| Materials Needed: Explore Geography
Picture Dictionary (one per student or student group), a compass,
and Explore America Activity Sheet : "Make a Map!" |
Teacher Directions: As an introduction
to the activity, take the students for a walk around the school. Using
a compass, have students determine the directions north, south, east,
and west. Then, have them observe the physical and human characteristics
of the place by answering questions such as the following:
| Is the area flat or are there hills? |
| Are there many large trees or is there very little vegetation? |
| Are there houses or farmland all around the school? |
| Are there commercial buildings nearby? |
| If so, what kinds of businesses are in the buildings? |
| Is there a lot of traffic? |
| Do the streets serve the neighborhood only, or are they important
transportation corridors? |
|
| After you return to the classroom, have students take turns describing
a "place" they saw. Have the other students try to guess the place. |
| After this exercise, ask students to describe a place they have
been studying. For example, if students have just read about the American
Indian tribes of the Northwest Coast, they might describe an area
near the Pacific Ocean that is covered with tall cedar trees and other
vegetation. They might mention the salmon in the many rivers, and
the seals, otters, and whales in the ocean. The area would be sparsely
populated with Indian villages. Students might indicate that the rivers
provided important transportation corridors. Ask students to describe
the geographical terms. Have them use the Explore Geography Picture
Dictionary for assistance. |
| Organize students into pairs or groups of three. Give each group
a copy of Explore America Activity Sheet: "Make a Map!" Review the
directions with students. |
| Ask each group to draw and illustrate a map for one area they have
studied (e.g., the Northwest Coast, the Eastern Woodlands, the Great
Plains, or the Desert Southwest). Give each student group a list of
the geographical terms appropriate for their area. For example, for
the Northwest Coast, the terms would be coast, inlet, and ocean. Ask
them to draw symbols to illustrate the important physical and human
characteristics of the area. Have them label their maps with the appropriate
geographical terms, and include a compass rose and title. |
 |
Make it Easier: Show
pictures from Explore America. Ask students to describe what they
see. List the physical and human characteristics of the place on the
board. |
 |
Make it Quicker: Skip
the walk around the school. Assign each student group one or two geographical
terms to look up in the Explore Geography Picture Dictionary. |
 |
Make it More Fun:
Have student groups draw and illustrate their maps on butcher paper
and display as a mural. |
 |
Make it More Challenging:
Have students do additional research in an atlas, an encyclopedia,
or on the Internet to find out more about the vegetation native to
the area. |
