Lesson Plan: The Earth’s Landforms
Grade Level: Grade 1
Subject: Earth Science
Duration: 50 minutes
1. Learning Objectives
By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:
- Identify and name four basic landforms: mountain, hill, valley, and plain.
- Describe one characteristic of each landform using age-appropriate vocabulary.
- Match pictures of landforms to their correct labels.
- Use simple sentences to talk about landforms (“A mountain is tall”).
2. Standards Alignment
- National Curriculum Standard for Social Studies (NCSS): – Theme 3: People, Places, and Environments
- Common Core ELA Standards (supports language skills): – CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.1.1: Participate in collaborative conversations. – CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
2. Materials and Resources
- Picture cards of landforms (mountain, hill, valley, plain)
- Chart paper or whiteboard & markers
- “Landforms” storybook or simple picture book
- Worksheet packet: – Practice page (drawing & labeling) – Test page (matching, fill-in-the-blank, cut & paste, multiple choice)
- Scissors, glue sticks, crayons
- Sticky notes
- Laptop/tablet (optional) for a short video or slideshow
3. Lesson Timeline
| Time | Component | Activity |
| 0–5 minutes | Introduction | Ask the student a question |
| 5-10 minutes | Video | Let the students watch a video about the landforms |
| 10–25 minutes | Direct Instruction | Landform and its definition |
| 25–45 minutes | Guided Practice | Identify the landform activity, read a short story |
| 45–50 minutes | Independent Practice | Matching type: draw the shape of the landform |
| 50–55 minutes | Summative Assessment (Test) | Matching, fill-in-the-blank, multiple choice |
| 55–60 minutes | Review & Closure | Share drawings, and ask students about their favorite landform. |
4. Instructional Procedures
Introduction (10 minutes)
- Hook: Show four picture cards one at a time. Ask, “What do you see?”
- Activate Prior Knowledge: On chart paper, list student responses. Guide them toward the words mountain, hill, valley, and plain.
Direct Instruction (15 minutes)
- Define & Describe: – Mountain: very tall, steep sides – Hill: smaller than a mountain, gently sloping – Valley: low land between mountains or hills – Plain: large area of flat land
- Visual Demonstration: Arrange cards in a sequence (plain → hill → mountain → valley in between).
- Story Time: Read a short book or show a slideshow about a character traveling through these landforms.
Guided Practice (10 minutes)
- Sorting Activity: In pairs, students sort mini-cards into four piles: mountain, hill, valley, and plain.
- Think-Pair-Share: Students use a sentence frame: “A __________ is __________.”
Independent Practice (10 minutes)
- Distribute practice worksheet:
1. Draw your favorite landform and write its name.
2. Match simple descriptions to landform pictures.
5. Guided Practice
Part A: Look at the pictures. Put a check mark on the mountains (✔️) and cross out the hills (X).
Part B: Match the picture to the word.
Part C: Draw the shape of the landform
Part D: Read a short story
6. Independent Practice
Ask the student to read, trace, and write the words.
7. Assessment Methods
Assessment
- Read the sentences to the students, and they will choose the correct answer by circling the letter.
Review & Reflection
- Class Discussion: Have students read the landforms again.
- Exit Ticket: Have students draw their favorite landform. “My favorite landform is _____.”
8. Differentiation Strategies
- Struggling Learners/ELL: – Provide picture-word cards in advance. – Use sentence frames with word banks. – Pair with a strong peer for guided practice.
- Advanced Learners: – Challenge to write two sentences about each landform. – Introduce additional landforms (island, plateau).
- Special Needs: – Simplify worksheet to matching only. – Offer tactile models (play-dough hills/mountains).
Introduction Video
PowerPoint Lesson
