Lesson Plan for Year 2 - Social Studies - Basic Geography Skills

Title: Basic Geography Skills Grade Level: Year 2 (Ages 6-7) Duration: 60 minutes Subject: Social Studies **Lesson Objectives:** 1. Students will be able to identify and name the four main compass directions (North, South, East, West). 2. Students will understand the concept of a map and its purpose. 3. Students will learn to identify simple geographical features such as mountains, rivers, and cities on a map. 4. Students will be able to locate their home town/city on a map of the UK. **Materials Needed:** - A large map of the UK - Compass (real or illustrated) - Flashcards with compass directions - Pictures of geographical features (mountains, rivers, cities) - Blank maps for students - Crayons/colour pencils - Whiteboard and markers - Globe (optional) - Sticky notes **Lesson Plan:** **Introduction (10 minutes):** 1. Begin the lesson by showing students a globe and a large map of the UK. Discuss briefly what these tools are and how they help us learn about the world. 2. Introduce the term "geography" and explain that it involves studying places and the relationships between people and their environments. **Activity 1: Compass Directions (15 minutes)** 1. Show the students a compass or a diagram of a compass on the board. 2. Explain the four main directions: North, South, East, and West. Using flashcards, help students remember the directions by forming an acronym (e.g., Never Eat Shredded Wheat). 3. Engage students in a game where they must point to the correct direction when a flashcard is shown. **Activity 2: Understanding Maps (15 minutes)** 1. Display the large map of the UK and explain that a map is a smaller, flat representation of a place. 2. Show students basic features on the map such as mountains (using pictures), rivers, and cities. 3. Use sticky notes to label the geographical features on the large map. **Activity 3: Locating Their Home Town/City (10 minutes)** 1. Hand out blank maps of the UK and crayons/colour pencils to each student. 2. Guide students to locate their home town/city on the map. Provide assistance if needed and let them mark it with a dot or a star. 3. Let the students colour their maps, highlighting different geographical features discussed earlier. **Conclusion (10 minutes):** 1. Review the key points of the lesson by asking students to quickly name the four compass directions and one feature they marked on their map. 2. Allow students to share their maps with classmates, discussing what they coloured and why. 3. Summarise the lesson by reinforcing the importance of maps and directions in understanding our world. **Assessment:** - Observe students’ participation during activities and discussions. - Check students' maps for their correct use of coloured highlights and identification of their home town/city. - Conduct a quick oral quiz to ensure understanding of compass directions and basic geographical features. **Extension:** - For students who finish early or show a high level of interest, provide simple puzzles or additional maps to explore. - Encourage students to create a map of their classroom or school as a follow-up activity. - Use educational videos about geography and map-reading on a digital platform or a projector for enriched learning.