Analyzing the Local Environment

Analyzing the Local Environment:

Students can use the 5 Themes of Geography to Organize Geographic Information

Overview:

Since geography is everywhere, a good place to start learning how to analyze it is to focus on our own school environment. Students will start with field notes organized under the five themes and end with a map and written geographic analysis of their school.

Connection to the Curriculum: Geography, Social Studies

Teaching Level: 5th to 9th grades

Connection to Oregon State Content Standards:

1. Read, interpret and make maps, charts and graphs to explain spatial relationships.
2. Identify the physical and human (cultural) characteristics of places and regions and how they change through time.
3. Describe the distribution and migration of human populations, ideas and products and predict future trends.
4. Explain how humans and the physical environment impact and influence each other.

Connections to National Geography Standards

2. How to use mental maps to organize information about people, places, and environments in a spatial context.
3. How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.5. That people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity.
14. How human actions modify the physical environment.
18. How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Materials:

1. Clipboards and note pages for field notes.2. Blank paper for school maps.3. Rules of Cartography

Procedures:

1. Students will work in groups of 3-5.
2. Groups will spend time walking the school grounds organizing the parts of the environment under the five themes of geography
3. While taking field notes, groups will also create a sketch of the grounds.4. When notes and sketches are complete, groups should spend time in the classroom working on the final map, outline, and rough draft of the analysis.
5. The final analysis should be organized on the five themes as follows. Introduction-Use locations to introduce your school to the reader.

Body paragraphs should include information on the key place andcharacteristics of the school, the ways students interact with the environment, and how the students/school are connected through movement.

Conclusion - break up the school and grounds into regions based on use.

Grading: Cover page = 5°/, Field Notes = 20%, Outline = 20%, Map = 20%, Analysis Paper = 35%

Suggested Assessment

Scoring Guide for Model Lesson "Analyzing the Local Environment"

All rules of cartography are followed on the final map.
The final map has a regional theme.
Final field notes are typed or neatly written in ink.
All required geographic themes are included in the field notes.
The final outline is typed or neatly written in ink, follows the five-paragraph format, and is based on the field notes.

The final outline is typed or neatly written in ink, follows the five-paragraph format, and is based on the field notes.
The final analysis paper is typed or neatly written in ink, follows the five-paragraph format, and is based on the outline.
An edited rough draft is included.
Rules of cartography are followed on the final map.
The final map has a regional theme. Some final field notes are typed or neatly written in ink.
Some required geographic themes are included in the field notes.

The final outline is not typed or neatly written in ink, the five-paragraph format is not followed, and is not entirely based on the field notes.
The final analysis paper is not typed or neatly written in ink, does not follow the five-paragraph format, and is not entirely based on the outline.
An unedited rough draft is included.
Rules of cartography are followed on the final map.
The final map has no regional theme.
Final field notes are not typed or neatly written in ink.
Few required geographic themes are included in the field notes.

The final outline is not typed or neatly written in ink, the five-paragraph format is not followed, and is not based on the field notes.
The final analysis paper is not typed or neatly written in ink, does not follow the five- paragraph format, and is not based on the outline.
A rough draft is not included.