Day One:  Region Day

 Today you will be introducing the Tidewater Region.  Since this is the first day of the four week unit on North Carolina and its regions, then a map of North Carolina is essential.  Discuss the different places in the Tidewater Region such as Wilmington, New Bern, Elizabeth City, Wrightsville Beach, Manteo, Emerald Isle, and Ocracoke Island, to name a few.  Have the students choose a place that they are interested in research information on the place.  The students will then write a one page paper on the information they collected.  Close the lesson by discussing the people of the region.
 

Day Two:  Michael Jordan

 Open today’s discussion to the students by asking the question, “Think of a time when you asked more of yourself than you thought you could do.  What was the result?”  Today’s lesson is on Michael Jordan and his impact on North Carolina.  Talk to the students about his life in Wilmington, North Carolina, and his basketball career at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  There are many facts about Michael Jordan that the students will be very interested in learning (see attached sheet).  Students will use their computer skills today by working on the internet.  The internet sight the students will use is http://ww1.sportsline.com/u/jordan/game/.  The students will have the option of three different games that they can play against Michael Jordan on the computer:  “One-on-one”, “Slam Dunk”, or “Be like Mike.”
 

Day Three:  DRTA with “Michael Jordan-23”

 Today you will lead the students in a DRTA (Directed Reading Thinking Activity).  The students will use the book “Michael Jordan-23” with this lesson.  Discuss with the students what the DRTA will include and they have questions to discuss after each passage of reading.  (See attached lesson plan)
 

Day Four:  Weather

 The discussion of today’s lesson will be the weather that is very prominent in the Tidewater Region.  Ask the students what affects the coast more than any other type of precipitation.  Remind the students where the Tidewater Region is located in North Carolina, and the effects of it being surrounded by water.  Talk to the students about flooding and hurricanes, and have an open discussion about the two forms of disasters and ask if anyone has ever been involved in one of these.  Show the students the pictures of the hurricanes in the area (see attached pictures).  The students will learn how to track a hurricane and to demonstrate sedimentation (the lesson plans are also included).
 

Day Five:  The Outer Banks

 The Outer Banks are the essential core of the Tidewater Region.  The towns that are included in the Outer Banks are Corolla, Duck, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, Manteo, and Oregon Inlet.  Over the years, there have been many changes that have occurred on the land and with the people on the Outer Banks.  Discuss with the students all the changes that have taken place.  A map would be very helpful in today’s lesson to point out all of the different locations of the Outer Banks (see attached map).  Talk about the importance of time and discuss how to make a timeline.  The students will use the information about the Outer Banks and produce a timeline about this area (see attached information).
 

The Coastal Plain

Day 1- Region Day

Today you are introducing students to the coastal plain. It is important to have a map of North Carolina and locate the Coastal Plain. Have the students map the Coastal Plain, mapping important places, such as the capitol and the sand hills. Map important things that are produced in the region, such as hogs. Talk about the people and what they do for a living. Discuss colleges and historic places in the region.

Day 2- Explore the Capitol

Focus & Review: Remind the students that you are studying the Coastal Plain. Ask students what the capitol of North Carolina is. Ask if they can tell you anything about it. You may wish to have students find Raleigh on a map.

Statement of Objectives: “Today we are going to take a virtual tour of Raleigh. We will learn about our capitol by using the internet.”

Social Studies objective:
12.1 Identify people, symbols and events associated with North Carolina’s heritage.

Computer /Technology Skills objectives:
2.1   Use technology tools used to collect, analyze and display data.
3.5   Evaluate information found via telecommunications for content and usefulness.

Teacher Input: Tell the students the class is going to tour five different areas of Raleigh. Explain that the class will be divided into five groups to research each area. The class will tour: The State Capitol, The Executive Mansion, The legislative Building, The Natural Science Museum, and the mall area of Downtown Raleigh. Each group should record the history of their specific area, important events that have happened and what it is used for now. Be sure each group knows they will present their findings to the class.

