TITLE:  

How Can You Lose A River

CONTENT  AREAS:   
 Social Studies

GRADE  LEVEL:   
1st and 2nd

MATERIALS   NEEDED:  

Overhead projector

Book: The Woman Who Outshone the Sun: The Legend of Lucia Zenteno, by Jose Cruz Martinez

Poster board

Markers or Crayons

KEY   CONCEPTS:   
rivers, use of resources, geographic influence

EALR'S: 

G 3.2.1d Investigate cause and effect relationships and their impact on people, environments, and economic systems.
G 3.2.1b Describe how individual behaviors alter the environment and how the environment influences the individual with regard to air, water, and land issues

E 1.1.b Identify and analyze the opportunity cost of a personal choice; identify and analyze the opportunity cost of a choice within a community context.

LEARNING TARGET/GOALS:   
The student will be able to explain how a geographic place influences people’s way of life.

OBJECTIVES:   
 Following two think, pair, share, activities, listening and responding to a story about people living and using a river, and drawing a picture about using a river, the student will be able to explain why rivers are important and how they influence the people who live near them.

PROCEDURES: 

  • Introduction/Preassessment

“We are going to talk about rivers today.  First, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to silently think about the question for a moment.  Okay, What is a river?”

“Now get together with your “pair” partner and see if you can decide together how you would define ‘river.’  You may start now”

“Does anyone want to share their definition of river?”  Write the definitions of the overhead and review important elements of a river (moving water, larger than a creek or stream, etc.)

  • Activity    

Read the story The Woman Who Outshone the Sun: The Legend of Lucia Zenteno.

As we read in the story, rivers are very important and it is important that we take care of them and keep them safe. (Discus the story with the class briefly.)

Use the same think-pair-share procedure as before, asking the question, “Why is a river important?”(knowledge)

  • Closure  and Post-Assessment

“Now you get to draw a picture about why you think a river is important.  As you draw, think about the story, and what your classmates said about the importance of rivers.  On the back table there is a stack of poster boards.  Each of you will go with your table to get a poster to draw your river story on.  Use crayons, pencils, or markers.”  Send off to get poster by groups.    
    


 Have the students discuss their posters.  The content of the posters and the discussion will serve as a post-assessment.

Accommodations:

Students may orally explain why a river is important.

Students may partner up for the entirety of the lesson

Students will be provided with adequate transition time between activities.

Students can receive preferential seating for the story.

Students can receive more time for their posters.

Teacher can re-read the book to the student if needed during poster time.

Student can look and review the book as needed.