GRADE LEVEL 4: SOCIAL STUDIES
Overview of Units:
 Regions of Kentucky
 Early Exploration of Kentucky
 Kentucky Today
 United States Regions
Social studies in the primary grades has a different level/grade context each year. For example, grade four focuses on
Kentucky studies and regions of the United States. Grade five includes an integrated focus on United States history.
Regardless of the level/grade context, students incorporate each of the five areas of social studies in an integrated
fashion to explore the content.
The primary purpose of social studies is to help students develop the ability to make informed decisions as citizens of a
culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. The skills and concepts found throughout this
document reflect this purpose by promoting the belief that students must develop more than an understanding of social
studies content. They must also be able to apply the content perspectives of several academic fields of the social
studies to personal and public experiences. By stressing the importance of both content knowledge and its application,
the social studies curriculum in Kentucky provides a framework that prepares students to become productive citizens.
The social studies content standards at the intermediate level are directly aligned with Kentucky's Academic
Expectations. Social Studies standards are organized around five “Big Ideas” that are important to the discipline of
social studies. The five Big Ideas in social studies are: Government and Civics, Cultures and Societies, Economics,
Geography and Historical Perspective. The Big Ideas, which are more thoroughly explained in the pages that follow, are
conceptual organizers that are the same at each grade level. This consistency ensures students have multiple
opportunities throughout their school careers to develop skills and concepts linked to the Big Ideas.
Big Idea
UNIT 1: REGIONS OF KENTUCKY
*Essential Questions:
1. What geographic tools can help me to understand the geography of Kentucky?
2. What are the Five Themes of Geography and why are they important?
3. How did the geographical features affect the lifestyle and culture of each region’s inhabitants?
Specific Content Area
Regions of Kentucky
Essential Questions:
*What geographic tools can help
me to understand the geography
of Kentucky?
*What are the Five Themes of
Geography and why are they
important?
How did the geographical
features affect the lifestyle and
culture of each region’s
inhabitants?
Vocabulary/Concepts/Skills/CLTs
Review of Geography Terms:
 Continent
 Hemisphere
 Appalachian Mountains
 Ohio River
 Absolute Location
 Relative Location
 Five Themes of Geography: Location, Place,
Region, Movement, Human-Environment
Interaction
 Maps: political, physical, thematic, simple,
physical, natural resource, population
 Waterways/Dams
 Kentucky’s Physical Environment
 Regions: Bluegrass, Pennyroyal, Eastern
Mountain/Coal Fields, Western Coal Fields, and
Jackson Purchase
 State Capital
 State Symbols
 Primary/Secondary Sources
 Weather/Climate
 Resources (natural, human, and capital)
Activities/Resources
Harcourt Social Studies: States and Regions
(Kentucky)
Scott Foresman Social Studies (Regions)
The Kentucky Adventure by Tracy Campbell
(Chapter 3)
Kentucky: Read About Geography by
Kimberly Valzania
A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry
Transactive Writing Piece:
Travel brochures for designated regionscooperative group or individual.
 Divide students into small groups and assign
each group a region of Kentucky. Have each
group create a brochure about their region.
Have sample brochures on hand to show them
what it could look like. Students will research
the geography, economics, history, and culture
of each region. After completing their
brochures, students will present them to the
class.
 Make a big cookie or brownie in the shape of
Kentucky (or have a couple of them so that
each small group gets one). Have students
use icing to show the different regions, then
use other types of toppings/candy to create
Assessments
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
Geography
SS-04-4.1.1 Students will use
geographic tools (e.g., maps, charts,
graphs) to identify and describe
natural resources and other physical
characteristics (e.g., major
landforms, major bodies of water,
weather, climate, roads, bridges) in
regions of Kentucky and the United
States.
SS-04-4.2.1 Students will compare
regions in Kentucky and the United
States by their human characteristics
(e.g., language, settlement patterns,
beliefs) and physical characteristics
(e.g., climate, landforms, bodies of
water).
SS-04-4.3.1 Students will describe
patterns of human settlement in
regions of Kentucky and explain how
these patterns were/are influenced
by physical characteristics (e.g.,
climate, landforms, bodies of water).
SS-04-4.4.2 Students will describe
how the physical environment (e.g.,
mountains as barriers or protection,
rivers as barriers or transportation)
both promoted and restricted
human activities during the early
settlement of Kentucky.
Historical Perspective
CLTs:
 I can use geographic tools to identify and locate
Kentucky.
 I can use geographic tools to identify and describe
the natural resources of Kentucky.
 I can use maps and the globe to locate the major
landforms, bodies of water, and other locations in
Kentucky.
 I can use geographic tools to identify and locate
regions in Kentucky.
 I can locate examples of landforms of Kentucky
(e.g., mountain, valley, hill, plateau) on a physical
map.
 I can compare the regions of Kentucky according to
physical characteristics.
 I can compare the regions of Kentucky according to
the human characteristics.
 I can explain how human and physical
characteristics help define a region.
 I can describe the patterns of early human settlement
in regions of Kentucky.
 I can explain how these patterns were/are influenced
by physical characteristics (climate, landforms, bodies
of water) in Kentucky.
 I can explain how the physical environment both
promoted and limited human activities during the early
settlement of Kentucky.
their own map of Kentucky. Make sure that
they include a map key on the piece of
cardboard underneath the cookie/brownie.
 A link to Kentucky’s symbols:
http://www.lrc.ky.gov/kidspages/symbols.htm
Locate places on a map and/or globe.
Make a map of the classroom on a poster board
and draw themselves at their desk/table.
Using a political map of the United States and
a globe, identify the location of the compass rose,
map key/legend, and scale.
Listen as the teacher writes words (continent,
country, state, city) one on top of the other in
pyramid form on the chalkboard and point out
that the biggest word is also the biggest piece of
land and so on.