Guided Practice: Divide the class into groups. Give each group a piece of paper with the URL for the sight. <http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Parthenon/9305/frame.html> Allow 25-30 minutes for students to find information and organize it to present.
Walk around and assess each groups ability to use the computer, work together and progress on the assignment.

Independent Practice: Make sure students have completed the assignment and give each group a chance to present their findings.

Closure: Talk about any thing a group left out of their presentation. Give students a chance to ask questions, you may want to ask them some on the material the groups covered in their presentations.

Day 3 - State Government

Today you are familiarizing students with the states system of government. Make sure students know There is a Senate and a House of Representatives made up of people from all over the state. You may talk about local politicians that work at the state level. Be sure to mention the Governor as you are setting up the lesson for day four. Students can do an activity about how politicians are elected. You may wish to set up a campaign and election where the class votes. You may also wish to present a problem where half the class is on one side and half on the other and let them reach a compromise.

Day 4 - Politicians & Governor James B. Hunt

Focus & Review: Have the students briefly write a law they would make if they were a politician and why they would make the law. Ask students to share their laws and reasons.

Statement of Objectives: “Today we are going to focus on politicians while focusing on our governor James B. Hunt”

Social Studies Objectives:
7.1 Identify important services provided by state government in North Carolina.
7.3 Evaluate professional characteristics and skills necessary for effective leadership by state officials and political leaders.

Teacher Input: Show a video clip from C-SPAN featuring the mayor of Raleigh. After the video explain that politicians have a lot of jobs. Ask the students if they can name some politicians from North Carolina and what they do.

Guided Practice: Put students into groups of four or five. Distribute a copy of Governor Hunt’s biography to each student. You may choose to simplify the biography. Have students work together to write some important facts and major accomplishments in Governor Hunt’s life. Walk around the room and help each group. After 10-15 minutes, bring the class back together and let each group take turns sharing an important fact. Discuss the facts.

Independent Practice: Have each student write a letter to the Governor. Tell the students to write about what they admire most about the Governor or any questions they might want to ask him. Make sure each student has an envelope which they can address , if you are going to mail all of the letters. If not tell the students you will combine their questions and comments into one letter.

Closure: Review what the Governor does and a few important facts about Governor Hunt. Tell the students that when you get a letter back from Governor Hunt, that it will be shared with the class.

Day 5 - Farming

 Farming is critical to the Coastal Plain. Twenty two percent of North Carolinians are employed in agriculture. This number is even higher in the Coastal Plain. Talk about hog farming as well as turkey and chicken farming. Explain the amount of income that farming provides and that it supports many families. If you know a local farmer this would be a good activity to end up the week and give the community a chance to work with the school.

Piedmont Region
 

Day One:  Region Day

 Today students will learn about the Piedmont Region of North Carolina.  Students will explore cities in the Piedmont of North Carolina and important places within the region.  Cities such as Charlotte, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem will be discussed.  Show the overhead of the Piedmont region, and have students to make their own map putting important places onto the map.

Day Two:  Author/ illustrator study lesson about Gail Haley

Students will learn about Gail Haley and discuss and compare her works.  See attached lesson plan.
Day Three:  Business and Economy of the Piedmont region

Students will research and discuss businesses of the Piedmont.  Allow students to create their own business.  Students and make business cards, advertisements, set up a budget, hire workers, work on committees, open up a store, sell merchandise to other students, set up a stock market, and keep an inventory of all stock.

Day Four:  Transportation of the Piedmont region

 Students will explore different kinds of transportation within the Piedmont, and compare the forms of transportation with the area they live in.  Have students to write a short story about using all forms of transportation and how it is useful to them.

Day Five:  Take a field trip to Discovery Place in Charlotte

This will allow students the opportunity to experience the heart of the piedmont region, use transportation they learned about, see businesses, and learn interesting things at Discovery Place itself.  Discovery Place will be a great way for students to integrate science and other subject areas into this Social Studies Unit.

