Land and Water Forms Lesson Plan and Video

An iconic material in the lower elementary classroom is the land and water forms material. Whether made on cards, tablets, or even three-dimensional pieces that water can be poured into, they are attractive and pleasing to the student. I love how this material elegantly shows the inverse relationships between land and water forms. This inspired me to make a lesson highlighting this idea within a fun and engaging game.

This game will reinforce the names of the different land and water forms and demonstrate their inverse relationship. While this lesson is designed for lower elementary, I have heard that upper elementary students still need practice with their land and water form definitions. This game will also provide a ton of throwing practice and, depending on how motivated your students are, a ton of running. After the game, your students will most probably be tired and happy.

Materials:

· An ample open space (such as a gym or field)

· Lots of soft dodge balls (the more, the better)

· At least six hula hoops (again, more is better)

· Blue and Green jerseys

o Pieces of felt can work as an acceptable substitute

· Timer

Minimum Number of Students Needed: This game needs ten students to create an impressionistic appeal for the students, but an entire class would be the best.

Prior Knowledge: The students should have been introduced to the land and water form cards and materials. The land and water form terms they should know are:

Island / Lake

Isthmus / Strait

Archipelago / Chain of Lakes

Peninsula / Gulf

Cape / Bay