Make a seven-continent mini-book to learn the
continents. Partition an 8 ½ by 11-inch paper
into 4 sections. Glue tiny pictures of four
continents to the four boxes on one side of the
paper and the other three continents, upside down
on the other side. The eighth box that is opposite
the first box on the side with 4 continents, is
labeled with the title “The Seven Continents.”
Cut a slit between the inner two boxes on the
sheet. Fold so that you end up with a tiny
booklet with only the title show. Underneath
each picture of the continent, leave space for the
child to rewrite the name of the continent that is
written with each map.
Write to a pen pal. As responses are received,
find and discuss their locations.
Complete a report on a state and write it on
paper shaped of the state. Cut out the states and
piece them together to make a large map.
Discuss current events, discuss studies of life
science and geographical areas.
SS-04-5.1.1 Students will use a
variety of primary and secondary
sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries,
timelines) to describe significant
events in the history of Kentucky and
interpret different perspectives.
SS-04-5.2.1 Students will identify
significant historical documents,
symbols, songs, and selected
readings (e.g., state flag, United We
Stand, Divided We Fall, My Old
Kentucky Home) specific to Kentucky
and explain their historical
significance.
 I can identify significant historical documents,
symbols, songs, and selected reading specific to
Kentucky and explain their historical significance.
 I can identify the state symbols of Kentucky (state
flag, motto, seal, etcc.).
 I can explain the historical significance of
Kentucky’s documents and symbols
SS-04-5.2.3 Students will compare
change over time in communication,
technology, transportation, and
education in Kentucky.
Big Idea
UNIT 2: EARLY EXPLORATION OF KENTUCKY
Essential Questions:
1. How did events early in Kentucky history lead to statehood?
2. How did culture and social institutions impact Kentucky development?
3. How did economic issues impact Kentucky development?
4. What impact did geography play in the development of Kentucky?
Specific Content Area
Vocabulary/Concepts/Skills/CLTs
Activities/Resources
Assessments
A. The First Kentuckians
Essential Questions:
*How did events early in
Kentucky history lead to
statehood?
*How did culture and social
institutions impact Kentucky
development?
*How did economic issues
impact Kentucky development?
*What impact did geography
play in the development of
Kentucky?
 Primary/Secondary Sources
 Artifact
 Prehistoric Era 10,000 B.C.-1600 A.D.
 Native Americans in Kentucky
 Natural Resources
Culture and Societies
SS-04-2.1.1 Students will identify
early cultures (Native Americans,
Appalachian, pioneers) in Kentucky
and explain their similarities and
differences.
CLTs:
 I can identify groups of Native Americans who
first lived in Kentucky.
 I can explain the similarities and differences of
early Native Americans in Kentucky.
Geography
SS-04-4.1.1 Students will use
geographic tools (e.g., maps, charts,
graphs) to identify and describe
natural resources and other physical
characteristics (e.g., major
landforms, major bodies of water,
weather, climate, roads, bridges) in
regions of Kentucky and the United
States.
 I can use geographic tools to identify prehistoric
Native American sites in Kentucky.
 I can use geographic tools to identify and
describe natural resources in Kentucky.
 I can use geographic tools to identify and
describe physical characteristics in Kentucky.
 I can describe the patterns of early Native
The Kentucky Adventure by Tracy Campbell
(Chapter 3)
Who Came Down This Road by George Ella
Lyons
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
SS-04-4.3.1 Students will describe
patterns of human settlement in
regions of Kentucky and explain how
these patterns were/are influenced
by physical characteristics (e.g.,
climate, landforms, bodies of water).
SS-04-4.4.1 Students will explain and
give examples of how people
adapted to/modified the physical
environment (e.g., natural resources,
physical geography, natural
disasters) to meet their needs during
the history of Kentucky and explain
to impact on the environment today.
Historical Perspective
SS-04-5.1.1 Students will use a
variety of primary and secondary
sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries,
timelines) to describe significant
events in the history of Kentucky and
interpret different perspectives.
B. Exploration and the
Frontier
Essential Questions:
*How did events early in
Kentucky history lead to
statehood?
*How did culture and social
institutions impact Kentucky
development?
*How did economic issues
impact Kentucky development?
American settlement in the area that came to be
Kentucky.
 I can explain how these patterns were/are
influenced by physical characteristics in
Kentucky (climate, landforms, bodies of water).
 I can give examples of how Native Americans in
early settlements adapted to/modified their
environment to meet their needs during the
history of Kentucky.
 I can explain how the Native Americans
impacted the Kentucky’s environment.
 I can use primary and secondary sources to
describe significant events in the history of
Kentucky.
EXPLORATION:
 The Frontier Era 1600-1800
 Conflicts with Pioneers and Long Hunters
 Exploring and Settling “Kentucke”
 Dr. Thomas Walker
 Christopher Gist
 Daniel Boone
 The Wilderness Road
 Cumberland Gap
 John Finley
 Boonesbourough
 Judge Richard Henderson
 The Proclamation of 1763
The Kentucky Adventure Chapter 5
Daniel Boone: Woodman of Kentucky by John
Paul Zranik
Daniel Boone and the Cumberland Gap
(Cornerstones of Freedom) by Andrew Santella
Kentucky (Hello U.S.A. Series) by Dottie
Brown
Seeds of a Nation: Kentucky by Shelia
Wyborny
Journey to the Bottomless Pit: The Story of
Stephen Bishop and Mammoth Cave by Elizabeth
Mitchell
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
*What impact did geography
play in the development of
Kentucky?
 Simon Kenton
 James Harrod
 Harrodsburg
EXPLORATION:
Historical Perspective
SS-04-5.2.2 Students will identify
and compare the cultures of diverse
groups and explain why people
explored and settled in Kentucky
Culture and Societies
SS-04-2.3.1 Students will describe
various forms of interactions
(compromise, cooperation, conflict)
that occurred during the early
settlement of Kentucky between
diverse groups (Native Americans,
early settlers)
Geography
SS-04-4.3.2 Students will describe
how advances in technology (e.g.,
dams, resources, roads, irrigation)
allow people to settle in places
previously inaccessible in Kentucky.
