Maher 2012 2013

8th Grade Social Studies !

Unit: Responsibility
Topic

Timeline: 2 or 3 Block Periods

III

Big Idea: Each of us is in charge of the actions we chose

Geography
Lesson: What is the Future of Our Planet?
Learning Goals*
4.1 Know that the study of geography is concerned with places and environments in the world 4.2 Know about the main physical and human features and environmental issues in particular localities 4.16 Be able to use appropriate geographical vocabulary to describe and interpret their surroundings as well as other countries and continents 4.17 Be able to explain how geographical features and phenomena impact economic interactions between countries and regions 4.21 Be able to explain how places and people are interdependently linked through the movement of goods and people 4.22 Develop an understanding of how localities are affected by natural features and processes 4.23 Develop an understanding of how and why people seek to manage and sustain their environment Assessment
Think-Pair-Share Activity Country Chart Diamond Rank Activity World Issue Info-graphic

Materials
World Atlas (1 per student) Spaceship Story & Questions Thematic Map Chart Diamond Rank Activity Sheet 1:1 Laptops Info-Graphic Worksheet Program to produce an info-graphic on

Natural Intelligences
Logical- Mathematical Visual Spatial Naturalist Interpersonal

Differentiation Materials
Beginning ELLs - Spaceship story worksheet told via pictures with native language word translations for keywords. Modication of thematic map activity to basic identication without evidence and analysis

Consolidation
How does the spaceship story relate to our world? What is your evidence? How do maps help us gather information about the world around us?

Strategies and Activities

Read The Spaceship as a group. Give students time to read the story individually. Once theyve had sufcient time, have them work in pairs to do the following: Highlight good points in one color and bad points in another Underline the choices that people have made in the story Discuss and write down one sentence which summaries each paragraph What are the three main issues raised by the story? Why do you think this? What is the story really about? Why do you think this? Break the class into new pairs and have them Think-Pair-Share about what the story is really about and why they think that. Have one person from each new group share what they or their partner thinks. Make sure you go over that the story is about responsibility at a range of scales from global to individual as these concepts will be needed for the next activity and it will address higher order thinking such as prediction. Give each student a world atlas with specic thematic maps to focus on (should give insight to world economy & consumption)

*Learning Goals in bold are being assessed this lesson

Maher 2012 2013

8th Grade Social Studies !

Timeline: 2 or 3 Block Periods

Strategies and Activities (cont.)

Instruct them to predict which countries are ofcers and which ones are workers by looking at the maps and the information about each they provide for the present. Students should give evidence and a reason for choosing that position for the country. They should do as many countries as you wish. Discuss the following questions once they have completed the country chart In what ways are individual people in charge of the actions and the results of the actions they chose in this story? From which parts of the world are the people who are responsible for these issues? Which countries that you have researched in this task to you think act most like the ofcers in the story? Can you think of any other groups, businesses or organizations that you feel behave in this way? Which countries that you have researched in this task to you think act most like the workers in the story? Can you think of any other groups, businesses or organizations that you feel behave in this way? What does the future hold for the spaceship? What should the future hold and how could this be brought about? After the class discussion of the above questions create a class list of the major issues facing the Earth in the 21st Century - aim for 10 issues. Have a class discussion about why these issues are important Diamond Rank Activity -- a diamond activity is a way of placing statements/topics in an order of importance/priority. The most important or signicant statement is placed on the top, the least important on the bottom. Using the UN global issues site students should research and decide what they believe to be the top 9 most important issues facing the Earth in the 21st Century and put them in order on the Diamond Rank Chart. They should then explain and justify the order chosen for their diamond to their assigned partner. Students will then produce a world issue info-graphic to describe their chosen issue (#1 in the Diamond), explain the effects of this issue on people and places and justify why they feel this is the most serious world issue. They must also emphasize what choices people make that contribute to these issues. Present them to the class when done, students can even educate younger grades in the school as well.

*Learning Goals in bold are being assessed this lesson