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"My
Own Private Idaho; Using Social Studies to Explore Idaho"
by
Sonja Dodge
University of Idaho
Grade: 4-8
Time Allotment:
Approximately four 1 hr. 15 min.
classes (or seven 45 min. classes)
Subject Matter: Social
Studies/Earth Science: Geography and Geology
Overview:
This lesson plan provides several activities to
learn about Idaho and Social Studies themes. Using an variety of media,
students will become familiar with Idaho's geography and geology.
Learning Objectives:
Students will be able to:
- correctly use the terms "geography" and "geology".
- discuss and record information about the geography
of Idaho.
- use a map to locate counties and major waterways
and cities in Idaho.
- read topographic maps.
- discuss volcanoes, floods, and earthquakes
that have affected Idaho.
Standards:
National Council for the Social Studies Standards
for the Middle Grades
- III. a. Social studies programs should
include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and
environments, so that the learner can elaborate mental maps of locales,
regions, and the world that demonstrate understanding of relative location,
direction, size, and shape.
- III. b. Social studies programs should
include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and
environments, so that the learner can create, interpret, use, and distinguish
various representations of the earth, such as maps, globes, and photographs.
- III. c. Social studies programs should
include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and
environments, so that the learner can use appropriate resources, data
sources, and geographic tools such as aerial photographs, satellite
images, geographic information systems, map projections, and cartography
to generate, manipulate, and interpret information such as atlases,
data bases, grid systems, charts, graphs, and maps.
- III. j.Social studies programs should
include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and
environments, so that the learner can observe and speculate about social
and economic effects of environmental changes and crises resulting from
phenomena such as floods, storms, and drought.
Idaho Standards: www.IdahoAchieves.com/standards.html
- 469.01.b The students will develop and
use different kinds of maps, globes, graphs, charts, databases, and
models.
- 469.01.c Students will identify the
locations of certain physical and human features and events on maps
and globes and answer related geography questions.
- 469.06.d Students will describe physical
features that have influenced historical events.
- 595.01.d Students will use available
and appropriate technology.
Media Components
:
Videos:
- "Proceedings on Visions of Idaho; Geography"
Idaho Public Television video. 1990 This video can be found in most
public schools and at the State Library.
- "Proceedings on Visions of Idaho; Geology"
Idaho Public Television video. 1990 This video can be found in most
public schools and at the State Library.
Web Sites:
- http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/counties/counties.htm
This site shows an outline of Idaho and all of Idaho's counties. The
counties are also labeled so that students can label them on their own
personal maps.
- http://www.cftech.com/BrainBank/GEOGRAPHY/Idaho.html
This site contains a detailed map of Idaho. It includes cities, waterways,
and other geological features. Students will have to explore this map
to label a number of things on their own personal maps.
- http://inmh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/teach/lsnplns/mapactlp.htm
Students will not be going to this site, but it was where the idea for
the "Mapping Idaho" lesson was found. The original list of areas to
locate and label was modified for the activity in this unit.
-
http://www.arts.ufl.edu/art/rt_room/sketchbk/make_a_sketchbook.html
Students will not be going to this site, but it is where the idea for
the journals was found. The instructions students will use to make their
journals (handout entitled "How to Make a Sketchbook") was taken directly
from this site.
- http://www.mapquest.com
This site contains a database of maps. Here, students will look up their
addresses and print off maps of their neighborhoods, cities, Idaho,
and the United States.
- http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/mapsshow_act4.htm
Students will not be going to this site, but it is where the packet
entitled "Activity Sheet; How to Read a Topographic Map" was taken.
By doing this activity sheet, students will become somewhat familiar
with topographic maps.
- http://www.topozone.com
This site contains a database of topographic maps. Here, students will
explore different topographic maps of their choice. They must include
topographic maps in their final presentations, and this site is a great
resource for them to use.
Materials:
Videos:
Proceedings on Visions of Idaho; Geography
Proceedings on Visions of Idaho; Geology
One television and VCR to play the video
on
Per 2-4 students:
One computer (with a word or paint
program that will allow them to copy and paste from the Internet)
One printer hooked up to the computers
they will be using
One pencil
One piece of paper
One utility knife
One stapler
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Per student:
One "Map
of Idaho Counties" handout
One "Mapping Idaho Directions" handout
One complete 8 ct. packet of crayons and/or
colored pencils
One "How
to Make a Sketchbook" handout
One 6.5-by-18.5 inch piece of cardboard
Six sheets of 6-by-18 inch white drawing
paper
One ruler
One pencil
Journal
One journal checklist (attachment)
Glue stick
One "Activity
Sheet; How to Read a Topographic Map" handout
One large piece of poster board |
Prep For Teachers
Bookmark the following sites on computers prior
to the lesson:
http://imnh.isu.edu/digitalatlas/maps/maproom/Archives/JPEG/mlcwo.jpg
http://www.cftech.com/BrainBank/GEOGRAPHY/Idaho.html
http://www.mapquest.com
http://www.topozone.com
http://www.50states.com/songs/idaho.htm
Prepare materials for students prior to each activity, which includes
copying off supplemental handouts. Cue Proceedings on Visions of Idaho;
Geography to right before the woman begins talking. Cue Proceedings
on Visions of Idaho; Geology to right before the woman begins talking,
as well.
