Traveling Through The Greatest Places



Teacher: Ann M. Brown
Piedmont Lakes Middle School
2601 Lakeville Road
Apopka, Florida 32703
Phone #(407)884-2265
FAX#(407)884-2287
Email--browna@ocps.k12.fl.us

Overview: Students will discover, research and create a picture book and topographical map based on the seven places featured in the IMAX film, The Greatest Places.
Grade Level: Grades 5-8

The Greatest Places Themes : Diversity, Human interaction with the environment and Adaptation.

Geography Standards Alignment:
1) #1-- How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.

2) #3-- How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.

3) #4-- The physical and human characteristics of places.

4) #5-- That people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity

5) #7-- The physical processes that shape the patterns of Earth's surface.

6) #14-- How human actions modify the physical environment

7) #15-- How physical systems affect human systems

8) #17-- How to apply geography to interpret the past

9) #18-- How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

**This unit is designed to be used in its entirety or as separate lessons. It should be modified to suit your specific classroom, time line and curriculum.


2

LESSON #1/ DAY #1
OBJECTIVE: The student will formulate questions about their place of study.

MATERIALS: Slides from The Greatest Places , slide projector, chart paper and
marker.

PROCEDURE: The teacher will show each slide and ask the students, "Where is this land form?" and "How do you think that it was formed?". The teacher will record their answers on chart paper; however, the teacher will not answer the questions. Have the students create a KWL Chart to keep with them throughout the research process based on this brainstorming activity (K=What the student knows, W=What the student wants to know, L=What the student has learned).


The seven "Greatest Places":
 Tibet
Namib Desert
Madagascar
Greenland
Okavango Delta
Amazon
Igazu Falls























3

LESSON #2/ DAY #2
OBJECTIVE: Preview and relate book text to The Greatest Places

MATERIALS: 25 minute animatic video, VCR, 1 or 2 books on each of the places,
paper and pencil

PROCEDURES: As a preliminary research activity show the 25 minute animatic. Split your class into 7 groups according to The Greatest Places. Have students answer general questions about their assigned place (see worksheet #1). Once the students have answered the questions show the animatic again. When students recognize their place have their group raise their hands, pause the video and have them explain why they think that that is their place and let them know if they are correct.

























WORKSHEET #1 4

Answer the following questions about the books in your group using complete sentences.

1) What type of land forms are found in your region?




2) What type of weather do you think is common in your region? Why do
 you think so?




3) How do you think these particular land forms were made? Why?




4) What types of animals do you think are common in your region?
Why?




5) What types of plants do you think are common in your region? Why?




6) Do you think that people live in your region? Why/why not?





5

LESSON #3-5/ DAY #3-5
OBJECTIVE: Research information concerning the students' region ("Greatest
Place")

MATERIALS: Reference books/encyclopedia about each of the "Greatest Places",
web sites off of the Internet, and Britannica Online.

PROCEDURES: Using a formatted research guide and the above reference
materials the students will gather information concerning their
"Greatest Place". (See Worksheet #2) Discuss with students that
their research will be used to create a topographical map and
picture book. The theme of the picture book will be a tour through
their "Greatest Place" with a unique tour guide as the main
character. Offer the criteria and rubric to the students before
students beginning the research (See Worksheet #3 for criteria
and rubric).


























WORKSHEET #2 6

Answer the following questions about your "Greatest Place" using complete sentences:
1) Give an example of the following: the language spoken, the housing used, the food eaten, the clothing worn, the transportation used, the way people are educated and family life.









2) What is the specific land formation in your "Greatest Place"? How was it formed?









3) How will the land formation change in the future according to what it has done in the past?








4) Where is the land formation located?




Worksheet #2 (cont.) 7

5) Draw a map of your "Greatest Place":


















6) What is the climate (weather) of your "Greatest Place"?






7) List the plants and animals found in your "Greatest Place":





8) List the surrounding waters and land areas:






Worksheet #2(Cont.) 8

9) Within your group come up with similarities and differences between your local place and family life and that of your "Greatest Place".








































10

LESSON #6-7/ DAY #6-7
OBJECTIVE: To create a topographical map of their "Greatest Place"

MATERIALS: Ivory Snow Soap Flakes, water (4 cups flakes to 1 cup of water), cardboard, black marker, shellac (teacher use only), tempera paint, paintbrushes, cups of water (per group).

PROCEDURES:
First Day: Have the students draw their map of their "Greatest Place" on the cardboard with the black marker. Using the soap mixture have the students create the land forms found in their "Greatest Place", including waterways, roads, etc.. Second Day: Once the soap maps have dried have the students paint the map to reflect their "Greatest Place".
Once the paint is dry shellac the maps so that they will not crumble.




























11

LESSON #8/ DAY #8
OBJECTIVE: To create a rough draft/outline of their picture book.

MATERIALS: Newsprint and pencils (per group)

PROCEDURES: The students will fold the newsprint three times to create eight squares. As a group the students will create a storyboard for their picture book along with a a brief summary and sketch of pictures being used on each page in each square.

PICTURE BOOK SUMMARY: A unique character (a tour guide) will take the reader on an excursion through the "Greatest Place" pinpointing information gathered during research time. The picture book should be approximately 8-10 pages long and should include a picture on each page.

























12
LESSON #9-10/ DAY #9-10
OBJECTIVE: To create and present a picture book about their "Greatest Place".

MATERIALS: Construction paper, magazines, glue, crayons, markers, pencils and
scissors.

PROCEDURES: In their cooperative groups the student will create their final draft of their picture book. The students should use simple text and pictures describing their "Greatest Place" through a tour guide character. The students should include the information that they gathered during their research time.






* Once the picture books are completed the students can share them with each other and/or students in lower grades.

























13

ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES:
Option #1: Product assessment- The completed picture book will show the students' knowledge about their assigned "Greatest Place".

Option #2: Performance assessment- The student will read and explain their picture books to students in their own grade as well as those in lower grades.
Option #3: Pencil/ paper assessment- The student will read each book and be required to take a quiz based on the picture books provided by their classmates.

Option #4: Have the students create a test and rubric based on their group's picture book and topographical map.






























Worksheet #3 9

Criteria for picture book:
1) The main character must be unique and described as the reader's tour guide.

2) The tour through the "Greatest Place" must implement (use) the facts that the students have researched and there must be at least one fact on each page.

3) There must be a use of color and pictures to help tell the story.

4) The student must write in a text that is easy to read.

5) They must include the topographical map as their cover to their picture book.



Rubric for project:
1) Fantastic!! = Picture book and map goes above and beyond all of the set criteria.

2) Great Job!! = Picture book and map meet all of the set criteria. Work is neat and
creative.

3) Good Job!! = Picture book and map meet set criteria. Project needs more detail.

4) Pretty Good!! = Picture book and map meet most of the criteria. Not clear that the
facts from the research were stated throughout the story.
Suggestions-----

5) Needs Work =Picture book shows that an attempt has been made to meet criteria.
Needs more detail.
Suggestions----

6) Not Acceptable = Review criteria
Suggestions----


































13

Implementation: I plan to begin this unit directly following my unit on China. I plan to work on this unit during October of 1997. We will have access to the IMAX film The Greatest Places in February of 1999. During the '98-'99 school year I plan to use the IMAX film as a culminating/celebration activity.