Grade Level K-1

 

Lesson Title:  Places, Everyone!

 

Suggested Time Period: 1 week

 

Framework/Standards connection and Geography Theme /Standards:

 

K.4  Students compare and contrast the locations of people, places, and environments and describe the human and physical characteristics of places by:

2.     distinguishing between land and water and locating general  areas referenced in historically-based legends and stories on maps and globes

3.     constructing maps and models of neighborhoods, incorporating such structures as police and fire stations, airports, banks, hospitals, supermarkets, harbors, schools, homes, places of worship, and transportation lines

1.2   Students compare and contrast the absolute and relative locations of people and places and describe the physical and human characteristics of places by:

3.  constructing a simple map, using cardinal directions and map symbols

 

Geography Theme:

 

Place

 

Focus Questions:

 

  1. What are the physical features of a place?
  2. What are the human features of a place?

 

Outcomes:

 

Students identify the human and physical characteristics of where they live by creating a model of their neighborhood that contains the appropriate features.

 

 

Primary Sources/Literature:

 

As the Crow Flies by Gail Hartman

 

Activities:

 

  1. Read As the Crow Flies.  While reading page 7 (the Eagle’s Map) have students identify the landforms and waterways.  On page 11 (the Rabbit’s Map) have students identify the man-made features.  Classify the landforms waterways, and man-made features on a chart.

 

 

 

Example:

 

                 

Geographic Features of As the Crow Flies

                                    Landforms                                  Waterways                                  Man-Made

                                    mountains                                  stream                                          garden

                                    tree                                               ocean                                           shed

                                    harbor                                                                                                farmhouse

                                    island                                                                                                factory

                                                                                                                                                city

                                                                                                                                                hot dog stand

                                                                                                                                                skyscrapers

                                                                                                                                                lighthouse

 

  1. Using calendar pictures or magazine pictures, show the students different places in the world.  Ask the students, “What is it like here?  What is this place like?” Through discussion help students determine that no two places are exactly alike.  Each place has its own distinctive characteristics. Introduce the concept of physical features and human features.  Have students look at the pictures again and find examples of both.  List the examples on a T-chart:

 

                                                   Physical Features          Human Features

 

 

 

 

  1. Take the students on a neighborhood walk.  Each student could carry a cartographer pad made out of cardboard with a piece of drawing paper clipped to it. Stop periodically and let students draw examples of both the physical and human features they observe.  A Polaroid or disposable camera may be used to take photos.  Create a chart about “What We See In Our Area”. 

 

  1. Divide the students into cooperative groups of four and provide each group with a large sheet of butcher paper.  Label the top of each paper with several of the places observed on the Community Walk of one of the following places:   park, beach, school, shopping center, neighborhood.  Have the students illustrate each of the  places using at least four appropriate physical and human characteristics.  Compare and contrast the murals. 

 

  1. Keep a weather chart for at least a two week period and discuss the general climate of the place where the students live.  Look at the newspaper and compare/contrast  the weather the students experience to the weather featured in other places in the state or country. 

  

  1. Have students create a tabletop community. Use a large piece of cardboard for the base. Use milk cartons for houses and buildings. Easter grass can be used for lawns and parks.   Construction paper can be used to add streets, lakes, trees, etc.  This tabletop community can be used not only as an example of the physical and human features of a place but can also be referred to later in the school year for other examples of the Five Themes of Geography.

 

Independent Work:

 

Have each child make a collage of magazine pictures that show physical features on one side of the paper and human features on the other side.

 

Assessment:

 

Shown a picture of a specific place, have the student dictate as many examples of physical and human features as they can identify in the picture.

 

Bibliography:

 

     Delameter, Cynthia, and Dr. Melanie Renfrew, and Kimberly Reems, Unit 1:  Exploring Your Local Landscape, Grade Three Course Model, Carson, Calif. 1998

 

     Hartman, Gail.  As the Crow Flies.  Illustrations by Harvey Stevenson.  New York:  Simon and Schuster, 1991.  ISBN 0-689-71762-8