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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
Topography is the second mini-unit, or topic taught, in the “Introduction to Geography” unit. This topic covers elevation, land, and water features.
Pacing
Teachers should plan one to two 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 one class.
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 no specific openers for this mini-unit on topography because the mini-unit is expected to last 1-2 days. 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 Topography Note-Taking Guide should be paired with the Google Slides (see above). Teachers can walk students through these definitions, or they can post lecture notes on their chosen platform and have students record the definitions.
The Topography Mapping Practice is an activity that should be used as a formative assessment, or checking for understanding after students complete the Topography Note-Taking Guide. Students are instructed to find and label the following land and water features on a map of the Western Hemisphere: Canyon, Volcano, Peninsula, Plateau, Isthmus, Valley, Island, Archipelago, Mountain, Lake, River, Strait, Gulf, Tributary, Bay, Ocean. As an added challenge, students are tasked with coloring the map’s elevation and creating a key.
Topography
Note-Taking Guide
Topography
Mapping Practice
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
Land Features
Land Features
Water Features
- Topography
- Elevation
- Land Features
- Water Features
- Canyon
- Mountain
- Volcano
- Peninsula
- Plateau
- Isthmus
- Valley
- Island
- Steppe
- Delta
- Desert
- Archipelago
- Lake
- River
- Strait
- Gulf
- Tributary
- Bay
- Cataract
- Fjord
- Ocean
LEARNING TARGETS
- Students will be able to distinguish various topographic features as either land features or water features.
- Students will be able to describe and define the following land features: canyon, mountain, volcano, peninsula, plateau, isthmus, valley, island, archipelago, steppe, delta, and desert.
- Students will be able to describe and define the following water features: lake, river, strait, gulf, tributary, bay cataract, fjord, and ocean
- Students will be able to recognize the following land features on a map: canyon, mountain, volcano, peninsula, plateau, isthmus, valley, island, archipelago, steppe, delta, and desert.
- Students will be able to recognize the following water features on a map: lake, river, strait, gulf, tributary, bay, cataract, fjord, and ocean.
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