Author/ illustrator Study Lesson Plan     Day Two

Focus and Review:
 Have students to discuss what authors are and what illustrators are.  Give examples by showing students books and pointing out the author and the illustrator.  Explain that they will learn about author and illustrator Gail Haley who is from the Piedmont region.

Objectives:
? Goal 11:3 Evaluate the effects of change on the lives of the people of North Carolina.
? Goal 12:1 Identify people, symbols, and events associated with North Carolina’s heritage.
? Goal 1:3 Analyze similarities and differences among North Carolina’s people, past and present.
? Goal 2:1 Describe traditional art forms and aesthetic values in North Carolina.
? Goal 4:1 Explain how regions are defined, and identify regions within North Carolina and regions of which North Carolina is a part.
? Goal 3:1 Describe the absolute and relative location of the state and places within the state.
? Students will learn where Gail Haley was born in the Piedmont region.
? Students will understand author and illustrator
? Students will compare and contrast books by Gail Haley.

Teacher Input:
 Read aloud the books in the author/illustrator study.  “Jack and the Bean Tree”, “Puss in Boots”, and “Dream Peddler.”  Discuss where Gail Haley is from in the Piedmont region.  Discuss her illustrations and her writing with the students.  Give other examples and explain to students that they will write their own book and illustrate it.  What kinds of things does the author include in her books?  What similarities are in her books?  In her illustrations?  How would you find out information about the author and illustrator?  Where is the author/ illustrator from in North Carolina?  What region is that in?  How would you write your own book and illustrate it?  What are the books about?  How are the stories alike?  How are they different?  What facts would you like to know about Gail Haley?  Discuss and answer these questions.  Use the questions to build your discussion and to invoke student response.

Guided Practice:
 Help students to fill out worksheets on the three books.   They can use the “Pebble in the Pond” sheet or the “Story Tree” sheet to fill out information on the book.  Have students to get into groups to discuss the books.  Have students to write and illustrate their own book (5-8 pages) and to write up information about themselves as an author and an illustrator.

Independent Practice:
 Students should complete their analysis of the Gail Haley books and add her birthplace to their region map.  Students should also complete their books that they have written and illustrated.

Closure:
 Discuss author/ illustrator with the students and focus the discussion on Gail Haley as an author and an illustrator, and themselves as an author and illustrator.  As a closure activity students can also run their own publishing company by having their peers “publish” their work.  All the books can be placed into a collective published book by the teacher, and left in the classroom for all the students to read.

MOUNTAIN REGION
 
 

Monday:
 Region day:  Today, we will explore the mountains as a whole.  The class will become familiar with the geographical aspects of the region as well as with people and customs of the region.  Activities begin with a mapping activity of landforms and cities within the region.  Students will be exposed to Grandfather mountain, Mount Mitchell, and the Smokies.  We will highlight areas that will be covered during the week while focusing on geography.

Tuesday:
 Today’s lesson focuses on two of the regions  most famous explorers:  Eliza Mitchell and Daniel Boone.  Students will be split into four groups, two groups will be focusing on each explorer.  Groups will gather data from the books and the Internet to learn about their subject.  Each group must construct a product, including typed information in paragraph form, drawings, and ÒA day in the life . . . Ò story.  To save class time, teachers may wish to collect the research information rather than having students    -search for themselves.  Speak with the school librarian to see if the posters may be displayed in the library for a week or have groups present to a younger class.

Wednesday:
 Using Kid Pix, we created a lesson to create awareness for the Spanish-speaking residents of this region.  The program allows us to convert from English to Spanish and back again with ease.
 Spend some time preparing for the Wax Museum.  Make sure all costumes are in tact and lines are rehearsed.

Thursday:
 (1) Begin the first days activities of the lesson, Mountain Art. This includes group research on the Internet and pencil sketches of the photographs found there.  If students finish early, have them begin on the descriptive paragraph.
 (2) Talk about the weather!  What are mountains famous for?  SNOW, of course!  Go through the lesson included in this packet on snow.  This lesson was found on the Internet site for the Discovery Channel. Students will learn how to measure snowfall as it relates to water.
 Have a dress rehearsal because tonight’s the night for the Wax Museum.

