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Overview: This lesson will introduce
students to the important geography concept of sustainability by
looking at the Roseau River floods of 2002 to discuss the impact
of humans on the environment. Objectives: The student will be able to;
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Grade Level: 6-12Subjects: Geography, Math, Language Arts Time: Five periods of instruction, homework time, presentation time will vary with class size. Required Material: -
Transparencies or power point presentation of terms ***Teacher should have transparencies of all student copies Optional
Technologies: |
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Suggested Procedure (Pedagogy): Instructional day 1 Opening –
Class discussion, about how maps are easier to use to see spatial
relationships than a page of statistics. Show maps from the newspaper
or a web site that show statistics. Discuss how much more obvious
the data becomes. Hold up a list of statistics about Development – Ask students with athletic shoes to stand, high trend probably, Students with non-athletic shoes or sandals may be anomalies. Student high trend, teach (adult) anomaly. Writing the findings on the board and have a student make a generalization statement. Development: 1. Have students take notes on the following terms. - Choropleth map - Hypothesis - Trend - Anomaly - Generalization *Use the example maps to help explain the terminology. You can also use the class as examples of trends and anomalies. Have several students make generalization statements about the class.
Closing: Review terms, reminder to bring colored pencils to class the next day. Instructional day 2 Opening – Review terms Development: 1. Hand out
the map task and rubric sheet. Using your overhead have a student
read the task, check for understanding with several students to
be sure main idea is clear. 4. Go through the Choropleth mapping process formula handout explaining that you are teaching them how to create a key for one of their two maps. You select a topic to demonstrate. Slowly go through the formula together. This can be a tediously process but the time will be well spent. By the each of the hour each student should have one key completed . Closing: Ask for a student to explain what was learned today. For homework students should complete the second key. Instructional day 3 Opening: Review terms, color sequence for the map keys. Development: Using your overhead and a blank outline map demonstrate how you know go back to your list of statistics and color each state according to the key you created. If using colored pencils suggest putting a light color swatch in all the states first and then you can go back and color larger areas of the same color more efficiently. If using a computer paint program suggest that students paint all states of the same number range/color at a time to be more efficient. The teacher now becomes a guide. Encourage students to ask other students for help to help develop more independent non-teacher directed instruction. *Note – Because of statistical variation it may be necessary to use the number line process. See hand out. Closing: Review color sequence for the map keys and assign both maps due the next day. Instructional day 4 Opening: Review definition of a choropleth map, and why maps are helpful to do data analysis. Next review regional terms such as , the Northeast, Atlantic coast, the Southwest, the Gulf coast, North central states. Samples of completed maps can be shown. Development: Show students how to mount maps on construction paper allowing for a border of color and selection of complimentary colors. Handout written analysis task and rubric. Using your overhead have a student read the task, check for understanding with several students to be sure main idea is clear. Next go through each section of the rubric to clarify questions, encouraging student to make notations in the margins as reminders. Suggest phasing to get students into the writing process, examples; Paragraph 1The two maps I compared were… My hypothesis was… Paragraph 2 The region(s)
of the Paragraph 3 The region(s)
of the Paragraph 4 An anomaly to the high trend was…because… and an anomaly to the low trend was…because… Paragraph 5 My hypothesis was correct/incorrect. I believe in was correct/incorrect because… I believe this maybe happening because… Teacher monitors the writing process. Students with good introductory paragraphs are asked to share them with the class. Closing: Students are asked to complete the written analysis and have maps mounted by a specified date. Instructional day 5 Opening: Teacher begins class mumbling, facing away from students, with no eye contact, slouching, with nervous mannerisms. Ask students what you did wrong with your opening comments, record on board or transparency. Development: Handout Student Presentation scoring rubric. Using your overhead have a student read the task, check for understanding with several students to be sure main idea is clear. Next go through each section of the rubric to clarify questions, encouraging student to make notations in the margins as reminders. In small cooperative groups have students practice their presentations, with positive feedback and helpful comments. Discuss what are expectations of an audience. Elicit class responses, write on the board and leave for the next day. Closing: Remind students that presentations begin the next day, so be sure to practice. Review good presentation procedures. Presentations Day 6Opening: Review the presentation rubric. Ask for volunteers and begin presentations. Development: Student presentations Closing: Class selects 5 classmates to present their findings to a parent panel. Class discussion about how the lesson process went, how the assignment could be improved, what did you learn about mapping, and finally what did they learn about presentations. Student selected work can be displayed in the hall and at conferences. Differentiation: Students may work in pairs. Pairing can be teacher directed or by student choice. Sections of the rubric can be modified or eliminated based on student needs. Student may be assigned to complete one map or be given a completed map and analyze it. A fill-in –the- blank analysis sheet could be developed to simplify this process. Student Activity – Online: None Suggested Assessment: See attached RESOURCE BARDefinitions: - Choropleth map – a map that displays statistical information to compare spatial relationships - Hypothesis – An educated guess. A predication of what you expect to see. - Trend – a pattern or clustering of data. There are usually high concentration and low concentration trends - Anomaly – Something that does not fit the pattern. Does no follow the trend. - Generalization – A summary statement or statements that explain conclusions of research. Standards: Web Links for Teachers and Students: Discussion Questions: In lesson plan. Extension Activities: Have students select the top 5 presentations. These top 5 will be presenting to a parent panel the next day. A more in depth study of the region why this maps show what they do. Maps could be done as a power point presentation. Attachments: Map rubric Data sheet Choropleth Mapping Formula Choropleth Mapping Number line Process Written Analysis Rubric Presentation Rubric |
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Credits: Bill Beckman,
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This lesson was produced during the 2002 Eisenhower Professional Development Geography Summer Institute, Macalester College, Saint Paul, Minnesota USA. Also funded in part by the Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education.