Download Hands On Chapter Project Inventing a Country and Creating a Map Editable Version (2)

NAME
DATE
CLASS
Geography, Economics, and Civics Connections
Project Overview
Project Goal
Students will participate in a simulation in order to learn how physical
geography influences the way people live, why people trade, and why
people form governments.
Skills Addressed
• collaboration; responsibility and accountability; decision making
• information and communication technologies literacy; creating
displays
• making comparisons; drawing conclusions
Materials Needed
Discovering Our Past: A History of the World Student Edition
Access to the school library and computers for research
Hands-On Chapter Project Worksheets
Materials for map design: posterboard, crayons, markers
Duration
1 independent work day and 2 class days
NAME
DATE
CLASS
Geography, Economics, and Civics Connections
Project Steps
Step 1: Introduce Project
Tell students that they will be inventing a country and creating a map
of their country. Their job is to choose the name and identify the
physical geographic features that are located in and around their
country. They will also decide what products and services they will
trade and with whom.
Activate Background Knowledge Have a class discussion about
how specific physical geographic features help communities develop,
citing examples from your own community. Next, ask students to
name a country of their own. Students should then describe physical
features in and around their country, including mountains, lakes,
rivers, and so on, to include on their map.
In your discussion, address how natural resources, such as water
and food from plants and animals, might affect a country’s
economic activities.
Possible geographic information students might include on
their maps:
Area—square miles
Physical Features—mountains, plains, lakes, rivers, oceans
Climate—tropical, dry, mild and moist, cold and moist, or
polar
Vegetation—types of plant life used as food and raw
materials
Population and Distribution—the total number of people and
the amount of people living within a specific area
Animals—any animal life
Possible economic information students might include on their maps:
Goods—products or raw materials
Services—tasks performed for others
Possible cultural information students might include on their
maps:
Housing—types of shelter that are found or built
Language—body of words or method of communication used
Ethnicity—linguistic, racial, or religious traits common to a
group of people
NAME
DATE
CLASS
Geography, Economics, and Civics Connections
Step 2: Plan the Map
1.
Organize Groups
Organize students into groups for the duration of the
project. Groups should ideally include 3–5 members.
2. Discuss the Project Plan
 Read Worksheet 1 and review the plan steps on the
worksheet with the students.
 Read Worksheet 2. Discuss items to include on the
map, such as physical features, population and
distribution, goods and services. Explain that the
second part of the simulation involves students
describing how their country will trade.
 Discuss sources students might use to look for ideas:
• Atlas
• Encyclopaedia
3. Discuss Map Assessment
Distribute Worksheet 4 to each student and review the rubric with
students. This project will be graded based on overall quality of the
map and how well the presentations explain the connections among
geography, trade, and government. Each student will also be
graded by personal contribution and performance.
4. Preview Maps
Briefly meet with student groups to preview maps before
presentation.
Step 3: Present the Maps
Ideally, students should have ample time for two presentations.
Possible sequence of presentations:
Round 1. Students will present maps and describe their country
so that the class understands the types of goods and
services their country offers.
Round 2. Student groups decide what their country will trade
and identify the countries that might make the best
and worst trading partners for them and why.
NAME
DATE
CLASS
Worksheet 1: Geography, Economics, and Civics Connections
Project Plan
Group Members:
Directions Think about the steps you will need to take in order to
complete the project. Create a task list for your group.
Our group's region is:
Group Task List
Review the chapter in your textbook to recall the ways in which
communities have been able to thrive successfully.
Brainstorm as a group in order to define what your country is like
and what it produces.
Use the top half of the Welcome to My World worksheet to
brainstorm possible features to include on the map.
Meet with your team to organize ideas and decide what to include.
Create the map of your country as a group.
Display the map. Discuss all aspects of your country with the class.
Watch other map presentations. Complete the Welcome to My World
worksheet.
Decide as a group what you will trade and with whom. Share your
decision in a class discussion.
Complete your Rubric Assessment.
My Task List
Due Date
NAME
DATE
CLASS
Hands-On Chapter Project
Worksheet 2: Geography, Economics, and Civics Connections
Welcome to My World
Group Members:
Part I
Directions Brainstorm elements to include on your map, and
create the map as a group. Be sure to think about how physical
geography will affect the types of goods and services your country
will produce.
Name of Our Country:
Climate
Area
Physical Features
Vegetation and Animals
Population and Distribution
Goods and Services
Part II
Directions Observe all the map presentations. Take notes on the
products that each country trades.
NAME
DATE
CLASS
Hands-On Chapter Project
Worksheet 2: Geography, Economics, and Civics Connections
Part III
Directions Decide with your group the best and worst trading
partner for your country. Share your reasons with the class.
Based on this discussion, identify one example that illustrates the
connections among physical geography, economics, and
government.
NAME
DATE
CLASS
Hands-On Chapter Project
Worksheet 3: Geography, Economics, and Civics Connections
Assessment Rubric
Points
Research and
Content
Presentation
Collaboration
and Time
Management
5
Map is extremely
detailed and creative;
map includes aspects
of culture that a real
country would have;
research was
completed in order to
realistically show how
geography, trade, and
government are
related
All required elements
are included; map is
neatly drawn and
colored; all labels are
clear and legible;
group presentation
was insightful and
interesting
Project tasks were
effectively divided and
used the strengths of
each group member
well; the final map
showed obvious group
collaboration; the
team was organized
and demonstrated
skillful time
management
4
Map is complete and
shows signs of
research and
imagination; map
includes aspects of
culture that a real
country would have;
group demonstrates
how geography, trade,
and government are
related in their
country
All required elements
are included; map is
drawn and colored; all
labels are clear and
legible; group
presentation was
thoughtful and original
Task responsibility was
shared equally; all
members contributed
ideas to the map and
helped create and
write both
presentations; all
members contributed
to the oral
presentations; in-class
research time was
used effectively
3
Map is complete and
shows signs of
research; map
includes some aspects
of culture that a real
country would have;
group demonstrates
how geography, trade,
and government are
related in their
country
All required elements
are included; map is
drawn and colored; all
labels are legible;
group presentation
was clear and
complete
Responsibility for task
was balanced among
group members; most
members fulfilled their
responsibilities in
creating map; in-class
research and
brainstorming time
was generally
productive
NAME
DATE
CLASS
Hands-On Chapter Project
Worksheet 3: Geography, Economics, and Civics Connections
Assessment Rubric Cont.
2
Map is complete but
shows minimal signs
of research; map
includes few aspects
of culture that a real
country would have;
group demonstrates
how at least two of
the following are
related in their
country: geography,
trade, and
government
Some required
elements are
included; map is
drawn and somewhat
colored; most labels
are legible; group
presentation does not
explain fully the
elements of the map
or the country’s
culture
Responsibility for task
was unbalanced
among group
members in creating
map; in-class research
and brainstorming
time was productive
at times
1
Map is incomplete;
map includes few
aspects of culture that
a real country would
have; group
demonstrates little
understanding about
how geography, trade,
and government are
related in their
country
Many required
elements are missing;
features of the map
are difficult to
distinguish; most
labels are illegible;
group presentation
does not explain the
elements of the map
or the country’s
culture
Responsibility was
placed primarily on
one or two group
members in creating
map; group members
did not use in-class
research or
brainstorming time
effectively or
disrupted other groups
Self
Assessment
Teacher
Assessment