SS-04-4.4.2 Students will describe
how the physical environment (e.g.,
mountains as barriers or protection,
rivers as barriers or transportation)
both promoted and restricted
human activities during the early
settlement of Kentucky.
SETTLEMENT:
CLTs:
 I can identify the cultures of diverse groups that
explored Kentucky.
 I can explain why diverse groups of people settled
in Kentucky.
 I can compare the cultures of the diverse groups of
people in early Kentucky history.
 I can describe various forms of interactions between
early settlers and Native Americans.
 I can describe how advances in technology
allowed people to settle to Kentucky.
 I can explain how the physical environment
promoted human activities during the early
settlement of Kentucky.
 I can explain how the physical environment
promoted human activities during the early
settlement of Kentucky.
 I can explain how the physical environment
restricted human activities during the early
settlement of Kentucky.
SETTLEMENT:
 I can use geographic tools to identify early
Benjamin Nathan Tuggle Adventurer: Daniel
Boone and the Settlement of Boonesborough,
Kentucky by Russell Lunsford
Geography
SS-04-4.1.1 Students will use
geographic tools (e.g., maps, charts,
graphs) to identify and describe
natural resources and other physical
characteristics (e.g., major
landforms, major bodies of water,
weather, climate, roads, bridges) in
regions of Kentucky and the United
States.
exploration routes in Kentucky.
 I can describe natural resources and physical
characteristics in Kentucky.
Culture and Societies
SS-04-2.3.1 Students will describe
various forms of interactions
(compromise, cooperation, conflict)
that occurred during the early
settlement of Kentucky between
diverse groups (Native Americans,
early settlers)
 I can describe various forms of interactions
between early settlers and Native Americans.
Historical Perspective
SS-04-5.2.2 Students will identify and
compare the cultures of diverse
groups and explain why people
explored and settled in Kentucky.
 I can explain similarities and differences of early
settlements in Kentucky.
 I can identify diverse groups and explain why
they settled in Kentucky.
SS-04-5.1.1 Students will use a
variety of primary and secondary
sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries,
timelines) to describe significant
events in the history of Kentucky and
interpret different perspectives.
 I can use primary and secondary sources to
describe significant events in Kentucky history.
 I can use primary and secondary sources to
interpret different perspectives of settlers in early
Kentucky.
C. Revolution and
Statehood
 American Revolution
 George Rogers Clark
 Battle of Blue Licks
 Kentucky’s Statehood/First Government…By the
People, For the People
 From Frontier to State- forming the State
Government
Essential Questions:
*How did events early in
Kentucky history lead to
statehood?
The Kentucky Adventure by Tracy Campbell,
Chapters 7 and 12
Now That’s Interesting: Kentucky’s Capitol by
K. Melissa Burton
Vote by Eileen Christelow
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
*How did culture and social
institutions impact Kentucky
development?
*How did economic issues
impact Kentucky development?
*What impact did geography
play in the development of
Kentucky?
Government
SS-04-1.1.1 Students will describe
the basic purposes of Kentucky
government (to establish order,
provide security, and accomplish
common goals); give examples of
services that state governments
provide (e.g., state police, state
highways, state parks, public
schools) and identify how the
government of Kentucky pays for
these services (e.g., sales taxes, state
income taxes).
SS-04-1.1.2 Students will explain
how state governments function (by
making, enacting and enforcing laws)
to protect the rights and property of
citizens.
SS-04-1.2.1 Students will identify the
three branches of Kentucky
government, explain the basic duties
of each branch (executive-enforce
the laws, legislative-make the laws,
judicial-interpret the laws) and
identify important state
offices/leaders (Governor,
Lieutenant Governor, General
 Steps to becoming a State
 The Kentucky Constitution
 Issac Shelby
 Frankfort
 Annexation of the Jackson Purchase
CLTs:
 I can describe the basic purpose of the Kentucky
government.
 I can give examples of the services that the
Kentucky government provides for its citizens.
 I can identify how the government of Kentucky
pays for these services.
 I can explain how state governments function.
 I can explain why citizens need a state government.
 I can identify the three branches of Kentucky’s
government.
 I can explain the basic duties of each branch of the
Kentucky government.
 I can identify important state offices/leaders within
each branch of the Kentucky government.
Assembly, Senate, House,
representatives, senators, Kentucky
Supreme Court, judges) associated
with each branch.
SS-04-1.2.2 Students will explain how
power is shared among the different
branches (executive, legislative,
judicial) of state government.
SS-04-1.3.1 Students will identify the
basic principles of democracy (e.g.,,
justice, equality, responsibility,
freedom) found in Kentucky’s
Constitution and explain why they
are important to citizens today.
SS-04-1.3.2 Students will describe
specific rights and responsibilities
individuals have as citizens of
Kentucky (e.g., voting in statewide
elections, participating in state
service projects, obeying state laws)
and explain why civic engagement is
necessary to preserve a democratic
society.
D. Kentucky and the Civil
War
Essential Questions:
*How did events early in
Kentucky history lead to
statehood?
*How did culture and social
institutions impact Kentucky
development?
*How did economic issues
impact Kentucky development?
 I can explain how power is shared among the
different branches of the Kentucky government.
 I can define the basic principles of democracy
found in the Kentucky Constitution.
 I can explain why these basic democratic principles
are important to Kentucky citizens today.
 I can describe specific rights and responsibilities
that individuals have as citizens of Kentucky.
 I can explain why civic engagement is necessary to
preserve a democratic society.
