Classroom Teachers
Integrating The Greatest Places

Action Plan Components

Using The Greatest Places in the geography classroom

Lesson/Unit Title: Water as an agent of diversity.

Teacher: Elisabeth Dawson

Teacher Information (School, School Address, phone, fax, e-mail):
Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School
7055 Heather Street, Vancouver, B.C. V6P 3P7
ph (604) 261-6334 fax (604) 261-6685
email [email protected]

Overview: (one paragraph or bullets)
This is a unit of geography which could be integrated into Social Studies at middle school/junior high level either during the presentation of the film at the local site or independently of the main film for those schools who are not able to view.It is primarily a research assignment incorporating a variety of geographic skills and based on critical thinking.

Grade Level or Ages: Grades 7 to 9

Greatest Places Theme(s):
Locating places
Locating information
Data display - maps,graphs etc.
Data interpretation

Geography Standards Alignment:

1. - Maps and other geographic tools for information in a spatial perspective
   
2. - Physical and human characteristics of places
   
3. - Physical processes shape patterns of Earth's surface
   
4. Forces of cooperation and conflict that shape Earth's surface
   
5. Physical systems affect human systems
   
6. How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future
   
   

Integration Strategies:

Outcomes:

Time Needed: Six to eight hours of class time plus homework as required

Objectives: 1. Students will understand the significance of water as an agent of diversity in physical and human systems

1. Students will understand that data may be collected from a variety of sources and displayed in a variety of ways
   
2. Students will learn to ask questions to quide their research
   
   

Materials: video - Greatest Places (slides optional but useful)
standard atlases (with climate details)
outline map of the world
access to library or classroom data sources
large sheets of paper for display (newspaper will do)

Prior Knowledge: The Water Cycle, Latitude and Longitude

Key Words: glaciation, river system, erosion, delta, desert, rain shadow,plus vocabulary from water cycle, (precipitation, condensation, evaporation, transpiration, throughflow, ground water)

Activity(ies): 1. Review water cycle using cilmate graph of local area
Questions might include:
Where does our water come from?
How do we use water?
what happens to our waste water?
2. Locate Greatest places on an outline map. Have students include Equator, Tropics and Arctic Circle
3. Show video without sound and have students list how water is shown in each place. review by class discussion at the end of the video.
4. Divide class into 6 groups. Assign each group one of the Greatest places topics.Each group is to use all data sources available to:
-draw a map of the area
-find climate data and draw a climate graph
-who lives in the area?
-what flora and fauna are found there?
-how does water affect the lives of the people, animals and vegetation?
-how do water systems relate to the physical landscape?
-what problems are of concern in the area?
5. The data should be displayed on a large sheet of paper.
Appropriate illustrations (drawings/pictures) may be used.
6. Each group presents their findings to the class.
7. Show the film again with commentary. Have each group comment on the commentary for their Greatest Place.
8. Where are other places in the world like these?

Assessment Strategies:
Assessment strategies will depend on the nature of each class.
Assessment could include:
marks for group project
presentation
written questions based on class discussion i.e.
local water issues.