Regions of the United States

By Nancy Gilligan and Donna Shouse, Social Studies Content Speicialists

If you could choose to live in any region of the United States, which region would you choose? Why would you want to live there?

1.Describe are the physical characteristics of the Northeast, the Midwest, the Southwest, the Southeast, and the West.

2. Describe the people that live in each region. (Include ethnicity and national origin) How are the people that live in each region affected by the climate?

3. What steps will you use in your decision making process?

4. What is a brochure and how is one developed?

Academic Expectation 2--Social Studies:

2.17 Students interact effectively and work cooperatively with the many ethnic and cultural groups of our nation and world.

• Investigate how our society is influenced by a variety of cultures.

2.19 Students recognize and understand the relationship between people and geography and apply their knowledge in real-life situations.

• Use geographic sources of information and data for a purpose.
• Explain the influence of geographic factors on human movement.
• Compare regions to identity unifying characteristics.
• Examine the interaction between people and their environment and predict trends.

 

Academic Goal 5--Thinking and Problem Solving:

5.3 Students organize information to develop or change their understanding of concept.

• Identify connections between new information and prior knowledge.

 

5.4 Students use a decision-making process to make informed decisions among options.

• Make a decision from given options.
• Define a goal, gather information, and generate alternative solutions.

 

• Every place is unique and can be described by its human (e.g., language, religion, housing) and physical characteristics (e.g., landforms, climates, water).
• Regions are areas that have one or more physical or human characteristics in common (e.g., physical: geographical regions of Kentucky, South, Midwest, Western Hemisphere; human: Appalachia, the Corn belt, Amish country).

Divide the class into five groups. Each group will prepare a travel brochure on one of the regions. It will include climate, physical features, the culture of the area, economic life, and opportunities for recreation.

Open Response: Select a region of the United States, other then the one your group worked on, and explain why you would like to live there. Provide three reasons for your choice. Make use the reasons you give are fully developed.

Open Response: Select a region of the United States, other then the one your group worked on, where you would like to live and describe the region. Provide three reasons for your choice. Make use the reasons you give are fully developed.

The student selects an appropriate region of the United States, and describes the region using extensive detail.

Student provides three reasons for his choice that provide a connection to his personal life using extensive detail.

Level 3:

The student selects an appropriate region of the United States, and describes the region using broad detail.

Student provides three reasons for his choice that provide a connection to his personal life using broad detail

Level 2:

The student selects an appropriate region of the United States, and describes the region using basic detail.

Student gives two reasons for his choice that provide a connection to his personal life using basic detail

Level 1:

The student selects an appropriate region of the United States, and describes the region using minimal detail.

Student gives one reason for his choice and does not provide a connection to his personal life

 

Skills/Abilities:

Critical Resources:

Instructional/Assessment Activities:

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