Antebellum Period (1800-1860)-A Time of Trial
 Human interaction: slave markets, auctions, and
the growth of slavery
 Becoming an agricultural area
Civil War and Reconstruction (1860-1877)
 Abraham Lincoln
 Jefferson Davis
 Opposition to slavery- Civil War
 From slavery to freedom
 Battle of Perryville
 Mary Breckinridge
Antebellum Period (1800-1860):
The Kentucky Adventure by Tracy Campbell,
Chapters 8
The Children’s Civil War Alphabet Book:
Voices from History by Emily Burns
Freedom River by Doreen Rappaport
Civil War:
The Kentucky Adventure by Tracy Campbell,
Chapters 9
Joseph’s Voice 1861 by Bonnie Pryor
Freedom River by Doreen Rappaport
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
*What impact did geography
play in the development of
Kentucky?
Historical Perspective
SS-04-5.1.1 Students will use a
variety of primary and secondary
sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries,
timelines) to describe significant
events in the history of Kentucky and
interpret different perspectives.
SS-04-5.2.3 Students will compare
change over time in communication,
technology, transportation, and
education in Kentucky.
Geography
SS-04-4.4.1 Students will explain and
give examples of how people
adapted to/modified the physical
environment (e.g., natural resources,
physical geography, natural
disasters) to meet their needs during
the history of Kentucky and explain
to impact on the environment today.
Historical Perspective
SS-04-5.1.1 Students will use a
variety of primary and secondary
sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries,
timelines) to describe significant
Antebellum Period:
CLTs:
 I can use primary and/or secondary sources to
describe significant events in the Kentucky History.
 I can use primary and/or secondary sources to
interpret different perspectives of Kentucky.
 I can compare change over time in transportation
in Kentucky.
 I can describe how government responds to the
needs of the people of Kentucky.
 I can describe how families respond to the needs of
the people in Kentucky.
 I can explain and give examples of how people
adapted to/modified the physical environment to
meet their needs.
Civil War:
 I can use primary and secondary sources to
describe significant events in the history of
Kentucky.
events in the history of Kentucky and
interpret different perspectives.
Culture and Societies
SS-04-2.2.1 Students will describe
social institutions (government,
economy, education, religion, family)
in Kentucky and how they respond to
the needs of the people.
Economics
SS-04-3.4.1 Students will describe
production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services
in regions of Kentucky and the U.S.
E. The Gilded
Age/Transportation and
Communication
Essential Questions:
*How did events early in
Kentucky history lead to
statehood?
*How did culture and social
institutions impact Kentucky
development?
*How did economic issues
impact Kentucky development?
*What impact did geography
play in the development of
Kentucky?
Historical Perspective
SS-04-5.1.1 Students will use a
variety of primary and secondary
 I can use primary and/or secondary sources to
interpret different perspectives of Kentucky.
 I can describe how social institutions (government,
economy, education, religion, family) in Kentucky
and how education responds to the needs of the
people.
 I can describe the production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services in Kentucky
during the Civil War.
The Gilded Age (1875-1900)
 Kentucky at the end of the 19th century
 Railroads/Cash Crops/Immigrants
 Cultural and Social-schooling, holidays
 Social Institutions-Government, Education,
Religion, Family (How did lifestyles and
conditions change over time in Kentucky?)
 Life on the Frontier-frontier weddings, holidays,
religion, schooling, behavior
Transportation and Communication (1700’s1800’s)
 Waterways, Railroads, etc.
 Homes-changes in homes- log cabins to
clapboards
 Newspapers-Kentucky Gazette
CLTs:
 I can use primary and secondary sources to
describe significant events during the Gilded Age in
Kentucky.
The Gilded Age (1875-1900):
The Kentucky Adventure by Tracy Campbell,
Chapters 8
Transportation and Communication (1700’s1800’s):
The Kentucky Adventure by Tracy Campbell,
Chapters 8
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries,
timelines) to describe significant
events in the history of Kentucky and
interpret different perspectives.
SS-04-5.2.3 Students will compare
change over time in communication,
technology, transportation, and
education in Kentucky.
 I can use primary and/or secondary sources to
interpret different perspectives of Kentucky during
the Gilded Age.
 I can compare change over time in communication,
technology, and transportation in Kentucky.
 I can compare change over time in education in
Kentucky.
Culture and Societies
SS-04-2.2.1 Students will describe
social institutions (government,
economy, education, religion, family)
in Kentucky and how they respond
to the needs of the people.
 I can describe how government responds to the
needs of the people of Kentucky.
 I can describe how families respond to the needs of
the people in Kentucky.
F. Kentucky and the 20th
Century
The 20th Century
 Immigration
 World War I
 The Great Depression
 World War II/Fort Know/Reserves
 Post WWII and Contemporary Kentucky (1950’s
to today)
 Life in Modern Kentucky-From Trails to Roads
 Modern Transportation/Communication-changes
over time
 Culture and Traditions: music, art, sports, and
recreation
 Kentucky’s Sons and Daughters:
 Art- John James Audubon
 Literature, Journalism, Law, Medicine, Social
Cultures, Sports, Music, Movies, TV
 Trapsin’ Round Kentucky: traveling in the state
 Modern Culture
 Feuds
 Mining/Strip Mining
 Coal
 Company Town
Essential Questions:
*How did events early in
Kentucky history lead to
statehood?
*How did culture and social
institutions impact Kentucky
development?
*How did economic issues
impact Kentucky development?
*What impact did geography
play in the development of
Kentucky?
Historical Perspective
SS-04-5.1.1 Students will use a
variety of primary and secondary
Harcourt Social Studies: States and Regions
(Kentucky)
Scott Foresman Social Studies (Regions)
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries,
timelines) to describe significant
events in the history of Kentucky and
interpret different perspectives.
SS-04-5.2.3 Students will compare
change over time in communication,
technology, transportation, and
education in Kentucky.
