Social Studies

This quarter we will learn about communities, maps and ways people impact their environment .

Students will understand that…

• The identification of natural features on maps or globes can help guide people to desired locations

• Maps help people track locations and avoid landforms that may be barriers to movement and travel

• Locations and physical features can be understood through the interpretation of map symbols

• Symbols on maps and globes provide important information about physical geography, distances, and where places are located in relation to other places

• The physical environment of a region can help shape how people live, work, and play

• The physical environment can contribute to the type of housing people live in and the type of activities people do for fun

• The physical environment can play a role in contributing to the types of goods and services people produce

• The physical environment of a place may impose constraints on human activity

• People adapt differently to different physical environments

• People impact the environment through their habits, actions, and choices

• Changing the physical environments to meet the need for shelter, food, and clothing can lead to unintended consequences that may harm a place or region

• Pollution in the physical environment can lead to undrinkable water and poor air quality, which may cause serious health issues

• Rivers, streams, and oceans polluted with trash and other chemicals harm marine animals that live in and depend on those environments

• The removal and loss of trees and other vegetation by people in an environment can lead to soil erosion, flooding, landslides, and fewer crops that can be grown

• People can work together to have a positive impact on the environment of the community in which they live