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Amazing Places in the USA

Details

Tech Product/Equipment:

Computer and projector, Mobile devices for students, Speakers

Activity Description

Source: Pixabay by Jim Jorstad (License: CC0/Public Domain)

Students have conversation about favorite places, learn about a United States national monument by watching a video and answering questions, and then select a place in the U.S. to research and present on.

Preparation

Check the website to ensure it is not blocked at your site.
Read through the lesson plan.
Modify, print, and make copies of any handouts.
Decide which tool you will have students use to create their visual aids for their oral presentations and make a model/sample: Google Docs, MS Word (see sample on assignment Prompt), Google Slides (see sample shared class slides), Canva slides or video, etc.

Teacher Tips

You may choose to incorporate grammar instruction and practice. The grammar forms primarily used are passive voice, past tense, present perfect, and simple present tense.

If you use a shared class Google Slideshow, set up the slides in advance (sample), share as "can edit," and then remind students that in order to add images, they will need to sign in to their Google accounts.

More Ways

You can add in texts about U.S. national monuments, parks, or tourist sites to include reading skills practice and build students' background knowledge.

Students could also be given the choice to present about an amazing place in their native or other countries.

Program Areas

ESL: English as a Second Language

Levels

Intermediate High
Advanced

View Lesson Plan

Warm-up

Engagement

Start with some conversation in small groups:
Which type of place is your favorite and why? Big city, smaller city, small town/village?
What is your favorite big city, smaller city, or small town you have ever visited or lived in?
Did you grow up in the city or in the country?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a small town?
What states and cities have you visited in the United States? Which places were your favorite and why?
Which geographical places do you prefer and why? Ocean/beaches, mountains, plains/grasslands, tropical islands, rain forests, deserts, lakes, rivers
What kinds of natural disasters happen in your country or hometown? (i.e., forest fires, landslides, avalanches, floods, droughts, tornadoes, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc.)
What is your favorite museum, national park, monument, or natural area to visit?
Have you ever lived somewhere where the place had a natural disaster? If so, explain.
What do you like most about where you live now? Is there anything you dislike or would like to change?
What kind of weather do you like most and why? What kind of weather do you dislike and why? Hot/humid/sunny, Sunny/dry, rainy, snowing, cool and dry, other
What is the most beautiful place you have ever seen? Was it a natural place or a city? Explain what you saw and tell when and why you were there.
What do you think is the biggest problem in your hometown/country? (e.g., violence, climate change, pollution, overpopulation, lack of resources, political corruption, racism/discrimination, etc.)
If you could visit any place in the world, where would you like to go?
If you could live in any place in the world, where would you like to live?

Introduction

Engagement

Ask students to name some famous places in the United States that are known around the world. The list can be documented on the board, on a Google Doc or Word file, or on Jamboard.

Presentation

Engagement Enhancement

Show students an image of the Devil's Tower.
Ask them if they have ever seen the place before, and if so, ask them if they know what it is, where it is located, and anything else they may know.
Tell students that they are going to learn more about this place by watching videos and searching online to answer questions.

Practice

Enhancement Extension

Distribute the handout A United States National Monument. Have students preview the questions before watching to focus their listening and internet search.
Have students watch the videos (or assign small groups to watch one video each) and search online for questions that weren't answered in the video they were assigned.

Devil's Tower (7:29)
The UnExplained: Mystery of Devil's Tower (3:18)
Ancient Volcano in Wyoming: Devil's Tower (4:05)
Devil's Tower: America's Treasures (8:18)

3. Then regroup students and have them share answers they were able to find. Check the answers together as a whole class noting any different information.

4. Ask students what they found most interesting and what new words they encountered. To help students understand better the vocabulary related to the formation of the Devil's Tower, visit the Visual Dictionary Online entry.

Evaluation

Enhancement Extension

1. Amazing Places in the USA - Assignment Prompt. Go over the assignment details and demonstrate how to search for information and use the software or website you select for students to enter their information and create a visual aide (MS Word, Google Doc, Google Slides, PowerPoint, other). Show a model.

2. Have students select a place, and if they need ideas, refer back to the brainstorming list or provide the following list of possibilities:

Alcatraz
Antelope Canyon, Arizona
Badlands
Big Sur
French Quarter, New Orleans, Louisiana
Bryce Canyon, Utah
Carlsbad Caverns
Death Valley
Denali National Park
Diamond Head, Hawaii
Ellis Island
Geysers, Yellowstone National Park
Glacier National Park
Grand Canyon, Arizona
Havasu Falls
Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California
Hoover Dam
Las Vegas Strip
Lincoln Monument
Luray Caverns
Mesa Verde
Mt. Hood, Oregon
Mt. Rushmore
Niagara Falls
Old Faithful Geyser
San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge
Sequoia National Park
Space Needle, Seattle, Washington
Taos Pueblo, New Mexico
The Alamo, Texas
Thomas Jefferson Memorial
Times Square, New York City
Walk of Fame, Hollywood, CA
Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles
White House
Zion National Park

3. Have students create their visual aids, provide feedback, and then have students deliver their oral presentations.

4. You may have students listen to their classmates' presentations, take notes, and then finish with a Kahoot! or Quizziz quiz based on the information presented.

Application

Extension

Students will be able to identify United States landmarks and iconic places, knowing more about geography of the country, and conduct internet searches for information in order to plan and deliver oral presentations with a visual aid.

View Documents

View Standards

Reading Foundational Skills
- RF.3 - Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words. (Phonics and Word Recognition)
- RF.4 - Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. (Fluency)
Reading
- CCR Anchor 1 - Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
- CCR Anchor 7 - Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
Writing
- CCR Anchor 2 - Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
- CCR Anchor 4 - Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- CCR Anchor 5 - Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
- CCR Anchor 6 - Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
- CCR Anchor 7 - Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
- CCR Anchor 8 - Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
Speaking and Listening
- CCR Anchor 1 - Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
- CCR Anchor 2 - Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
- CCR Anchor 5 - Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
- CCR Anchor 6 - Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Language
- CCR Anchor 1 - Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.