A U N I T F O R G E O G RA P H Y S TA N DA R D 2 G RA D E S 6 - 8

HUMANS INTERACT WITH THE

ENVIRONMENT

Training led by Maggie Legates, Delaware Geographic AllianceFebruary 2012

Delaware Department of Education

Social Studies Coalition of Delaware

Delaware Geographic Alliance

CREDITS

•Member teachers of the Delaware Geographic Alliance- lesson activities, materials

• Delaware Space Grant- research and graphic support

• National Geographic Society- permission to adapt instructional resources

TODAY’S AGENDA:

• Morning Session:Review DRC design principles“Unpack” Geography Standard 2 and middle school

benchmarkReview unit transfer task and rubricBreakReview selected activities from lessons 1 LUNCH on your own

• Afternoon Session:Lessons 2, 3, and 4- selected activitiesBreakThe Performance TaskWrap Up

• Add to knowledge and appreciation of geographic principles

• Showcase good lessons and activities, instructional materials

• Share assessment tools, differentiation opportunities, extensions and adaptations.

• Collaborate, network, and grow!

TODAY’S GOALS:

DRC PRINCIPLES:

• Plan Backward based on a thorough understanding of the standard and benchmark

• Become familiar with the “target” performance or demonstration of knowledge and skill students will meet at the end of the unit

• Internalize the level of rigor required by examining the rubric or measurement tool

• Become familiar with the instructional plan, resources, references

• Adjust learning plan to learner progress using interim assessments, scaffolding when needed

STAGE ONE: KNOW THE STANDARD AND BENCHMARK

F R O M D RC T O O L K I T: C O N T E N T S TA N DA R D S , B E N C H M A R K S , C L A R I F I C AT I O N S D O C U M E N T

GEOGRAPHY STANDARD 2:

• Students will develop a knowledge of the ways humans modify and respond to the natural environment

BENCHMARK FOR GRADES 6-8:

•Students will apply a knowledge of the major processes shaping natural environments to understand how different peoples have changed and been affected by, physical environments in the world's sub-regions.

WHAT ARE THE MAIN IDEAS?

• Natural processes (Lesson 1)

• Humans adapt to environmental conditions

(Lesson 2)

• Intended and Unintended Consequences of Human Activities- Farming (Lesson 3)

• Planning for energy needs- sustainability

(Lesson 4)

TRANSFER TASK AND RUBRIC

STAGE TWO: ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Click icon to add picture

 

PRIOR KNOWLEDGE

You have:

• learned about physical systems that

shape our natural world

• looked at ways humans in many parts of

the world have adapted to the

environment or have altered the

environment to meet their needs

• looked at some of the intended and

unintended consequences of human

projects.

Now you are ready to put your knowledge

to work to evaluate human/ environmental

interaction in one of earth’s sub-regions.

These are the main ideas covered in the learning activities of this unit, but also in prior years.

• As an intern at World Eco

Tours you have been

asked to help with a

design for the new

website. Eco-Tourists will

visit this website to

decide which tour they

want to take.

What on earth is Eco- Tourism?

PROBLEM: ECO TOURS NEEDS A NEW WEBSITE.

You will be asked to design one page for the website, focusing on one of the world’s interesting sub-regions.

Your supervisor has provided you with a list of areas the group plans to visit this year.

Each area is the site of a proposed project designed to improve life for the people of the region.

PERSPECTIVE

• Costa Rican Rainforest- Logging and fires have destroyed many acres of the tropical rainforest. Replanting with native trees will prevent soils from washing away.

• Mali- In recent years this region has become drier and is struggling to feed its people. The project will drill deep wells for drinking water and crop irrigation

• Nunavut, Canada- Remote and beautiful, this region can only be reached by dogsled and airplane. The project will build a road to connect to nearest hospital.

PROJECT CHOICES

• Your supervisor on the website project has asked you to do a “mock-up” or model of the webpage for your world sub-region. Your prototype may be an electronic file or it can be a paper model.