Culture and Societies
SS-04-2.1.1 Students will identify
early cultures (Native Americans,
Appalachian, pioneers) in Kentucky
and explain their similarities and
differences.
SS-04-2.2.1 Students will describe
social institutions (government,
economy, education, religion, family)
in Kentucky and how they respond
to the needs of the people.
Economics
SS-04-3.3.1 Students will give
examples of markers; explain how
they function and how the prices of
goods and services are determined
by supply and demand.
CLTs:
 I can use primary or secondary sources to describe
significant events in the history of Kentucky.
 I can describe cause-and-effect relationships of
events that influenced the history of Kentucky.
 I can identify and describe cultures in Kentucky
(e.g., poor, wealthy, African-Americans,
Appalachia) and analyze their similarities and
differences.
 I can describe how social institutions (government,
economy, education, religion, family) in Kentucky
responded to the needs of the people (e.g., public
education, labor unions, social security, civil rights,
and desegregation).
 I can give examples of markets in Kentucky and
explain how goods and series were exchanged (e.g.,
coal, tobacco, modernization, railroads, horse
industry, etc.).
Big Idea
UNIT 3: KENTUCKY TODAY
*Essential Questions:
1. What are the basic purposes of government and how do they apply to the rights and responsibilities of individuals?
2. As a citizen of Kentucky, how do my local and state governments affect me? What are my rights and responsibilities as a citizen of Kentucky?
3. What is the culture of Kentucky? Does that describe my own personal culture?
4. What is my own economic system and how does living in Kentucky affect my economic decisions?
Specific Content Area
A. Kentucky
Culture/Modern
Government/Economics
Essential Questions:
*What are the basic purposes of
government and how do they
apply to the rights and
responsibilities of individuals?
*As a citizen of Kentucky, how
do my local and state
governments affect me? What
are my rights and
Vocabulary/Concepts/Skills/CLTs
 Kentucky Culture
 Anthropology-Culture, Traditions, and Social
Institutions
 Music: Bill Monroe “Bluegrass”, Ricky Skaggs
 Art: John James Audubon, Enid Yandell, Ellis
Wilson, Ed Hamilton
 Rights and Responsibilities of Kentucky citizens
today
 Basic purposes of government-three levels and
branches
 Economic concepts: deposit, specialize,
producers, consumers, opportunity coast, scarcity,
solar energy
 Tennessee Valley Authority-Tennessee River
 Export/Import
Activities/Resources
 Discuss examples of artifacts. Ask students
why artifacts are primary sources.
The Kentucky Adventure by Tracy Campbell,
Chapters 13
Down Cut Shin Creek: The Pack Horse
Librarians of Kentucky by Kathi Appelt
Assessments
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
responsibilities as a citizen of
Kentucky?
*What is the culture of
Kentucky? Does that describe
my own personal culture?
*What is my own economic
system and how does living in
Kentucky affect my economic
decisions?
Historical Perspective
SS-EP-5.1.1 Students will use a
variety of primary and secondary
sources (e.g., artifacts, diaries,
timelines) to interpret the past.
SS-04-5.2.3 Students will compare
change over time in communication,
technology, transportation, and
education in Kentucky.
 Coal Mining
 Marketable Resources (natural, human, capital)
 Buying and Selling Goods/Markets
 Conservation of Kentucky’s resources
 Kentucky Tourism
CLTs:
 I can compare change over time in transportation,
communication, education, and technology in
Kentucky.
 I can describe how advancements in technology
allowed people to settle in places previously
inaccessible in Kentucky.
Geography
SS-04-4.3.2 Students will describe
how advances in technology (e.g.,
dams, resources, roads, irrigation)
allow people to settle in places
previously inaccessible in Kentucky.
Economics
SS-04-3.1.1 Students will describe
scarcity and explain how scarcity
requires people in Kentucky to make
economic choices (e.g., use of
productive resources, natural,
human, capital) and incur
opportunity costs.
SS-04-3.3.1 Students will give
examples of markers; explain how
 I can describe and give an example of scarcity
during the 20th century in Kentucky.
 I can explain how scarcity requires people to make
economic choices and incur opportunity cost.
 I can give examples of markets in Kentucky.
they function and how the prices of
goods and services are determined
by supply and demand.
SS-04-3.4.1 Students will describe
production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services
in regions of Kentucky and the U.S.
 I can explain how the price of goods and services is
determined by supply and demand.
 I can describe the production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services in Kentucky.
Big Idea
UNIT 4: UNITED STATES REGIONS
*Essential Questions:
1. How can I describe the geography of all five U.S. Regions?
2. How does culture impact the way people live in all five U.S. Regions?
3. How does the availability of resources influence economic decisions in all five U.S. Regions?
4. How was life in the past similar to and different from life today in all five U.S. Regions?
5. How has government worked to meet the wants and needs of the people in the Southeast Region?
Specific Content Area
A. The Northeast Region
Essential Questions:
*How can I describe the
geography of the Northeast
Region of the United States?
*How does culture impact the
way people live in the Northeast
Region?
*How does the availability of
resources influence economic
decisions in the Northeast
Region?
Vocabulary/Concepts/Skills/CLTs
 Physical Characteristics
 Natural Resources
 Dams/Reservoirs/Roads/Irrigation/Urban/Rural
 Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York,
Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware
Activities/Resources
Social Studies Regions by Scott Foresman:
The Northeast Region Unit 2
Harcourt Kentucky States and Regions: The
Northeast Region Unit 2
35 Best Books for Teaching US Regions by
Tony Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz (Scholastic)
National Geographic Reading Expeditions:
Travel Across America: The Northeast by
Elspeth Leacock
National Geographic Reading Expeditions:
Travels Across America’s Past: The Northeast:
Its History and People by Gare Thompson
National Geographic Reading Expeditions:
Readings About America: The Northeast Today
Assessments
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
A River Ran Wild by Lynne Cherry
*How was life in the past
similar to and different from
life today in the Northeast
Region?
