JUNIOR MIDDLE SCHOOL
Grade 8 Geography
Jennifer Oraham, OCT
JMS Teacher
Columbia International College
672 Sanatorium Rd. | Hamilton, Ontario | L9C 7S7
P: 905-572-7883 x.3203
GEOGRAPHY
COURSE OUTLINE
TIME
August to September
September to October
October to November
November to December
December
UNIT
The Importance of Geography
Global Settlement: Patterns and Sustainability
Global Settlement: Patterns and Sustainability
Global Inequalities: Economic Development and Quality of Life
Global Inequalities: Economic Development and Quality of Life
UNIT 1: THE IMPORTANCE OF GEOGRAPHY
LEARNING GOAL
&
SUCCESS CRITERIA
ASSESSEMENT FOR LEARNING
Teachers use information about students’
knowledge, understanding and skills to
inform their teaching.
ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING
Involves students in the learning process
where they monitor their own progress, ask
questions and practice skills.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
Assists teachers to use evidence of student
learning to assess student achievement
against learning goals and standards.
STUDENTS WILL:
 Identify how geographers view the world
 Explore the definition of Geography and its
importance
 Develop geographic thinking and perspective
by following the inquiry process
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RESOURCES:
 NELSON textbook – Canada and
the Global Community
 Supplementary Worksheets
 Video presentations
Observation  Class participation
Tracking Sheet  Homework completion
Teacher Feedback  Exit ticket questions
Marking Criteria  Quiz on unit vocabulary terms
Anchor Charts – Word Wall and Vocabulary Logs
Self-Assessment – Notes and textbook questions
Peer-Assessment – Group work
Graphic Organizers – What is where, why there and why care concepts
Rubric – Journals
Performance Task – Creating the map of Canada and labelling the Provinces/Territories
Test – Unit Test
Oral Presentation – Establish reasons to why we should study Geography when learning
about the world
UNIT 2: GLOBAL SETTLMENT – PATTERNS AND SUSTAINABILITY
LEARNING GOAL
&
SUCCESS CRITERIA
ASSESSEMENT FOR LEARNING
Teachers use information about students’
knowledge, understanding and skills to
inform their teaching.
ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING
Involves students in the learning process
where they monitor their own progress, ask
questions and practice skills.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
Assists teachers to use evidence of student
learning to assess student achievement
against learning goals and standards.
STUDENTS WILL:
 Analyze some significant interrelationships
between Earth’s physical features and
processes and human settlement patterns, and
some ways in which the physical environment
and issues of sustainability may affect
settlement in the future.
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RESOURCES:
 NELSON textbook – Canada and
the Global Community
 Supplementary Worksheets
 Video presentations
Observation  Class participation
Tracking Sheet  Homework completion
Teacher Feedback  Exit ticket questions
Marking Criteria  Quiz on the different types of settlements
Anchor Charts – Word Wall and Vocabulary Logs
Self-Assessment – Notes and textbook questions
Peer-Assessment – Group work on labeling diagrams
Graphic Organizers – Labeling and explaining the different types of population settlements
Rubric – Journals
Performance Task – Creating and analyzing population pyramids
Test – Unit Test
Oral Presentation – Analyze reasons to why people choose to live where they live
UNIT 3: GLOBAL SETTLMENT – PATTERNS AND SUSTAINABILITY
LEARNING GOAL
&
SUCCESS CRITERIA
ASSESSEMENT FOR LEARNING
Teachers use information about students’
knowledge, understanding and skills to
inform their teaching.
ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING
Involves students in the learning process
where they monitor their own progress, ask
questions and practice skills.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
Assists teachers to use evidence of student
learning to assess student achievement
against learning goals and standards.
STUDENTS WILL:
 Use the geographic inquiry process to
investigate issues related to the
interrelationship between human settlement
and sustainability from a geographic
perspective.
 Demonstrate an understanding of significant
patterns and trends related to human
settlement and of ways in which human
settlement affects the environment.
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o
o
RESOURCES:
 NELSON textbook – Canada and
the Global Community
 Supplementary Worksheets
 Video presentations
Observation  Class participation
Tracking Sheet  Homework completion
Teacher Feedback  Exit ticket questions
Marking Criteria  Quiz on Population distribution and density
Anchor Charts – Word Wall and Vocabulary Logs
Self-Assessment – Notes and textbook questions
Peer-Assessment – Group work
Graphic Organizers – Push and Pull factors for human settlements
Rubric – Journals
Performance Task – Types of population distribution in Canada and reasons for its
development
o Test – Unit Test
o Oral Presentation – Land use issues between different groups in an area
UNIT 4: GLOBAL INEQUALITIES – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE
LEARNING GOAL
&
SUCCESS CRITERIA
ASSESSEMENT FOR LEARNING
Teachers use information about students’
knowledge, understanding and skills to
inform their teaching.
ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING
Involves students in the learning process
where they monitor their own progress, ask
questions and practice skills.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
Assists teachers to use evidence of student
learning to assess student achievement
against learning goals and standards.
STUDENTS WILL:
 Analyze some interrelationships among
factors that contribute to global inequalities,
with a focus on inequalities in quality of life,
and assess various responses to these
inequalities
 Use the geographic inquiry process to
investigate issues related to global
development and quality of life from a
geographic perspective
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o
o
o
o
RESOURCES:
 NELSON textbook – Canada and
the Global Community
 Supplementary Worksheets
 Video presentations
Observation  Class participation
Tracking Sheet  Homework completion
Teacher Feedback  Exit ticket questions
Marking Criteria  Quiz on developed vs. underdeveloped countries
Anchor Charts – Word Wall and Vocabulary Logs
Self-Assessment – Notes and textbook questions
Peer-Assessment – Group work on labeling diagrams
Graphic Organizers – Quality of life measurement and indicators
Rubric – Journals
Performance Task – Analyzing the benefits of resources on quality of life
Test – Unit Test
Oral Presentation – How to help and improve quality of life worldwide
UNIT 5: GLOBAL INEQUALITIES – ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE
LEARNING GOAL
&
SUCCESS CRITERIA
ASSESSEMENT FOR LEARNING
Teachers use information about students’
knowledge, understanding and skills to
inform their teaching.
ASSESSMENT AS LEARNING
Involves students in the learning process
where they monitor their own progress, ask
questions and practice skills.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING
Assists teachers to use evidence of student
learning to assess student achievement
against learning goals and standards.
STUDENTS WILL:
 Demonstrate an understanding of significant
patterns in and factors affecting economic
development and quality of life in different
regions of the world
 Explain how the four main economic sectors
are related to global development
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o
o
o
o
RESOURCES:
 NELSON textbook – Canada and
the Global Community
 Supplementary Worksheets
 Video presentations
Observation  Class participation
Tracking Sheet  Homework completion
Teacher Feedback  Exit ticket questions
Marking Criteria  Quiz on the difference between the four economic sectors
Anchor Charts – Word Wall and Vocabulary Logs
Self-Assessment – Notes and textbook questions
Peer-Assessment – Group work on labeling diagrams
Graphic Organizers – Environmental impacts on human settlements
Rubric – Journals
Performance Task – Describing an environmental issue and its sustainability
Test – Unit Test
Oral Presentation – Analyzing various choropleth maps