National Geographic Education: Gathering Ideas About Europe

Details

Activity Description

This is the second of 5 lessons. Students gather their ideas about the land and peoples of Europe. They map and create lists of things they know about Europe and generate questions they have about the land and peoples of Europe.

The overall theme of this teacher-tested unit is using maps to understand borders and their impacts in Europe. The materials will help your students to use maps to think about how borders intersect physical and human geographical features, and how those intersections can lead to cooperation and/or conflict. The educator resources provided in the unit include maps, multimedia, and case studies that will enable students to develop skills in map analysis and apply that analysis to specific situations. Other parts of the unit will invite you and your students to explore similar cases in Europe and your own community.

Preparation

1. Review site tabs labeled Directions, Objectives, Preparation, and Background & Vocabulary
2. Study the two activities for this lesson. Be sure to select Expand Directions for more detailed instructions.
3. If it is necessary, modify to meet your students needs.
4. Check the Preparation tab for list of materials, resources, maps, and technology required. Print maps and other handouts and worksheets as necessary.

How-To

1. Activity 1: Influence of Shape and Size
   • Introduce the activity and assign countries
   • Have groups use mapping tools to explore countries.
   • Have groups draw and label borders, physical features, and cities in their countries.
   • Have students discuss the following questions within groups and as a whole class.
   • Make a connection to what students will do in Activity 2.
   • Have students use National Geographic Traveler guides to find more information about each country in Europe with coastal borders that they explored in this activity.
2. Activity 2: The Physical and Cultural Landscape of Europe
   • Introduce the lesson and review students’ prior knowledge about Europe.
   • Have students generate ideas about Europe.
   • Draw physical and cultural features on a borderless map of Europe.
   • Have small groups share their maps, ideas, and questions.
   • Have a whole-class discussion.
   • Perform an informal assessment
3. Activity 3: Observing Physical and Cultural Landscapes
   • Practice differentiating between physical and cultural landscape features.
   • Make observations about the physical and cultural landscapes in the Europe photo gallery.
   • Have students make inferences about the locations, places, and people in the photos.
   • Discuss students’ observations and inferences as a whole class.
   • Confirm and identify on a map the location of each photograph.
   • Extend the learning by having students search for other images of Europe online.

Teacher Tips

• Reinforce vocabulary list as these words may be included in the GED Social Studies test.
• Select Expand Directions (under the Directions tab) to show all the directions for each activity.

More Ways

• Activity 2
  Review students' lists from Step 2 to get an idea of what students know and want to learn about Europe. You can use this information to help shape the lessons that follow.
• Activity 3
  Before starting this activity, prepare a set of index cards by writing the following words on separate cards: (physical landscape features) mountains, rivers, trees, landforms, bodies of water, climate, natural vegetation, soil; (cultural landscape features) house, dam, cars, education, settlement patterns, food, music, health, sports, transportation, and housing. If helpful, include a photo with each
• You can also use an Interactive Whiteboard or a Document Camera for this activity.
• The National Geographic Web site has lessons and activities for all grade levels on the main subjects of geography, science, and social studies. But often included in the learning objectives are other subjects such as mathematics, the arts, language arts, so they cover many disciplines. Explore it to find more lessons and activities to use with your students.

Program Areas

• ASE: High School Equivalency Preparation

Documents

• Gathering Ideas About Europe.png - Screenshot of the Gathering Ideas About Europe lesson page

Subjects

• Social Studies
  • World History

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