World Geography

Understanding by Design - Backwards Design Process

(developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2002)

STAGE 1 - DESIRED RESULTS

Overarching Understandings

I am part of a global community and I influence my surrounding and my surroundings influence me.

Essential Questions

What does it mean to be a part of a global community?

Unit: Cultural/Political Geography

Established Goal(s)

Learning Outcomes are located in the 9th Grade World Geography Curriculum Guide

Understanding(s)/Goals

Students will understand that:

• They are part of a global community

• Governments and economic systems impact citizens

• Technology and ideas have shaped individual lives

Essential Question(s)

• How do political beliefs affect global communities?

• What are the greatest contemporary world issues and how do they impact individuals?

• How do cultural traditions affect global communities?

• How do ideas influence environment, cultures and people?

• How do governments influence environment, cultures and people?

• How do countries and regions interact with one another as a global community?

Student objectives (outcomes)

Students will know and be able to:

• Understand the role of governments in the world and what effects they have on their region

• Analyze and describe how historical events influenced and shaped cultural backgrounds and physical environments

• Explore how their individual choices have an impact on contemporary world issues

STAGE 2 - ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Performance Task(s)

• Write a paper about final outcomes from Sim Island (political, economic, societal, intellectual, and artistic).

• 9th Grade Online Project (Persuasive letter, PowerPoint, and Visual Aid)

Other Evidence

• Presentation on Issues in the world

• Create a pamphlet/brochure that describes the "perfect" community (society) and persuade why others should move there

• Current Event Journal

• Travel Itinerary Pamphlet

• Unit Final Exam

• Create a diary that explains simulation trip to another country

STAGE 3 - LEARNING PLAN

Learning Activities

This is the core of your lesson plan and includes a listing describing briefly (usually in bullet or numbered form so easy to follow) what:

• The students will do during the class to prepare them for the outcomes you expect of them

• The teacher will do to guide the learning

The following are examples of what the teacher can use for this unit.

1. World Geography Textbook

• Students read chapters in the book on different countries or regions that the class is studying

2. 9th Grade Online Project

•  Located on the Bellingham District Website under technology

•  Project allow students to study a continent of the world through researching and deciding what country would be the best place to live through explanation and persuasion

1. Research Cycle

•  Located on the Bellingham District Website

•  Explains to students the process to go through when researching a topic

1. World Geography Textbook Introductory Videos

•  8-10 minute videos that introduce the sections of each chapter of the book

•  Videos are located in school library, department head classroom or teacher classroom

1. Research Problems/Issues in the world

•  Students research a current issue in a region or country of the world

•  Create a PowerPoint, paper, visual aid, etc to demonstrate what the issue is and how they would go about solving the issue

1. Create Abstracts from Research

•  Students create abstracts that summarize the articles that they read for their Research Problems/Issues project

World Geography

Understanding by Design - Backwards Design Process

(developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2002)

STAGE 1 - DESIRED RESULTS

Overarching Understanding

I am part of a global community and I influence my surroundings and my surroundings influence me.

Essential Questions

What does it mean to be a part of a global community?

Unit: Economics

Established goal(s)

Learning outcomes are located in the 9th Grade World Geography Curriculum Guide

Understanding Goal(s)

Students will understand that:

• Individual choices can affect the global economy

• There are limited resources that are distributed unevenly around the global community

• They are part of a global community

Essential Question(s)

• How does economy shape our geography? How does geography shape our economy?

• How do individual decisions impact the economy?

• What is the "best" economic system?

• What are the strengths and weaknesses of a global economy (basic economic systems)?

• What is the best decision on distribution of goods and services around the world?

Student Objectives (outcomes)

Students will know and be able to:

• Identify and understand basic economic systems around the world, i.e. capitalism, communism, and socialism

• Understand how people's choices affect the resources on a global scale

STAGE 2 - ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Performance Tasks(s)

• Sim Island Culmination Project (give groups an economic system to incorporate into their island community)

• Debate on Economic systems

Other Evidence

• Unit test on Economic Systems

• Current Events Journal that shows different Economic Systems

• Write a business plan using a certain economy

STAGE 3 - LEARNING PLAN

Learning Activities

This is the core of your lesson plan and includes a listing describing briefly (usually in bullet or numbered form so easy to follow) what:

• The students will do during the class to prepare them for the outcomes you expect of them

• The teacher will do to guide the learning

The following are examples of what the teacher can use for this unit.

1. Hershey Kiss Activity

• Activity on trading products with other countries around the world and the production of Hershey Kisses

2. Mystery Product (pencil) Activity

•  Activity on where and how a pencil is produced

•  Teacher reads clues and students have to begin processing and guess what the mystery item might be

1. Classroom Economy Game

•  Teacher creates his/her classroom into a type of economic system, where the teacher is the leader of the system and gives students a certain amount of income. The teacher will charge students to use certain supplies or sit in certain seats (maybe one desk is for free so students "fight" over who gets the desk). Then the teacher can give students jobs so they can earn money, etc. This can last for the whole unit.

World Geography

Understanding by Design - Backwards Design Process

(developed by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe, 2002)

STAGE 1 - DESIRED RESULTS

Overarching Understanding

I am part of a global community and I influence my surroundings and my surroundings influence me.

Essential Questions

What does it mean to be a part of a global community?

Unit: Physical Geography

Established Goal(s)

Learning Outcomes located in 9th Grade Social Studies Curriculum Guide

Understanding(s)/goals

Students will understand that:

• Location, human environment, place, movement and regions.

• Cultures are shaped by the land, the climate and how the land climate is shaped by human culture

• They are part of a global community

• There is an interrelationship between themselves and their geography

Essential Questions

• How does geography shape the lives, cultures, and the environment around the world?

• What does it mean to be part of a global community?

• How does geography shape our decisions? How do our decisions shape out geography?

Student objectives (outcomes)

Students will know and be able to:

• Identify and interpret the distinctive features in the physical geography of the world

• Use and construct maps, charts, and other resources to gather and interpret geographic information

• Analyze, describe, and evaluate how a particular region is affected by interrelated factors including climate and topography

• Identify and understand the 5 Themes of Geography

STAGE 2 - ASSESSMENT EVIDENCE

Performance Task(s)

• Sim Island Culmination Project (using the 5 Themes of Geography, create a place to live and function as a community)

• PowerPoint Presentation using the 5 Themes to create/identify the best place in the world to host the Olympics

Other Evidence

• Apply 5 Themes to "you" (student) right now

• Current Event Journal (showing the use of the 5 Themes)

STAGE 3 - LEARNING PLAN

Learning Activities

This is the core of your lesson plan and includes a listing describing briefly (usually in bullet or numbered form so easy to follow) what:

• The students will do during the class to prepare them for the outcomes you expect of them

• The teacher will do to guide the learning

The following are examples of what the teacher can use for this unit.

1. World Geography Text Book

• Students read Chapter 1, Section 1-3 and Chapter 2, Section 1 for a better understanding about Physical Geography

2. Map Test

•  Give a pre-test of countries, capitals and physical features of the world.

•  Give continent tests throughout the semester

1. Five Themes Video

•  An introductory video for the 5 Themes of Geography

•  Video Located in school library

1. World Geography Text Book Introductory Videos

•  8-10 minute videos that introduce the sections of each chapter of the book

•  Videos are located in school library, department head classroom or teacher classroom

1. Latitude/Longitude Worksheet

•  Create a worksheet for students to locate places in an atlas giving them the latitude/longitude lines or give them the place and they give the latitude/longitude lines