Introductory Activities
Activity #1 What is geography? What is Geology?
10
min.
Ask students to pair up. Have students go to a
computer with a piece of paper and a pencil and look up definitions for
geography and geology - can be found using search engine or from CD encyclopedias.
After approximately five minutes, have them come
together as a group. Have each pair of students share their definitions.
Write key words on the board that will help the students remember the
terms. Ask them what geological features make up Idaho. Are there any
neat places in Idaho that they have been to? Inform them that they are
going to be geographers and geologists for the next week or so, and will
explore Idaho. What tools do they think geographers and geologists need
in order to study and record the environment? Write all of these things
on the board for a visual aid.
Learning Activities
Activity #2 Mapping Idaho
15 - 20 min.
Have each student get their pack of crayons or
colored pencils. Hand out one "Map of Idaho Counties" handout and one
"Mapping Idaho Directions" handout to each student. Have each pair of
students sit at a computer together. Tell them to carefully follow the
directions on the "Mapping
Idaho Directions" handout. When they are finished, have them come
back to their tables. If there are still pairs working on their maps,
have the other pairs compare maps for accuracy. If needed, give them another
"Map of Idaho Counties" if needed for corrections.
Activity #3 Making Journals 20
- 30 min.
Students have already been informed that they
are going to be geographers and geologists. Inform them that before computers
geographers and geographers, such as the explorers Lewis and Clark, used
to keep journals of things they saw. Tell students that they are going
to make journals to record their information. Show the students the journal
that you made prior to class. Pass it around to let them look at it. An
activity like this can be done at individual desks or as small groups.
Pass out the "How
to Make a Sketchbook" handout, the 6.5-by-18.5 inch piece of cardboard,
and 6 sheets of 6-by-18 inch white drawing paper. The remaining materials
(utility knives and a stapler) can be shared between the students. It
is probably best to do this activity together step by step.
Following the instructions on the "How
to Make a Sketchbook" handout, make a journal with them. When you
get to the step where utility knives are used, have students come up and
assist them with this step. Finish the project according to the directions.
Have the students write their names inside of their journals immediately
after they are finished.
Day Two:
Introductory Activities
Activity #4 Recording Their Surroundings
5 -10 min.
Hand out a "Journal
Checklist" to each student. Notice that there are 4 checklists per
page. Cut them prior to class so that each student has only one checklist.
Go over the checklist with the students. Inform them that sketches are
not "artistic pieces of work", but are rough drawings instead. They can
sketch the pictures as roughly as they want. To sketch their county, Idaho,
and the United States, they can look at maps. Tell them to make sure they
label all of their sketches.
Inform students that they need to keep in mind
that all of the items on the checklist need to fit in their journals,
so their drawings cannot take up more than one page each. Feel free to
make your own checklist if you want to modify it. Activity #6 goes into
detail about how to have them find maps to put in their journals.
Learning
Activities
Activity #5 Video: Proceedings on Visions of Idaho;
Geography 20 - 30
min.
Proceedings on Visions of Idaho; Geography
is a video produced by IdahoPTV for
educational purposes. It informs students on the geographical features
of Idaho, including some historical information. The entire video, from
the point where you are told to cue it to the point where you are told
to stop lasts approximately 12 minutes. However, during the video it is
important to pause and discuss it. Therefore, this activity can take anywhere
from 20 to 30 minutes. Leave the lights on during the video, so students
will view it as a learning activity and not a form of entertainment. Also,
they will be writing in their journals and will need to be able to see.
Before showing the video, ask the class what they think the word "geography"
means. Tell them to watch for the definition in the video.
- Before showing the video to the class, CUE
it right before the woman begins talking. Press PLAY.
- PAUSE right after the woman says: "...who
made up the six or so major Native American tribes, lived in various
parts of the state?" Write the six tribes on the board: Kootenai,
Kalispel, Coeur d'Alene, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock, Paiute. Have the
students record these six tribes in their journals. Discuss which tribe
is nearest to where they live? Are there any Indian Reservations nearby?
- PAUSE right after she says: "How
would development change an area's geography?" Have the students
record one or two answers to this question in their journals. Give them
roughly 30 seconds to do so.