Friday:
 (1) Complete day twos activities on Mountain Art. Have students construct pastel drawings and finish descriptive paragraphs.  Groups will prepare for and participate in the presentation.  Drawings will go on the bulletin board.
 (2) Review the unit.  Ask questions from previous weeks activities.  Find out what students learned and what they enjoyed.  Have each student write a letter to a student in a younger grade, (i.e. Kindergarten).  The letter should be about their favorite region and should include detailed information about the region.

Title:  Mountain Art
Subject Areas:  Art, Language Arts, Computer skills, Science
Grade:  Fourth
 

Focus and Review:
? On region day, we located Grandfather Mountain on the North Carolina map.  We also examined features of the mountains, including their foliage.  Today, we will use this information to research photographs of Grandfather mountain off of the Grandfather Mountain web site.
? Review searching the Internet, Internet use policies, and typing in URLs.
? Discuss pencil sketches and when they are appropriate and how they are effective.
? Review appropriate use of pastels, shading, etc.
 

Statement of Objectives:
? The learner will gain understanding of fall foliage and a brief explanation of the science behind the changes
? The learner will explore the magnitude of pencil sketches and pastels by creating their own fall images based on those found on the Internet
? The learner will work in cooperative groups to locate and search on the Grandfather Mountain web site (www.Grandfathermountain.com)

Social Studies Curriculum:
? 3.1 Describe the absolute and relative location of the state and places within the state.
? 3.2 Locate in absolute and relative terms major landforms, bodies of water, and natural resources in North Carolina.
? 4.2 Describe the major physical and cultural characteristics of regions within North Carolina.

Computer Skills Curriculum:
? 2.10 Use search strategies to locate information electronically. (T)
 

Teacher Input:
Day 1:
 Explain searching a specific web site to find needed information.  Review Internet use policies and importance of typing in the correct URL.  Explain .com, .gov, and .edu addresses.
 Review pencil sketches from previous exercises.  Discuss lines and shading.
Circulate around the room and offer assistance where needed.

Day 2:
 Review search and pencil sketches.  Outline activities of the day:  pastel drawing and descriptive paragraph.  For pastel drawing, have students refer to pencil sketch and Internet photograph in order to create an accurate picture.  Discuss elements to descriptive paragraph, include subject, data, adjectives, complete sentences and proper grammar.
 Teacher should monitor work and offer suggestions when the situation requires.  Encourage students to work in their groups to problem-solve.
 

Guided Practice:
Day 1:
 Open and log onto the Grandfather Mountain web site as a class.  Step-by-step, explain procedures and have students volunteer ideas on what to do next.  Students will be in groups of four.  As a group, they will search the site to find pictures of the mountain which will be used throughout the lesson.  Each group will choose one photograph to print out which will serve as their model for their individual sketches.

Day 2:
 Use colored chalk on the board to create a class picture of Grandfather Mountain.  Have each student add to the drawing.  Make references to the one they will create themselves, including techniques and color choices.
 
 

Independent Practice:
Day 1:
 Each student will use the web photograph of Grandfather Mountain to create a pencil sketch of the picture.  Student drawings should emulate those found on the web.  Note:  Teacher needs to explain thoroughly that only the pencil sketch will be used in the next step.
 

Day 2:
 (1)  Students will create a pastel replica of their pencil sketch.  They will not be allowed to refer to the original photograph.  Students should concentrate on exactness.
 (2)  Using what they have learned about fall foliage and their artwork, students will construct a paragraph describing the scientific processes behind color changes.  They will make references to their art, relating color to science, in order to demonstrate their understanding of why these changes occur and how they are visible through their pastel pictures.
 

Closure:
 Groups will collaborate their ideas.  They will prepare a two-five minute talk on what they learned through this exercise.  Students may chose to read their paragraphs and display their pictures or to be more creative with their presentation.