Geography 6th-8th: Indicator #1

Students will use geographic concepts and processes to examine the role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location and distribution of human activities and spatial connections throughout time. 

In the context of United States history through 1877, world history through the Middle Ages, and in contemporary world geography, students are able to do everything required at earlier grades and are able to:

For clarification of this indicator, go to:
http://www.mdk12.org/practices/support_success/mspap/learneroutcomes/social_studies/6-8/clarifications3.html

MapMachine, by National Geographic, is the geography teacher’s ultimate resource for creating maps for classroom use.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps/index.html

The U.S. Geological Survey has produced a series of four lessons entitled What Do Maps Show (grades 5-8). The lessons are tied to the geography themes and are thorough in introducing students to key components of maps. Complete vocabulary list and definitions are provided along with activity sheets.
http://www.usgs.gov/education/teacher/what-do-maps-show/index.html

Physically Featured is a simple lesson designed for 6^th grade students that focuses on physical map features such as latitude and longitude, map symbols and map key/legend.
http://multimedia2.freac.fsu.edu/fga/1997/physical.htm
 

This is lesson designed for 6^th graders to enhance their map skills.
http://multimedia2.freac.fsu.edu/fga/misc/map.htm#skill1
 

Shipmates is a lesson from the Asia with Pride page that is part of the Pride of Baltimore’s Web site. This lesson includes listings of appropriate indicators addressed by the lesson.
http://www.intandem.com/NewPrideSite/Asia/Lesson1/Lesson1_Tchr.html
 

From Marketplaces to Global Commerce is another lesson from the Asia with Pride page that is part of the Pride of Baltimore’s Web site.
http://www.intandem.com/NewPrideSite/Asia/Lesson5/Lesson5_Tchr.html
 

Winds Across the Sea is another lesson from the Asia with Pride page that is part of the Pride of Baltimore’s Web site.
http://www.intandem.com/NewPrideSite/Asia/Lesson6/Lesson6_Tchr.html
 

The Daily Lesson Plan, a Web page from the New York Times, has a lesson plan entitled Setting Boundaries that has students investigate boundaries of various countries. The lesson is linked to an article about balloonists circumnavigating the globe.
http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/981223wednesday.html
 

The CIA Kid's Page is a comprehensive site for maps and information on countries around the world. Very friendly for students to navigate.
http://www.odci.gov/cia/ciakids/index.html
 

A site from George Mason University provides a comprehensive list of Non-Commercial Mapping links. You’ll need time to navigate through the various links, but there are numerous resources here for producing maps and information about using maps.  This site is currently being reconstructed.
http://geog.gmu.edu/projects/maps/cart2.html#edu
 

The Geography World site provides a comprehensive list of links to sources for maps.
http://members.aol.com/bowermanb/maps.html

From Kathmandu to West Palm Beach is a lesson that allows students to utilize a climograph to compare the location of these diverse places.
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/guides/nepal/kath.html
 

Getting to Know Senegal is a basic lesson on map skills to review the geography of Senegal.
http://www.peacecorps.gov/wws/guides/senegal/know.html

Map Resources are very plentiful. Many of the sites have different types of maps that you can use online, download or print for use. Make your own maps including driving directions at: http://mapquest.com/ or find directions at: http://www.city.net/
 

The Altapedia Online:
http://www.atlapedia.com/online/country_index.htm
 

Historical maps to use for geography go to:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/Libs/PCL/Map_collection/historical/history_main.html
 

A complete unit that includes interdisciplinary studies and the use of the Encarta Online encyclopedia go to: http://encarta.msn.com/alexandria/templates/lessonFull.asp?page=281&lvstart=K&lvend=12&majorsubject=Social+Studies&minorsubject=Geography&source=%2D99&keyword=&search=1
 

A site that will give you a view of where you live or where your school is from a satellite photo
http://www.terraserver.microsoft.com/
 

As a way to get maps to become part of the social studies curriculum, it is important to use them frequently. To introduce social studies and get the children using maps, go to:
http://askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/Geography/GGR0009.html
 

Map Making, go to:
http://askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/Geography/GGR0024.html
 

Finding locations on the Map
http://askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/Geography/GGR0039.html
 

A lesson plan that uses the newspaper for geography
http://askeric.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/Geography/GGR0036.html
 

Two exemplar lesson plans from MSDE that address this indicator are:
http://www.mdk12.org/practices/support_success/mspap/exemplars/social_studies/4-5/somebody/index.html
 

http://www.mdk12.org/practices/support_success/mspap/exemplars/social_studies/4-5/ozone_instruction/index.html

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