Essential Question

How does the use of geographic tools help us view the world in new ways?

Main Ideas

• Geography is the study of the world, its people, and the landscapes they create.

• Geographers look at the world in many different ways.

Lessons

1) Studying Geography

2) The Branches of Geography

3) Themes of Geography

4) The Geographer's Tool

5) Geography Handbook

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

Why do we study earth and it's physical systems?

Main Ideas

• Earth’s movement affects the amount of energy we receive from the sun.

• Earth’s seasons are caused by the planet’s tilt.

Lessons

Lesson 1 -Earth and the Sun's Energy

Lesson 2- Water on Earth

Lesson 3 -The Land

Lesson 4-Weather and Climate

Lesson 5-World Climates

Lesson 6 -Environments and Biomes

Lesson 7 - Natural Resources

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

Why do we study earth and it's physical systems?

Main Ideas

• Earth’s movement affects the amount of energy we receive from the sun.

• Earth’s seasons are caused by the planet’s tilt.

Lessons

Lesson 1: Elements of Culture

Lesson 2: Population

Lesson 3: Settlement Patterns

Lesson 4: Human-Environment Interaction

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

How do systems of government affect the roles of citizens across the golbe?

Main Ideas

• The world is divided into many different nations that interact together to trade, protect their national interests, resolve conflict, and address global issues.

• The world is divided into physical and human borders.

• The nations of the world interact through trade and foreign policy.

• The nations of the world form a world community that resolves conflicts and addresses global issues.

Lessons

Lesson 1: A World of Nations

Lesson 2: World Governments

Lesson 3: Citizenship

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

How does studying economics give us more insight into a country or region?

Main Ideas

• Economic systems help people buy the goods and services they need.

• The main problem in economics is scarcity.

• Scarcity shapes how societies use factors of production.

Lessons

Lesson 1:Economic Basics

Lesson 2: Economic Systems

Lesson 3: Money and Banking

Lesson 4: Living in a Global Economy

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

Why does where you live in the United States matter?

Main Ideas

• Major physical features of the United States include mountains, rivers, and plains.

• The climate of the United States is wetter in the East and South and drier in the West.

• The United States is rich in natural resources such as farmland, oil, forests, and minerals.

Lessons

Explore: Virtual Field Trip: Lexington and Concord

Lesson 1: Physical Geography

Lesson 2: History and Culture

Lesson 3: The United States Today

Lesson 4: Module Writing

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

Do Canada's many regional differences strengthen or weaken the country?

Main Ideas

• A huge country, Canada has a wide variety of physical features, including rugged mountains, plains, and swamps.

• Because of its northerly location, Canada is dominated by cold climates.

• Canada is rich in natural resources like fish, minerals, fertile soil, and forests.

Lessons

Lesson 1: Physical Geography

Lesson 2: History and Culture

Lesson 3: Canada Today

Lesson 4: Benchmark Assessment

*Flex day built it

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

Which early Latin American civilization was most successful?

Main Ideas

• A huge country, Canada has a wide variety of physical features, including rugged mountains, plains, and swamps.

• Because of its northerly location, Canada is dominated by cold climates.

• Canada is rich in natural resources like fish, minerals, fertile soil, and forests.

Lessons

Lesson 1: The Olmec and Maya

Lesson 2: The Aztecs

Lesson 3: Andean Civilizations

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

Which early Latin American civilization was most successful?

Main Ideas

• Mexico’s physical features include plateaus, mountains, and coastal lowlands.

• Mexico’s climate and vegetation include deserts, tropical forests, and cool highlands.

• Key natural resources in Mexico include oil, silver, gold, and scenic landscapes.

Lessons

Lesson 1: Physical Geography

Lesson 2: History and Culture

Lesson 3: Mexico Today

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

What are the most important challenges for the nations of central American and the Caribbean?

Main Ideas

• Physical features of the region include volcanic highlands and coastal plains.

• The climate and vegetation of the region include forested highlands, tropical forests, and humid lowlands.

• Key natural resources in the region include rich soils for agriculture, a few minerals, and beautiful beaches

Lessons

Lesson 1: Physical Geography

Lesson 2: Central America

Lesson 3: The Caribbean Islands

Lesson 4: Closure

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

Are the biggest challenges South American countries face economic, political, or environmental?

Main Ideas

• South America’s rain forests are its major source of natural resources.

• The Andes mountains are Pacific South America’s main physical feature.

• Brazil’s history has been affected by Brazilian Indians, Portuguese settlers, and enslaved Africans

• • European immigrants have dominated the history and culture of Argentina.

• Native cultures, Spanish conquest, and independence shaped Colombia’s history.

• The countries of Pacific South America share a history influenced by the Inca civilization and Spanish colonization.

Lessons

Lesson 1: Physical Geography

Lesson 2: Brazil

Lesson 3: Argentina, Uruguay, and Paraguay

Lesson 4: Colombia, Venezuela, and the Guianas

Lesson 5: Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Chile

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

What are the major political, social, and cultural legacies from Europe’s early history?

Lessons

Explore: Virtual Field Trip: Ancient Rome

Lesson 1: Prehistoric Cultures

Lesson 2: Ancient Greece

Lesson 3: The Roman World

Lesson 4: The Byzantine Empire

Lesson 5: The Middle Ages

Lesson 6: The Renaissance and Reformation

Complete Student Guide

Essential Question

Has modern Europe’s influence on the rest of the world been positive or negative?

Lessons

Lesson 1: Science and Exploration

Lesson 2: Political Change in Europe

Lesson 3: The Industrial Revolution

Lesson 4: World War I

Lesson 5: World War II

Lesson 6: Europe Since 1945

Complete Student Guide