SHIRLEY TODD

SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD . . . .

GRADE 7 - 12

LOCATION; PLACE; HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION; MOVEMENT'; REGION

INTRODUCTION:

In this lesson, students enter geographic information about a country on the surface of a balloon. It sounds like a lot for one class period, but with 4-5 in a group, good planning, and cooperation, they can complete the project.

OBJECTIVES:

The student will be able to:

1. Apply the five geographic themes: Location, Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Movement, and Region to an individual project.

2. Give a brief oral presentation highlighting the important geographical features of a country, using five themes of geography as prompts.

TIME REQUIRED: 45 minutes (1 day).

MATERIALS:

Balloons

Permanent magic markers

scissors

rubber cement

scraps of materials

encyclopedia

textbook

yarn

construction paper

globe or map

PROCEDURE:

1. Have students get into groups of 4-5. Together, each group will decide on a country they would like to visit.

2. The following tasks will be shared among the members of a group:

a. Blow up the balloon.

b. On the balloon, draw the outline of the country you want to visit.

c. Write the name of the country north of the outlined map.

d. Locate and write the name of the capital with an appropriate symbol.

e. Write the absolute location of the country south of the outline map.

f. Write the names of two adjacent countries in a direction that reflects their correct relative location. If the country is insular, write the names of the water bodies that surround the country or of other nearby island countries.

g. Using symbols, draw in the most prominent physica features of the country, such as mountains, lakes, rivers, plains, bays, seas, isthmuses.

h. Using symbols, draw in two places of unusual interest in the country.

i . Use other symbols to show where most of the movement of people and things is concentrated.

j. Also using symbols, show three different types of economic activity that the country is engaged in, such as agriculture, mining, ranching, tourism, car manufacturing, etc.

k. Using 3x5 cards, fabric or construction paper, create a basketlike object that will carry the group to their destination. Suggest paper cutout figures that can be placed in the basket to represent the group.

l. Using yarn, attach the basket to the balloon.

m. Give a 2-3 minute oral presentation on the country.