Geography
SS-04-4.1.1 Students will use
geographic tools (e.g., maps, charts,
graphs) to identify and describe
natural resources and other physical
characteristics (e.g., major
landforms, major bodies of water,
weather, climate, roads, bridges) in
regions of Kentucky and the United
States.
SS-04-4.1.2 Students will use
geographic tools to locate major
landforms, bodies of water, places
and objects in Kentucky and the
United States by their absolute and
relative locations.
SS-04-4.2.1 Students will compare
regions in Kentucky and the United
States by their human characteristics
(e.g., language, settlement patterns,
beliefs) and physical characteristics
(e.g., climate, landforms, bodies of
water).
CLTs:
 I can use geographic tools to identify and describe
physical characteristics of the Northeast Region of the
United States.
 I can identify natural resources of the Northeast
Region of the United States.
 I can describe major landforms in the Northeast
Region.
 I can identify bodies of water in the Northeast
Region.
 I can compare natural resources of states within the
Northeast Regions.
 I can compare physical characteristics of states
within the Northeast Region.
I
can describe the location of major landforms using
absolute and relative terms in the Northeast Region.
 I can describe the location of bodies of water using
absolute and relative terms.
I
can use geographic tools to identify and describe
human characteristics of the Northeast Region of the
United States.
 I can describe the patterns of early human
settlements in the Northeast Region.
 I can give examples of how people in early
settlements of the Northeast Region adapted to their
environment in order to meet their needs.
 I can explain how physical characteristics
impacted human-environment interaction in the
Northeast Region.
 I can use the five themes of geography to
describe the Northeast Region.
Northeast Region Map
http://cg043.k12.sd.us/regions%20of%2
0the%20US%20webquest/northeast_re
gion.htm
US Geography: The Northeast Video:
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/ind
ex.cfm?guidAssetId=11C0EB98-638E4094-9F9D9843EFD50CEF&blnFromSearch=1&pro
du ctcode=US
To purchase U.S. Geography for Children
Video Series: The Northeast:
http://www.libraryvideo.com/product.asp
?sku=K7652&mscssid=SER4V6WSBTA
89PF EQK3TXEAWTB7N5LED
Owl and Mouse Web Site: Print United
States Maps
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megam
aps/print-usa-maps.html
Education Place Web Site: U.S. Northeast
Region Map
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/n
e_us.pdf
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/n
e_us_nl.pdf (Blank)
Northeast Regional Climate Center:
Northeast Maps
http://www.nrcc.cornell.edu/page_northe
ast.html
Discovery Education: Regions of the
United States: The Northeast:
Environment (Transportation)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/i
ndex.cfm?guidAssetId=9CAA6AF63CA5- 4DFE-9789A9793B153636&blnFromSearch=1&pro
ductcode=US
Sheppard Software Web Site
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_
Culture and Societies
SS-05-2.1.1 Students will identify
early cultures in the United States
and analyze their similarities and
differences.
SS-05-2.3.1 Students will describe
various forms of interactions
(compromise, cooperation, conflict)
that occurred between diverse
groups in the history of the United
States.
Economics
SS-04-3.3.1 Students will give
examples of markets and explain
how they function and how the
prices of goods and services are
determined by supply and demand.
SS-04-3.4.1 Students will describe
production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services
in regions of Kentucky and the
United States.
SS-04-3.4.3 Students will define
interdependence and give examples
of how people in our communities,
I
I
can define culture.
can identify and describe early cultures of the
Northeast Region.
 I can analyze similarities and differences of early
cultures in the Northeast Region.
 I can explain the contributions of diverse groups
in the Northeast Region.
 I can describe the various forms of interaction
of diverse groups in the Northeast Region.
I
can explain the difference between needs and
wants.
 I can define and give examples of goods and
services.
 I can define and give examples of supply and
demand.
 I can define and give examples of a market.
 I can give examples of markets (past and
present) in the Northeast Region and explain how
they function.
 I can explain how supply and demand influence
the price of goods and services.
I
can describe ways that goods and services are
exchanged in the Northeast Region.
games.htm
Maine.gov: Description of Early
Settlement
http://www.maine.gov/sos/kids/about/his
tory.htm
The Story of the Erie Canal by R. Conrad
Stein
PBS Kids: The Erie Canal
http://pbskids.org/bigapplehistory/buildin
g/topic1.html
Social Studies for Kids Web Site: The Trials
and Successes of the Erie Canal
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/artic
les/ushistory/eriecanal1.htm
Rough Face Girl by Rafe Martin
Brother Eagle, Sister Sky by Jeffers
Travels with Charli: Travelin’ the
Northeast by Miles Backer
Immigrant Kids by Russell Freedman
If You Sailed on the Mayflower in 1620
by Ann McGovern
Indians of the Northeast Woodlands by
Beatrice Siegal
Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco
Giants in the Land by Diana Applebaum
Study of Native Americans: Kid Info
http://www.kidinfo.com/American_Hist
ory/Native_Americans.html
Time for Kids: Black History Then to
Now
http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/kids/
specials/articles/0,28285,97668,00.htm l
Discovery Education: An Introduction to
Economics
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/i
ndex.cfm?guidAssetId=B90D9173-BA89407C-9E72EEA0EE3571BC&blnFromSearch=1&pr
o ductcode=US
National Content Standards in Economics:
Goods and Services
http://www.kidseconposters.com/pdfs/
KEP-TG-rs.pdf
states, nation, and world depend on
each other for goods and services.
I
I
B. The Southeast Region
 Physical Characteristics
 Natural Resources
 Dams/Reservoirs/Roads/Irrigation/Urban/Rural
 Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia,
Essential Questions:
* How can I describe the
geography of the Southeast
Region of the United States?
*How does culture impact the
way people live in the Southeast
Region?
