The Greatest Places
Action Plan for the Classroom

Unit Title: Cooperative Learning study of "The Greatest Places"

Teacher: Andrea Levin

Teacher Information: Bok Technical High School
8th and Mifflin Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19130
(215) 952-6200 ex. 28
alevin@philsch.k12.pa.us

Overview:
The Omnimax film "The Greatest Places" presents to the viewer some of the most unique geographic places in the world. This lesson is designed to have students define and analyze their own sense of place as well as do in depth research of one of the places in the film. Students will also become proficient at utilizing multimedia presentation format.

Grade Levels: Middle and High school grade levels

Greatest Places Themes:
Human Impact on Human Habitation Unity
Local Connections Movement
Cultural Diversity Weather/Climate
Biomes Change
Interrelationships


Geography Standards Alignment:
1. Find specific information in an atlas by using the index, content pages and locational grids
2. Develop and use different kinds of maps, globes, graphs, charts, databases, and models
3. Understand how geographers use the concept of region and describe a variety of physical and
cultural regions at various scales
a. Biogeographic b.Cultural c.Economic d.Physical e.Political
4. Evaluate the characteristics of places and regions from a physical and human point of view

Integration Strategies:
English Geography
Science Social Studies

Time Needed: Six weeks

Objects:
1. Students will understand their own sense of place and what makes their place the greatest place
2. Students will learn about one of "The Greatest Places" in depth from a physical and human
perspective
3. Students will become proficient at utilizing the computer as a research tool through the internet,
a communication tool through the e-mail, and as a presentation device.
4. Students will understand through an in depth study of one place that every place has unique
physical and human characteristics.

Materials Needed:
1. Anamanic of "The Greatest Places" or visuals of Great Places from around the world
2. Copies of information which is required to be in the final presentation from the group
3. Computer with presentation software such as ClarisWorks slide show, Hyperstudio, Power
Point
4. GIS software or atlas

Activities:
1. Have students prepare in plastic sandwich bags things which defines their own personal place.
2. As a class have students decide what will go into a culture box which defines what makes
"who they are" and what makes "where they live" one of the "The Greatest Places".
3. Show anamanic of "The Greatest Places" or visuals of Great Places from around the world.
4. Team students in cooperative learning groups and assign each group one of the seven great
places from the movie "The Greatest Places"
5. Students will utilize print, multimedia, maps, atlas, GIS software and internet resources to
accomplish their research. (See Handout)
6. Students will utilize e-mail connection established by the teacher or established on their own to
people actually living in the place they are researching to include authentic material such as
myths and legends, stories, daily life, pictures of artifacts, etc.
7. Students will utilize presentation software to present all of their research thus teaching each other
about their "Greatest Place".
8. Students will visit science museum to view "The Greatest Places " film.

Extension Activity:
1. Have students pair with groups that have similar environmental concerns as the place they have
researched. Have students develop strategies as to how these environmental problems might be
solved.

Assessment Strategies:
1. Cooperative learning and participation grade
2. Intermittent evaluation grade to keep students on track
3. Rubric for multimedia presentation

Implementation Timeline:
September/October 1997

Teacher/Museum Exchange: "The Greatest Places"
1. Workshop for Pennsylvania Geographic Society, October 31, 1997 and 1998
2. Two workshops for teachers at the Franklin Institute
3. Museum to lend museum trunk for classroom ue. Handout:

Information to be included in final presentation:

1. Absolute location (latitude and longitude), map of place, Relative location (Description), define
region of place

2. Annual precipitation, climate, population density, birthrate, death rate, literacy, life expectancy,
religion

3. Land forms, biomes, vegetation, animals

4. Languages, ethnic backgrounds, vocations, agriculture, culture

5. Environmental concerns

6. Political systems

7. Myth or legend from place

8. Typical Day in the life a student who lives in the place you are studying

9. Pictures of artifacts from the place you are studying


Final presentation will be a multimedia presentation utilizing ClarisWorks slide show, Hyperstudio, or Power Point

Include pictures, music, video clips, graphs and charts, audio or text narration to presentation.