INTEGRATING GEOGRAPHY & READING STANDARDS - 2004 Summer Institute
LESSON TABLE OF CONTENTS
A First Look at Maps (1st Grade)
This is the introductory lesson, in a series of exercises, on the skill of map reading. Reading simple maps will be organized around the five fundamental themes of geography. This exercise will help students focus on identifying natural and man-made features from the perspective of an eagle, rabbit, crow, horse and seagull.
The Maasai Village and The Maasai Mara Game Reserve Frieze/Mural (1st Grade)
- - Students will use directional and positional words to place their items on the frieze (standard I- A)
- - Students will identify specific landforms and waterways on a map using geographical terms (standard III- B)
- - Students will place geographic features in the appropriate locations on the frieze
- - Students will use information from class discussion to make one or more components of the frieze
- -The students will work effectively with group by demonstrating one or more of the following behaviors - - Staying on task
- - Turn taking
- - Disagreeing respectfully and making compromises
Going on a Safari! (1st Grade)
Demonstrate an understanding of how the physical environment of Kenya affects travel plans.
Organize, plan and make decisions while planning our trip to Kenya .
Use information about climate, physical environment and purpose to plan a trip to Kenya .
Maps and Aerial Photographs (3rd Grade)
To compare maps and aerial photos of the same place and to teach about the use of both.
The Maya Inca and Aztec (5th Grade)
This is an introductory lesson on the geography and culture of the Maya, Aztec and Inca civilizations. Students will locate important sites to the civilizations on a globe and transfer their findings to a map. Students will then divide into groups to gain an overview of each civilization. Upon completion, they will share their findings with classmates.
Understanding the Idea of Movement through Nonfiction Reading Strategies (7th Grade)
In this lesson students will review the geographical concept of movement and use vocabulary strategies to enhance their understanding of the text. Students will apply this knowledge to the text and analyze the problems of discrimination and equality in their daily lives.
Tobacco: Dangerous from the start (7th Grade)
-- List 5 effects of tobacco on your body that appear early in a cigarette habit.
-- Describe health problems associated with smokeless tobacco use.
-- Explain why environmental tobacco smoke is harmful.
-- Locate states and communities within Minnesota that are tobacco free, and locate the tobacco growing states.
Just the Facts Please (7th/8th/HS Grade)
To provide students with an opportunity to evaluate and organize geographic facts for a particular area into logical and thoughtful charts, graphs, and a map.
“Where the Rubber Meets the Road” (8th Grade)
This lesson incorporates Reading Strategies and Authentic Pedagogy in a Geography Setting. Students are exposed to the concept of “human scale” in community planning in a reading that focuses on the impact of roads.
Introduction to Climate (8th Grade)
Students will learn about the factors that influence climate and how climate and vegetation are connected.
Culture and Sensory Characters (8th Grade)
Overview: Students will understand the various components of culture and apply that understanding to selected cultures around the world.
The 5 Themes of Geography and You! (Middle School)
This is an introductory lesson on the five themes of geography and how it can be applied to the individual student and their community. [Deer River Example]
Where On Earth Are We? (Middle School)
Students in an 8th grade World Geography course will learn about the study of Geography by examining the Five Themes. Throughout this lesson students will gain an understanding that geography is about space and how people interact with their surrounding, with an emphasis on location.
If the World Were a Village – The benefits of getting to know your world better! (Middle School)
This lesson is designed to introduce students to the concept of a global village and to increase their knowledge of the world and people around them. This will serve as an introduction to my current issues class and begin to give students an understanding of why we learn about the world and current events. Having a knowledge base about the world is vital in today’s society. Students must begin to look at the important people, places, and events in the world in order to be prepared citizens of the world.
The Hmong American Migration Story (9th-12th Grades)
Told through a first person narrative entitled , Dia’s Story Cloth: the Hmong people’s journey for freedom, written by Dia Cha. As a nation of immigrants, Americans have numerous tales of how we all came to be a part of this great country. Many of these stories are told through the extraordinary experiences of American’s very own refugee populations. Who are the Hmong Americans? How have they survived their journey from Southeast Asia ? How do they tell their stories of survival? What role does their unique embroidered story cloth play in telling their geographic and historical trials and tribulations? These questions will be explored throughout our course of reading, Dia’s Story Cloth: The Hmong people’s journey of freedom.