*How does the availability of
resources influence economic
decisions in the Southeast
Region?
*How was life in the past
similar to and different from
life today in the Southeast
Region?
*How has government worked
to meet the wants and needs of
the people in the Southeast
Region?
can define interdependence.
can give examples of how people in the Northeast
Region depend on each other for goods and services.
Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida,
Mississippi, West Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas,
Louisiana
Discovery Education: The Marketplace:
Supply and Demand
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/i
ndex.cfm?guidAssetId=74EEFBEAD671- 4A4D-951ED0E637FEAACB&blnFromSearch=1&pr
o ductcode=US
Lemons and Lemonade: A Book About
Supply and Demand by Nancy Loewen
Sheppard Software (Connecticut)
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/us
aweb/snapshot/Connecticut.htm
(Click on any Northeast Region state to
read about their history and economics.)
Life in a New England Mill Town by Sally
Senzell Isaacs
Pancakes, Pancakes! by Eric Carle
Sugaring Time by Kathryn Lasky
A New England Scrapbook by
Loretta Krupinski
Social Studies Regions by Scott Foresman:
The Southeast Region Unit 3
Harcourt Kentucky States and Regions:
The Southeast Region Unit 3
National Geographic Reading
Expeditions: Travels Across America’s
Past: The Southeast: Its History and
People by Gare Thompson
National Geographic Reading
Expeditions:
Readings About America: The Southeast
Today
The Southeast (Regions of the United
States) by Jennifer Blizin Gillis
National Geographic Reading
Expeditions: Travel Across America: The
Southeast by Elspeth Leacock
35 Best Books for Teaching US Regions
by Tony Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz
(Scholastic)
An Island Scrapbook: Dawn to Dusk on a
Barrier Island by Virginia WrightFrierson
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
Geography
SS-04-4.1.1 Students will use
geographic tools (e.g., maps, charts,
graphs) to identify and describe
natural resources and other physical
characteristics (e.g., major
landforms, major bodies of water,
weather, climate, roads, bridges) in
regions of Kentucky and the United
States.
SS-05-4.1.2 Students will use
geographic tools to locate and
describe major landforms, bodies of
water, places and objects in the
United States by their absolute
location.
SS-04-4.2.1 Students will compare
regions in Kentucky and the United
States by their human characteristics
(e.g., language, settlement patterns,
beliefs) and physical characteristics
(e.g., climate, landforms, bodies of
water).
SS-05-4.3.1 Students will explain
patterns of human settlement in the
early development of the United
States and explain how these
patterns were influenced by physical
characteristics (e.g., climate,
landforms, bodies of water).
CLTs:
 I can use geographic tools to identify and describe
physical characteristics of the Southeast Region of the
United States.
 I can describe natural resources of the Southeast
Region of the United States.
 I can describe major landforms in the Southeast
Region.
 I can identify bodies of water in the Southeast
Region.
I
can locate and describe bodies of water in the
Southeast Region using absolute and relative terms.
 I can locate and describe major landforms in the
Southeast Region using absolute and relative terms.
I
can use geographic tools to identify and describe
human characteristics of the Southeast Region of the
United States.
 I can compare human characteristics of the Southeast
and Northeast Regions.
 I can compare physical characteristics of the
Southeast and Northeast Regions.
 I can compare natural resources of the Southeast and
Northeast Regions.
I
can describe the patterns of early human
settlements in the Southeast Region.
 I can explain how these patterns were influenced by
physical characteristics (landforms, bodies of water) in
the Southeast Region.
Rosa by Nikki Giovanni
The Journal of Jesse Smoke: A Cherokee
Boy, The Trail of Tears, 1838 by Joseph
Bruchac
Discovery Education Web Site:
American Geography Close - Ups:
Southeastern Region: Volume 01 (Select
segments to compliment the standard you
are teaching.)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/i
ndex.cfm?guidAssetId=B4578D55-16554FEC-BBD7B38C06C0E4C7&blnFromSearch=1&pro
ductcode=US
United States Regions Web Site
(geography, climate, culture, economics)
http://www.dembsky.net/regions/
Discovery Education: Southeast States
and Landforms, A Segment of the
Regions of the United States: The
Southeast: Environment (Select
segments of this video to assist
with teaching landforms, weather, and
climate of the Southeast Region.)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/i
ndex.cfm?guidAssetId=2112D00D4872-45A2-BC309A780123A925&blnFromSearch=1&pro
ductcode=US
Southeast Region Webquest
http://cg043.k12.sd.us/regions%20of%
20the%20US%20webquest/southeast_
region.htm
Discovery Education Web Site: The
Conquistadores: de Soto and Coronado,
A Segment of: Just the Facts: American
History: America’s Explorers and
Pioneers
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/i
ndex.cfm?guidAssetId=BEBED620A700-4042-8C02-
SS-05-4.4.1 Students will explain and
give examples of how people
adapted to/modified the physical
environment (e.g., natural resources,
physical geography, natural
disasters) to meet their needs.
SS-05-4.4.2 Students will describe
how the physical environment (e.g.,
mountains as barriers or protection,
rivers as barriers or transportation)
both promoted and restricted
human activities during the early
settlement of the United States.
SS-05-2.1.1 Students will identify
early cultures in the United States
and analyze their similarities and
differences.
SS-05-2.3.1 Students will describe
various forms of interactions
(compromise, cooperation, conflict)
that occurred between diverse
groups in the history of the United
States.
SS-04-3.3.1 Students will give
examples of markets and explain
how they function and how the
I
can give examples of how people in early human
settlements adapted to their environment in the
Southeast Region to meet their needs.
I
can explain how physical characteristics promoted
and restricted human-environment interaction in the
Southeast Region.
 I can use the five themes of geography to describe
the Southeast Region.
I
can identify and describe early cultures of the
Southeast Region.
 I can analyze similarities and differences of early
cultures in the Southeast Region.
