Jeana Berkowitz

Unit Plan- The South

A Day in The City
4th grade
Goals
-Introduce them to popular cities in the South
-Give the students an idea of how populated the cities are
-Gain experience researching a topic
-Write a composition using supporting details
Integration of Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to research a popular city in the South and write a
composition about what they would do for a day in that city. Students must
include at least 3 activities or supporting details that are specific to that city,
based off the research they did.
Standards
CC.1.4.4.1- Provide reasons that are supported by facts and details
CC.1.4.4.V- Conduct short research projects that build knowledge
through investigation of different aspects of a topic
NCSS Themes
Culture
Places
Individuals, Groups and Institutions
Anticipatory Set
Good morning boy and girls! Has anyone ever traveled to any of the
Southern states weve been talking about? Where have you been? What did
you do? Today we are going to be talking about some of the most populated
and popular cities down in the South. Once weve talking about some of the
southern cities, you all are going to be doing some research about the cities
and plan out a day in one of the cities, as if you were visiting for a day!
Procedures
1.Have the students turn and talk to partner about what cities they
think would be most
populated or frequently visited.
2. Bring everyone back as a class and have partners share what cities
they came up
with.
3. Write on the board the cities they came up with
4. Write on the board the actual cities that are the most populated and
most frequently visited. Include population numbers

- Jacksonville, Fla. : 853,382

- Charlotte, NC: 809,958
-Memphis, TN: 656,860
-Nashville, TN: 644,014
-Atlanta, GA: 456,002
-Raleigh, NC: 439,896
-Miami, FL: 430,332
-New Orleans, LA: 384,320
5. Ask the class if they have visited any of these places. Discuss what
kinds of things
they did when they were there. If no one has been to any
of these places. Talk about:
New Orleans: popular for its food and jazz music, mardi gras
which dates back to
French Colonial times
Miami, Fl: its beaches and warm weather, big vacation spot,
known for being a
center of trade, commerce,
entertainment, pop culture and the arts
Charlotte, NC: known for baking, the USs second largest baking
hub.
Nashville, TN: known as the music city. Known as the Athens of
the South
because there is a full-scale replica of the real
Athens most famous landmark.
6. Now that some of the major cities were discussed have the students
get lap tops to research either a city you discussed or another southern city.
7. Give them 20 minutes to research things to do in that city, or any
other interesting fact that would make them want to visit there.
8. When the students are done researching have them write a
paragraph about what they would do it if they were in that city for a day or
why they want to go there. They must include as least 3 supporting details.
9. After the students have written their paragraphs, have volunteers
share what they would do if they visited their city for a day.
Differentiation
Students who need more of a challenge, have them give 5 supporting
details and for
students who need more assistance have them only give 2
supporting details, theses students may also need a graphic organizer.
Closure
Great job boys and girls! Today we learned about many of the popular
cities in the
South. There are so many different cities in the US and
they are have different things to
offer people! You all did a great job
researching some of those cities and planning a day
there! Maybe one
day you all will get to visit these cities and live out the day you
planned!
Formative/ Summative Assessment

The teacher will walk around the room to make sure students are on
task and following
directions. At the end the teacher will collect their A
Day in the City composition to assess if they were able to find 3 activities
they will do specific for that city.
Materials/Equipment
-White board
-Laptop cart
-Paper
-Pencil
Resources
http://easyscienceforkids.com/all-about-city-life/
http://www.funtrivia.com/en/ForChildren/Cities-for-Kids-11042.html

http://www.kidinfo.com/geography/usa.html
Technology
-Laptops
-Smart Board
Although it is not necessary. If your classroom has a smart board
the students
could share their compositions with the class, over
the smart board.
Reflection on Planning
Teachers should keep in mind the many different cities the children can choose to
research. It is important to expose the students so cities from various states, exposing them to
different parts of the South and the many different cultures they cover. It is also important to
realize that some students may not have done any traveling, meaning they have not been
exposed to any of the cities, so when they are researching make sure to give them time to really
explore and learn about these southern cities.