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INTRODUCTION to WORLD GEOGRAPHY BUNDLE
Give your students a solid background in the basics of World Geography with the Introduction to World Geography Bundle.
- 4 Google Slides lessons with notetaking guides: Mapping Skills, Standard of Living, and 5 Themes of Geography.
- 20 Daily Openers with student worksheets
- Activity Packet (print, digital, editable, and answers)
- Intro Diagnostic Activity
- 3 Quizzes: Mapping Skills and 5 Themes of Geography vocabulary quiz, topography map quiz, standard of living analysis quiz
- Unit Project: Create an Island Project
- Unit Test: regular multiple choice, modified version with fewer choices, answer key and study guide
PLANNING this MINI-UNIT
Standard of Living is the fourth and last mini-unit, or topic taught, in the “Introduction to Geography” unit. This topic covers how geographers and social scientists use specific indicators such as life expectancy and literacy rate, etc. as well as current events to determine the degree of wealth and material comfort available to a person or community.
Pacing
Teachers should plan two to three days to teach this mini-unit on a traditional schedule with one-hour class periods. However, for those on a block schedule with 1 1/2 hour classes, teachers should plan for two classes.
Openers
The “Introduction to World Geography” has 20 openers that review the following topics: Mapping Skills, Grid-System and the Earth-Sun Relationship, 5 Themes of Geography and Standard of Living. There are 5 openers directly related to Standard of Living for this mini-unit. CLICK HERE to see more information on openers for the “Introduction to World Geography Unit.”
OPENER TOPICS
Mapping Skills
- Travel
- Political and Physical Maps
- Mapping Tools
- Country Counts
- Mapping Fun Facts
Grid System and Earth-Sun Relationship
- The Earth’s Grid-System
- The Tropical Region
- Solstice and Equinox
- Time Zones
- Fun Facts
5 Themes of Geography
- Movement
- Location
- Place
- Region
- Human Interaction with the Environment
Standard of Living
- Economy
- Standard of Living Comparison
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites
- Understanding Population Patterns
- Literacy Rates
Google Slides
GOOGLE SLIDES: After the opener, begin the 
Google Slides lesson. Students can take notes on paper using the note-taking guide provided with the Google Slides lesson, or they may take notes digitally with the electronic version (also included with the Google Slides).
TEACHING TIPS
⭐️ TEACHER TIP: I post a PDF version of the Google Slides to Google Classroom so that students can review their notes if they are absent. Click “File, Download, PDF” on the Google Slide to do this.
⭐️ TEACHER TIP: Some teachers post Google Slides in their Google Classroom and digital note-taking guides for students to complete as homework.
⭐️TEACHER TIP: When pressed for time, I will edit the note-taking guides to include answers for some boxes or delete boxes and slides entirely. Teachers should feel free to modify the lesson to meet their student’s needs and individual learning targets.
Activities
This Standard of Living Note-Taking Guide should be paired with the Google Slides (see above). Teachers can walk students through these notes, or they can post lecture notes on their chosen platform and have students record the information.
Standard of Living
Note-Taking Guide page #1
Standard of Living
Note-Taking Guide page #2
The CIA Factbook Research Guide is a research guide for students to complete after the Standard of Living lesson. Teachers can assign each student a random country, or a country of their choice to research. Students will use the CIA World Factbook to record information on their assigned country’s society, economy, government, communication, and security.
CIA Factbook Research Guide page #1
CIA Factbook Research Guide page #12
These resources is part of the “Introduction to World Geography” BUNDLE that includes 4 different Google Slides lessons with note-taking guides, 20 daily openers, an activity packet, a create-an-island project, quizzes, and unit exam.
UNIT: Introduction Diagnostic Activity
Prior to teaching your geography unit on the United States and Canada, discover what your students already know about the geographic region.
This activity asks students to name countries, place physical features on a map and answer critical thinking questions.
WHAT COMES WITH THE DOWNLOAD:
1. Teacher tips and lesson plans for the activity
2. Student Worksheet
3. Answer Key
Helpful Videos
Break up direct instruction by showing a video that reviews concepts they just learned.
Key Terms & Vocabulary
Key Terms
- Standard of Living
- Developed Nation
- Developing Nation
- Rural
- Urban
- Population Pyramids
- CIA World Factbook
- World Bank
- United Nations
- Cultural Diffusion
- Interdependence
Social Indictors
- Life Expectancy
- Infant Mortality Rate
- Sanitation Facility Access
- Improved Drinking Water
- Physician Density
- School Life Expectancy
Economic Indicators
- Gross Domestic Product
- Per Capita Income
- Labor Force by Occupation
- Unemployment Rate
- Inflation
- Diversified Industries
- Poverty Line
Political Indicators
- Head of State
- Term Limits
- Transition of Power
- Suffrage
LEARNING TARGETS
- Students will be able to compare and contrast two or more countries and argue their standard of living by citing specific evidence.
- Students will be able to distinguish the difference between a developed and developing nation.
- Students will be able to identify specific resources to use when determining the standard of living.
- Students will be able to use the CIA World Factbook to research and determine a country’s standard of living.
- Students will be able to argue how cultural diffusion, a population’s age, migration, trade relationships, and interdependence can influence culture.
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