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Exploring Our World


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Keywords: world, regions, compare and contrast
Subject(s): Social Studies, Spelling, Grammar, Writing, Reading
Grade 2
NETS-S Standard:
  • Communication and Collaboration
  • Research and Information Fluency
  • Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
View Full Text of Standards
School: Trafford Elementary School, Trafford, PA
Planned By: Jodi Weismann
Original Author: Jodi Weismann, Trafford
TSW compare and contrast where we live with another part of the world.

Materials:
1. Reading and social studies books
2. Leveled Readers
3. Soc. St. book
4. Maps
5. Interactive Notebooks
6. Pencils
7. Amazon Echo

Anticipatory Set:
Have students write a question they have about the world and select three students to ask "Alexa" a question with the Amazon Echo.

Lesson:
1. Introduce comparing and contrasting using a Venn Diagram by comparing tropical and temperate rainforests with facts from their reading book story "Rainforests" as a class.
2. Students will use other books that have expository texts about different regions around the world to use as research tools. They will work in groups to pick another region of the world from their literature and compare/contrast to their own part of the world. The Amazon Echo will serve as a question center for students to ask to gain more information about both regions they are comparing and contrasting. They will have already written questions in their interactive notebooks so they are prepared with questions to ask when they get to the questioning station. This part will serve as the prewriting part of the writing process.
3. Students will work in groups to draft a paragraph with a topic sentence, four details, and a conclusion and then revise and edit their drafts. They can use the Echo to check spellings as well.
4. Students will publish their paragraph and illustrate a picture to go with it.

Closure:
The paragraphs/illustrations will be turned into a class book to keep in the classroom and refer to throughout our World unit in reading about different regions in our world.
Comments
The Amazon Echo can be used in a variety of ways in the classroom. This is really great for students that need extra support reading. They can ask questions and receive an answer without typing or reading. It is a great reading and research tool to use anytime in the classroom.
Cross-Curriculum Ideas
This is great for researching science and social studies topics. It also helps with building vocabulary.
Follow-Up
As mentioned above, students will be able to use the Amazon Echo in other ways to research and get questions answered quickly. It isn't just needed for this one lesson.
Materials: Power
Other Items: 1 Amazon Echo, $179.99 each, total of $179.99
1 Voice Remote, $29.99 each, total of $29.99