- PAUSE right after she says: "Why
do you think Idaho's capital was moved from Lewiston to Boise?"
Have students pull out their "Map of Idaho Counties". Have them locate
Lewiston and Boise. Repeat the question, "Why do you think Idaho's capital
was moved from Lewiston to Boise?" Allow 4 to 6 students to answer the
question. Do not give clues as to what the right answer is. Inform them
that the video will tell them the answer. Press PLAY.
- PAUSE right after she says: "Can
you name the most famous crop grown in the Snake River Basin?"
Ask the students, "How do you think the Snake River got its name?" Allow
a couple of students to answer. Ask the students "Can you name the most
famous crop grown in the Snake River Basin?" Allow 4 to 6 students to
answer. Write their answers on the board. Inform them that the video
will answer the question.
- PAUSE right after she says: "Can
you think of other ways that humans have changed the environment?"
Have the students answer the question in their journals. Give them roughly
30 seconds to do so. FAST FORWARD until she begins talking again
(scene with mountains and clouds). Press PLAY.
- PAUSE right after she says: "What's
the difference between a city and a county?" Repeat the question.
Have students answer it and then have them record the answer in their
journals. What city do they live in? What county? Have them record this
information in their journals. Press PLAY.
- STOP right after she says: "...when
these trees were just starting to grow?"
Culminating Activity
Activity #6 Computer-Generated Maps
10 or 20 min.
If possible, have each student do this
task individually to save time. If there are not enough computers, have
students pair up. Have students go to http://www.mapquest.com.
Tell them to click on "Maps". Tell them to enter their addresses and click
on "Get Map". A map will appear on the screen. There is a zoom bar to
the right of the picture. They can zoom all the way in to get a map of
the streets near their home and all the way out to get a map of the United
States.
Have students get a map for their neighborhood,
city, Idaho, and the United States. After resizing the maps, the pictures
will be able to fit in their journals. When
they have the map they want, have them right click on it and select "Copy".
Open a word or paint program. In the word or paint program, have them
right click again and select "Paste". They can resize the picture to make
it fill up half a page.
After students have gathered all four pictures
onto two pages, have them print them, cut them out, and paste them in
their journals. Tell them to write what each map is showing underneath
each picture. Allow all of the students to do the activity before going
onto the next activity.
Introductory Activities
Activity #7 Reading Topographic Maps
20
- 30 min.
Topographic maps are another way of looking
at the landscape. Topographic maps give more details about the surface
structure than many other maps do. Contour lines connect points of the
same elevation. The closer together contour lines are, the steeper the
slope; the further apart the lines, the more gradual the slope. Contour
lines on a map are placed at equal intervals. A map key will provide a
scale. For example, a scale of 1:200 ft means that every line depicts
a difference of 200 feet in comparison to the lines next to it. Relate
all of the aforementioned information to your students. Hand out the "How
to Read a Topographic Map" packet (attachment), one to each student.
Complete the packet beforehand to become familiar
with it. Students can work alone, in pairs, or as groups to fill out the
worksheets. While the students are doing the worksheets, circulate throughout
the room and answer any questions they may have. In pairs, have students
go back to the computers. Tell them to go to http://www.topozone.com
When the screen is pulled up, tell them to note the search utility entitled
"Place Name Search". Encourage them to experiment with it, typing in different
cities and states. Allow them to do this for approximately three minutes.
They will need to know how to use this for their final presentations.
Learning
Activities
Activity # 8 Video: Proceedings on Visions
of Idaho; Geology 20
- 30 min.
Proceedings on Visions of Idaho; Geology is a video produced by IdahoPTV
for educational purposes. It informs students on the geological features
of Idaho, including historical information. The entire video, from the
point where you are told to cue it to the point where you are told to
stop it lasts approximately 12 minutes. However, during the video it is
important to pause and discuss it. Therefore, this activity can take anywhere
from 20 to 30 minutes. Leave the lights on during the video, so students
will view it as a learning activity and not a form of entertainment. Also,
they will be writing in their journals and will need to be able to see.
Prior to showing the video inform students that they will be watching
this video as a wrap-up of their information on the geography and geology
of Idaho.
- Before showing the video to the class, CUE
it right before the woman begins talking. Press PLAY to begin.
- PAUSE right after she says: "Why
does it look like this?" Have the students answer the following
two questions in their journals: 1.) Why do you suppose they call this
Craters of the Moon? 2.) Why does it look like this? Give them roughly
1 minute to do so. Push: PLAY.
- PAUSE right after she says: "Can
you think of another place in or near Idaho where the earth's crust
is thin?" Chances are that very few students will know the answer
to this. Repeat this question to the class. Allow 4 to 6 students to
raise their hands and answer the question. Do not give clues to whether
they or right or wrong. Write their answers on the board. Tell them
that the video is going to tell them the answer. Press PLAY.
