Introduction to Geography
Watch the video with your kids on day one AFTER seeing how many countries they can name individually and then in a group!!!
Fun music video covering countries around the world
This unit goes over how geographers look at each region they will study. Once you are ready to dive into content, you will then introduce the introductory units in the order below.
Think Like a Geographer
Introduction to Physical Geography
Introduction to Human Geography
Introduction to Culture
Introduction to Government
Introduction to Economics
Students will use a graphic organizer and do a small group, student led project with the mini-intro units. Students will choose ONE introductory unit and use 2 weeks to work through it. As students work through each introductory unit, each day the teacher will work through ppts or short lectures as a way to deliver the information. This can be done at the beginning of class, or the end of class, whichever is preferred. The teacher can give the ppts to the students the day before they go over them as homework to read over and bring questions about them to class, in order to have a quicker run through in class and more time to answer questions.
First: Work with students through any teacher led PPTs or short lectures. Using their graphic organizer, students will take KWL notes, write down the standard they are learning as well as applicable vocabulary, and then they play with the interactive maps, games, or videos that are provided.
Going forward: With the notes that they have, they will then work through the different resources. Each resource will have a section on the attached graphic organizer. The students will work together in small groups of 3 for their intro-section. If there is an odd number of students that would make a group of 4 or two groups of 2, give two groups 2 the section over Think Like a Geographer, or create a group of 4 and give them Introduction to Physical Geography. For each standard, they will choose at least one of the provided resources to investigate as a way to learn more about Physical Geography. They will continue to use the provided graphic organizer as they work through each standard. Each small group will create a presentation that has an illustration, a 5 slide ppt that explains further one of the "Want to Know" questions they had while working through the standards, and a summary they will read to class about the unit as a whole. (This is done best with large post-it sticky note paper) Or it can be done digitally and showcased on a smartboard if the classroom has one.
Bonus Video: If they watch the video, fill out the section on the graphic organizer for it, and they propose another question with their prediction and reason for prediction to the class at the end of their presentation, they get an extra 5 points on the exam!!!
Once each area is introduced, have the students divy up each introduction section and create a project further explaining it to their peers. Have students create a poster that explain their topic. Introduction should take 2 days. Students project should take 2 days. When students are done creating their project, the class then hangs up their projects around the room, and the students participate in a gallery walk. The students use a graphic organizer that allows them to take notes about each section. This graphic organizer is then cut and pasted into their interactive notebook. If they don't have an interactive notebook, the student keeps it in their folder.