PRODUCT

Include these sections in your project: • 1) Identify the sub-region

you have chosen and include a map that shows its boundaries and relative location. Describe the physical landscape of the region.• 2) Include one or two

pictures to highlight the physical system or cycle you consider most important for the people living in the sub-region.

SPECIFIC PRODUCT REQUIREMENTS

3) Tell about the people who have lived in this region for a long time. How did they adapt to conditions here? Include at least one picture of the traditional culture.

4) In a section labeled Natural Hazards, summarize any conditions in the area that present a problem for people who live there. What has been the response to this hazard in the past?

5) What projects or improvements are proposed for the region? What is the likely impact of these projects based on what you have learned?

• To be accepted for use on the website, your model will

• Include accurate information about the sub-region including sections on the physical processes that shape the landscape, the adaptations of traditional cultures, ways people have altered the environment, and projects that are proposed.

• Show that you can apply your knowledge of natural processes, human adaptation, and the consequences of human activity to analyze a sub-region.

• Present information and analysis in an organized and interesting way.

What makes for an excellent presentation?

CRITERIA FOR AN EXEMPLARY RESPONSE

WHAT DOES THE TRANSFER TASK REQUIRE OF STUDENTS?

To be successful students must know….

• Please list vocabulary, concepts, etc.

To be successful, students must be able to….

• Please list geographic and presentation skills…

HOW THE RUBRIC IS USEFUL

• Shows what content knowledge, skills, vocabulary will be essential

• Signals depth of knowledge and skill expected

• Shows how students will be expected to demonstrate their learning-presentation skills

• Acts as a form of scaffolding – can be used as a checklist

STAGE THREE: LEARNING PLAN

LESSON 1- CYCLES, SYSTEMS AND PATTERNS OF PHYSICAL EARTH

• Activate prior knowledge and instruction Cycles (water cycles, rock cycle, atmospheric and ocean circulation patterns) graphics,groundwater video)• Climate patterns mapping, sketching,

satellite images

• River systems- relate patterns of human activity to stream patterns

modeling, poetry, atlas workCheck for Understanding: Compare satellite images

LESSON 2- HUMANS RESPOND TO ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

• Ways people adapt to normal local conditions, or make changes to meet their needs (chart reading)

Natural Hazards present special challenges

• Natural Hazards

Slideshow

• Students “Rate the Risk”

• “Dealing with Natural

Hazards” Check for Understanding:

Explain differences in damages after earthquakes.

LESSON 3: FARMERS INTERACT WITH THE ENVIRONMENT

• Connect to prior learning about adaptation to environmental conditions

atlas exercise- Crop selection• Reading to extend and refine “Terrace Farming” “Irrigation” “Aral Sea”

Check for Understanding: Reading and interpretation questions

LESSON 4: SEARCHING FOR ENERGY

Energy needs, management, and sources

Gathering data, charting

Reading for information “The Search for Energy”

Evaluating energy projects

Check for Understanding: Solar map reading

DOES THE INSTRUCTION PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE PERFORMANCE TASK?

• Key vocabulary• Required

geographic knowledge • Practice with

required geographic skills and transfer

• Scaffolding for attacking a complex task• Choices of modes

of expression (written answers, oral answers, sketch maps and drawings)

HOW SHOULD THE TEACHER PREPARE STUDENTS FOR THE PERFORMANCE?

• Provide access to appropriate information sources

(vetted websites, selected reference books, atlas maps)• Provide checklists• “Chunk” or break

down the task into stages

• Provide a model of the desired product for another country or area.• Review and discuss

criteria

PLEASE HELP US IMPROVE AND REFINE

• Report confusing directions, typos, broken

links

• Collect student work, gather data on

responses

• Contribute your resources, ideas for

extension, strategies for differentiation

• Collaborate with other teachers