- PAUSE right after she says: "How
do you think people use geothermal water?" Did anyone answer
the previous question right? Ask how many students have been to Yellowstone
National Park. Have them write this in their journals. Repeat the question,
"How do you think people use geothermal water?" Have 4 to 6 students
answer the question. Write their answers on the board. Inform them that
the video will tell them. Press PLAY.
- PAUSE right after she says: "Is
it close to where you live?" Have students mark on their "Map
of Idaho" Counties roughly where the batholith is located. Inform them
that they can color it in later if they wish. Give them approximately
20 seconds to do so. Press PLAY.
- PAUSE right after she says: "One
of the things the Missoula flood left behind was Lake Pend Orielle."
Have the students locate Lake Pend Orielle on their "Map of Idaho Counties".
Do they think the flood would have affected them where they live? Why
or why not? Have a small discussion, pointing out how close or far away
they axe from Lake Pend Orielle. Press PLAY.
- PAUSE right after she says: "Did
the Bonneville flood leave any rocks near where you live?" Ask
the students why they think it is called the Bonneville flood? Have
them locate Bonneville County on their maps. Ask the students if they
think the flood would have affected them where they live? Why or why
not? Have a small discussion, pointing out how close or far away they
are from Bonneville County. Press PLAY.
- STOP right after she says: "...but
no one really knows when." Pull out a map of Idaho. Have a student
show the class where Mt. Borah is located. How close is it to where
they live? Would it have affected them if they were alive in 1983? Have
the students mark where Mt. Borah is on their "Map of Idaho Counties".
Culminating Activity/Assessment
Activity #9 Posters of Idaho Approx.
l 1/2hrs. of in-class time
Posters of Idaho are great tools for students to
show what they have learned. At the same time, they can be as creative
as they want. Provide each student with a poster board or have them bring
one from home. Inform them that they are to draw a large picture of Idaho,
taking up almost the entire poster board. On this poster board they must
include everything they have learned about Idaho.
Write on the board that they are to include all
of the physical things they know about Idaho (such as counties, cities,
mountains, etc.). In addition, they must include the major events discussed
in the videos, such as the earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. Make the videos
accessible to the students for review.
Finally, have the students draw a topographic
map of one small area of their map by using http://www.topozone.com.
Encourage them to print off a couple of maps from http://www.mapguest.com
to paste to their posters.
After the students have had adequate time to complete
their posters (30 minutes in class and at least four days out of class),
post them around the room. Have students who are willing share their posters
with the classroom. For those who don't want to share with class, have
them tell you about their posters individually. Collect journals, as well,
to check for completeness.
Extensions
Art
- Have students make a model of Idaho out of
materials, such as clay, pebbles, and paint. To make a light model that
can hang on the wall, they can shape Idaho by using a mixture of shaving
cream and glue. Each student can be assigned a county or students can
make their own models.
- Have students make volcanoes that erupt. The
volcanoes are made out of clay. Make them on a large surface, such as
a large piece of cardboard. The students should paint them and allow
them to dry. To make the volcanoes erupt, have the students scoop a
tablespoon of baking soda into their volcanoes. Then add vinegar and
watch them flow over!
Music
- A fun way to wrap up the unit is to use music,
a subject that many students may relate to. Go to http://www.50states.com/songs/idaho.htrn,
where you can find a MIDI for "Here We Have Idaho". There is nothing
to download. By just clicking on the link, the song should start playing.
Give each student a copy of the words to "Here We Have Idaho". Practice
the song to the background music at least twice. Inform students of
where they can find the MIDI.
- Research musicians from Idaho. Students can
research and report their findings back to the class.
Dance
- There are six Native American tribes that
are from Idaho: Kootenai, Kalispel, Coeur d'Alene, Nez Perce, Shoshone-Bannock,
and Paiute. Research dances that are performed within the tribes and
teach the dance to the students.
Reading
- There are several books about Idaho and authors
that are from Idaho, even picture books. You can use these books in
your classroom to supplement the lesson.
Math
- A very authentic way of studying Idaho through
math is to have students create charts or graphs of different things
in Idaho. They can plot the population of Idaho in comparison to other
states, the number of one ethnicity in relation to other ethnicities
in Idaho, the different exports and imports of Idaho and so forth.
Community Connections:
In every community throughout Idaho, there are
geographical features that students can visit and explore. If time does
not permit, students can explore these features outside of class, take
pictures, and return to class with pictures to share.
If at all possible, it would be great to wrap
up this lesson with a field trip to a site in Idaho. Also, you may wish
to have students record in their journals things that they see until the
end of the school year.
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