Purpose: Humans have the same basic needs in order to survive and the physical characteristics of the land determines how those needs are satisfied. This lesson is an introduction to a unit study of Native Americans of the Past.

1. Climate plays an important role in determining the physical characteristics (i.e.,vegetation) of a region.
   
2. People adapt to their physical environment to survive. In the past basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter were determined by what people found in their natural surroundings and their skill at adapting it to their needs.
   
3. There were similarities and differences in the various regions and how basic needs were met.

Primary Question: What is climate? How does it affect the Northwest, Southwest, Plains, Northeast and Southeast regions of the United States? What do the natural surroundings in the five regions look like?

Secondary Question: How would people adapt to survive?

Hawaii Content and Performance Standards and Benchmarks:

Language Arts: Oral Communication
1. Range: Communicate orally using various forms-interpersonal, group, and public-for a variety of purposes and situations. Participate in groups to complete a task, solve a simple problem, or share ideas.

Social Studies
2. Places and Regions: Students understand how distinct physical and human characteristics shape places and regions. Use physical and human characteristics to compare and contrast places and regions, near and far.

Geographic Standards: the geographically informed person knows and understands:

Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places.
Standard 15: How physical systems affect human systems.

Graphic Skills:
Acquire geographic information.
What does it look like in different regions of the United States? What kinds of vegetation will you find in different regions?

Analyze geographic information.
How does climate affect different regions? How is one area the same or different from another and why?

Ask geographic questions
How would people adapt to survive?

Objectives: Students will:

1. use data on temperature and precipitation printout for a city in one of the five regions to compare with climate in Hawaii.
   
2. draw conclusions about how climate might affect physical environment.
   
3. make predictions about what it would look like in that region.
   
4. illustrate what the physical environment of a region might look like (without buildings, streets, people, etc). Illustrate what it looks like here in Hawaii also.
   
5. match actual pictures to the five regions in the United States.
   
6. draw conclusions about how climate varies in different regions and how it affects each region.
   

1. Printouts for average temperature and precipitation from states around the United States representing each of the five regions we want to focus on as well as Hawaii. (worldclimate.com)
   
2. Pictures of different regions in the United States showing physical characteristics of the land; land formations, vegetation, etc.
   
3. Map of the United States
   
4. Drawing paper, chart paper, crayons, markers and pencils.
   

1. Distribute data on temperature and precipitation and maps to groups of 4 students. Each group will study data from a different city in the United States as well as data from Hawaii. Have students compare regional climate data to climate in Hawaii. How are they the same? How are they different? Hot? Cold? Dry? Wet?
   
2. Fill in chart as groups share what they found with the class. See chart.
   
   
   
   
3. Based on data collected and conclusions drawn, have students make predictions about physical environmental characteristics in regions. What are some things you would see in your region that's the same as in Hawaii. What are some things that would be different? Do you think the physical environment would be green with lots of vegetation?
   
   Do you think the area would be dry and dusty?
   
   After discussions, when students feel comfortable with their predictions continue to next step.
   
   
4. Distribute drawing paper. Have students label one Hawaii and the other the state they were working on. Draw what the area would look without buildings, streets, people, etc. Share with group members and choose one set to share with the class.
   
   
5. Have each group share their two pictures explaining why they chose to do it that way and how it fits with the climate data they studied.
   
   
6. Distribute actual pictures of various regions to groups. Have students match pictures to regions on a map. NW, SW, Plains, SE, and NE. After a few minutes, bring class together and compare results. Have students share why they chose to place a picture in a certain area. Compare pictures with their drawings of the area. Are they s imilar or different? Why?
   
   
7. Share correct placement with class and tack on bulletin board with map of the U.S. along with pictures students drew of each area.
   
   
8. Have students draw conclusions about how climate affects physical characteristics of a region.

Assessment:

Extension:
1. Students write a paragraph about how they would use their natural surroundings to survive.

What would they eat? What would they use for shelter? Clothes?

References:
Geography for Life, National Geography Standards 1994
Geography Education Standards Project.