines and encyclopdia, reference books, print encyclopedias, almanac, atlas, etc.

Organizing Geographic Information:

* Recording information on notetaking format.

* Using research information to create ziplock puzzlers.

Analyzing Geographic Information:

* Writing general statements comparing physical and human characteristics of he countries researched.

* Identifying the countries using the clues that contain interesting fact from student research.

This lesson can be used with a unit on: countries, cultures, regions

Materials Needed:

Procedure:

Introduction to the study of people and places: (1 class period)

1. In preparation for his lesson, place a map of each continent on a different table.

2. Pass out pictures of different countries to students. Have students guess which country their picture is from. Instruct them to sit on the table of the continent they think their country is located on.

3. Have each student share their answers, give them the correct answer at this time.

4. On each table provide a variety of resources of different countries. Have a read-in and allow students to skim and scan materials for about 15-20 minutes.

5. Write any interesting facts they read about a country on a post-it (1 fact per post it).

6. Allow students to post facts on a large world map (place post it near to the country that the fact is about).

7. Have the student choose the country they would like to research.

The Collecting of Information: (several sessions)

1. At the beginning of each session: pass out and explain notetaking form.

2. Model the process of taking notes: example-provide a printout on Japan, have the students read along and highlight keywords using a printout about Japan.

3. Write notes on transparency. Set criteria for good notes.

4. Brainstorm possible resources available to obtain information about their country.

Making Comparative Statements: (Daily Wrap Up)

1. Have students work in groups to write general statements comparing the physical and human characteristics of countries researched. Examples:

2. Have students write their comparative statements in their learning logs. Record shared responses on a class chart.

Project: Putting together ziplock puzzlers (1-2 class periods)

1. For homework, have students bring in pictures about the country they researched. They can look in magazines (national geographic is excellent), or parents might be able to help the sudent search the internet. Pictures can be about any aspect of the country (famous landmarks, the people in traditional clothing, cultural items, etc).

2. Using the information obtained from research sessions, fill out clue sheet. After checking clues, have student copy clues on clue cards (one clue per card) .

3. Go over ziplock evaluation sheet.

4. Place in ziplock the following items:

Picture clues of the country

Clue cards

An interesting item from the country

5. Go over ziplock evalution sheet after ziplocks are put together.

Activity: Playing the ziplock puzzler game (1 class period)

1. Prior to this activity, label each ziplock puzzler with a different letter.

2. Pass out ziplock puzzler recording sheet.

3. Place one ziplock puzzler on each table. Have students look through clues, and guess which country the puzzler is about. Write response on answer sheet next to the corresponding letter.

4. Go over answers. Add more to comparative statement chart.

Clasing Activity: Story - "Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox

1. Review the comparative statement chart.

2. Ask students to respond to one of the following questions in their learning log:

What makes the world an interesting place?

How are people different, yet the same?

3. Close by reading aloud "Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox.

Assessment:

Assessment in this unit must be ongoing, especially during the research process:

* After each note taking session, review each student's note taking format. Make sure information is accurate, and appropriate. Individual student conferences are very effective throughout this process.

* Learning logs can be assessed to make sure students are able to make comparative statements about different countries.

Both student and teach can assess the ziplock puzzlers using the evaluation sheet.

Extensions:

1. Have the students compare the similarities and differences of 2 countries using a Venn Diagram.

2. Do a comparative study of the Cinderella Folkale written in different countries.

3. Read picture books that are written about different countries.

4. Have a culture day at school.

5. Have the students choose another country to study. Have the students present their research in a different way:

* Using Microsoft Hyperstudio

* Making a travel brochure

* Making a travel poster

* Creating a mini-booklet

* Oral presentation

6. Bring in articles about problems faced by countries that students are studying.

Appendix:

* Note taking forms

* Maps of continents

* Ziplock clue sheet

* Ziplock puzzler recording sheet

* Ziplock evaluation sheet

References:

"World Book 1998 Multimedia Encyclopedia"

"Whoever You Are" by Mem Fox

"Picture a Country Series" published by Franklin Watts