Unit 2: Characteristics of Regions
Embedded Files
Impact Chapter: 1
ReadyGen Alignment: Module 2B
Text Alignment: Deep Down and Other Extreme Placed to Live, City Homes, and The Song of Sky and Sand
Unit Overview: Why does it matter where we live?
In this unit, students will embark on an exciting exploration of the diverse characteristics of regions around the world and in Colorado. They will develop skills in reading and interpreting information from geographic tools, such as maps and satellite images while formulating geographic questions to deepen their understanding. Students will identify and locate oceans, continents, major countries, bodies of water, mountains, urban areas, the state of Colorado, and neighboring states on maps. They will examine the factors that make regions unique, including cultural diversity, industry and agriculture, and landforms. Through examples of similar and different places within their local region, students will understand the concept of regional comparisons. They will characterize regions using various types of features, such as physical, political, cultural, urban, and rural attributes.
Prepared Graduates:
Apply geographic representations and perspectives to analyze human movement, spatial patterns, systems, and the connections and relationships among them.
Examine the characteristics of places and regions, and the changing nature among geographic and human interactions.
Grade Level Expectation(s):
2. Geography
Use geographic tools to develop spatial thinking. (2.1)
Define the concept of region through an examination of similarities and differences in places and communities. (2.2)
The highlighted evidence outcomes are the priority for all students, serving as the essential concepts and skills. It is recommended that the remaining evidence outcomes listed be addressed as time allows, representing the full breadth of the curriculum.
Students Can (Evidence Outcomes):
Read and interpret information from geographic tools and formulate geographic questions. (2.1.a)
Locate oceans and continents, major countries, bodies of water, mountains, urban areas, the state of Colorado, and neighboring states on maps. (2.1.b)
Describe the natural and man-made features of a specific area on a map. (2.1.c)
Identify geography-based problems and examine the ways that people have tried to solve them. (2.1.d)
Observe and describe the physical, cultural, and human-made characteristics of a local region. For example: the Eastern Plains, San Luis Valley, Pikes Peak, Northwest, Front Range, South Central, Southwest, and Western Slope. (2.2.a)
Identify the factors that make a region unique. For example: cultural diversity, industry and agriculture, and landforms. (2.2.b)
Give examples of places that are similar and different from a local region. (2.2.c)
Characterize regions using different types of features such as physical, political, cultural, urban and rural attributes. (2.2.d)
Colorado Essential and Nature of Skills
Articulate the most effective geographic tools to access information needed for developing spatial thinking (Critical Thinking and Analysis).
Investigate a variety of places and communities and draw conclusions about regions (Critical Thinking and Analysis).
Geographic thinkers analyze connections among places.
Geographic thinkers compare and contrast characteristics of regions when making decisions and choices such as where to send children to school, what part of town to live in, what type of climate suits personal needs, and what region of a country to visit.
Geographic thinkers can explain how natural and human-made catastrophic events in one place affect people living in other places.
Geographic thinkers use and interpret information from geographic tools to investigate geographic questions.
Geographic thinkers use geographic tools to answer questions about places and locations such as where to locate a business or park and how to landscape a yard.
Geographic thinkers develop the skills to organize and make connections such as reading a map and understanding where you are, where you want to go, and how to get to the destination.
Geographic thinkers use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions and their environmental characteristics.
Inquiry Questions
What questions do geographers ask?
How does the geography of where we live influence how we live?
How do physical features provide opportunities and challenges to regions?
How have the cultural experiences of groups in different regions influenced practices regarding the local environment?
Are regions in the world more similar or different?
Why do people describe regions using human or physical characteristics?
What are geographic characteristics of a region?
How do cultures lead to similarities and differences between regions?
Disciplinary, Informational, and Media Literacies
Use information gained from illustrations such as maps and photographs, as well as the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text. For example: Where, when, why, and how key events occur.
Determine the kinds of sources that will be helpful in answering compelling and supporting questions, taking into consideration the different opinions people have about how to answer the questions.
Academic Vocabulary and Language Expectations
resources, boundary, growing season, crops, livestock, service industry, high-tech industry, community, population, elevation, region, climate, humidity, precipitation, natural resources, landforms, erosion, satellite image, map, features, ocean, continent, country, urban, rural, local, physical, culture, political, characteristics, industry, cultural diversity, agriculture, geography, natural features
Possible Assessments:
Inquiry Project from Chapter 1
Lesson Tests (1-5) and Chapter Overview Assessment Chapter 1
End of Unit Writing Tasks: These writing tasks align with skills and content from ReadyGen
Stop and Check, Check For Success, Report Your Findings, and Talk About It is throughout the lessons
More to Explore (Research Companion)
Connections In Action (Research Companion)
Instructional Resources & Notes:
Chapter 1 from Impact
Research Companion
Inquiry Journal
Explorer Magazine
Lesson Videos
Impact News
Supplemental Resources
Primary Source Set from CDE: The Characteristics of a Region
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