 I can explain the contributions of diverse groups in
the Southeast Region.
I
can describe the various forms of interaction of
diverse groups in the Southeast Region.
I
can give examples of markets (past and present) in
the Southeast Region.
CB6F1F29709E&blnFromSearch=1&pro
ductcode=US
Scott Foresman: The United States
Southeast Region Map (blank)
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/p
rintables/scottforesman/SSMAP023.pdf
Library Video Series: U.S. Geography for
Children
Sheppard Software Web Site
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/we
b_games.htm
Discovery Education: The People of the
Southeast , A Segment of the American
Heritage: Native Americans
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/i
ndex.cfm?guidAssetId=C02A8DC5-154F431D-9729587DFBCE7C0B&blnFromSearch=1&pr
o ductcode=US
Study of Native Americans: Kid Info
(Cherokee)
http://www.kidinfo.com/American_Hist
ory/Native_Americans.html
National Archives-Southeast Region
http://www.archives.gov/southeast/
Discovery Education: Southeast States and
Landforms, A Segment of the Regions of
the United States: The Southeast:
Environment (Select segments of this
video to assist
with teaching natural resources and
industries of the Southeast Region.)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/i
ndex.cfm?guidAssetId=2112D00D-487245A2BC309A780123A925&blnFromSearch=1
&productcode=US
Sheppard Software Web Site:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/usa
web/snapshot/.htm (Click on any Southeast
Region state to read about its history, culture, and
economics.)
prices of goods and services are
determined by supply and demand.
SS-04-3.4.1 Students will describe
production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services
in regions of Kentucky and the
United States.
SS-04-3.4.3 Students will define
interdependence and give examples
of how people in our communities,
states, nation, and world depend on
each other for goods and services.
SS-04-1.1.1 Students will describe
the basic purposes of Kentucky
government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish
common goals); give examples of the
services that state governments
provide (e.g., state police, state
C. The Midwest Region
Essential Questions:
* How can I describe the
geography of the Middle West
Region of the United States?
*How does culture impact the
way people live in the Middle
West Region?
*How does the availability of
resources influence economic
decisions in the Middle West
Region?
I
can explain how markets in the Southeast Region
function.
 I can explain how the prices and services are
determined by supply and demand in the Southeast
Region.
I
can identify goods and services (past and present)
produced in the Southeast Region.
 I can describe ways that goods and services are
exchanged in the Southeast Region and the United
States.
 I can explain how natural resources and their uses
have changed over time in the Southeast Region.
I
can give examples of how people in the Southeast
Region depend on each other for goods and services.
I
can explain ways that government meets the needs
and wants of people in the Southeast Region.
 Physical Characteristics
 Natural Resources
 Dams/Reservoirs/Roads/Irrigation/Urban/Rural
 Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Iowa,
Wisconsin, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota,
South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas
Social Studies Regions by Scott Foresman: The
Southeast Region Unit 4
Harcourt Kentucky States and Regions: The
Southeast Region Unit 4
National Geographic Reading Expeditions:
Travels Across America’s Past: The Midwest: Its
History and People by Kate Connell
National Geographic Reading Expeditions:
Readings About America: The Midwest Today
The Midwest (Regions of the United States)
by Judson Curry
National Geographic Reading Expeditions:
Explore the Midwest by Peter and Connie Roop
On Sand Island by Jacqueline Briggs Martin
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
*How has government worked
to meet the wants and needs of
the people in the Middle West
Region?
*How was life in the past
similar to and different from
life today in the Middle West
Region?
Geography:
SS-04-4.1.1 Students will use
geographic tools (e.g., maps, charts,
graphs) to identify and describe
natural resources and other physical
characteristics (e.g., major
landforms, major bodies of water,
weather, climate, roads, bridges) in
regions of Kentucky and the United
States.
SS-05-4.1.2 Students will use
geographic tools to locate and
describe major landforms, bodies of
water, places and objects in the
United States by their absolute
location.
SS-04-4.2.1 Students will compare
regions in Kentucky and the United
States by their human characteristics
(e.g., language, settlement patterns,
beliefs) and physical characteristics
(e.g., climate, landforms, bodies of
water).
Bad River Boys: A Meeting of the Lakota
Sioux with Lewis and Clark by Virginia Driving
Hawk Sneve
Mark Twain and the Queens of the Mississippi
by Cheryl Harness
United States Regions Web Site
(geography, climate, culture, economics)
CLTs:
 I can use geographic tools to identify and describe
physical characteristics of the Middle West Region of
the United States.
 I can describe natural resources of the Middle West
Region of the United States.
 I can describe major landforms in the Middle West
Region.
 I can identify bodies of water in the Middle West
Region.
I
can describe the location of bodies of water in the
Middle West Region using absolute location.
 I can describe the location of major landforms in the
Middle West Region using absolute location.
I
can use geographic tools to identify and describe
human characteristics of the Middle West Region of
the United States.
 I can compare regions in the United States by their
human characteristics.
 I can compare regions in the United States by their
physical characteristics.
 I can compare regions in the United States by their
natural resources.
http://www.dembsky.net/regions/
The Middle West Region Webquest
http://cg043.k12.sd.us/regions%20of%20th
e%20US%20webquest/middle_west_region
.htm
Discovery Education Web Site: Regions of the
United States: The Middle West: People and
Heritage (Native Americans, Pioneers, Settlers
and Native Americans, Growth, and The Middle
West Today)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/inde
x.cfm?guidAssetId=CB5DEEDE-8326-43129E0520120947BA01&blnFromSearch=1&produc
tcode=US
U.S. Geography for Children Video Series
Owl and Mouse Web Site: Print United
States Maps
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megama
ps/print-usa-maps.html
Education Place Web Site: U.S. Midwest
Region Map
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/
midwestus_nl.pdf (blank)
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/
midwestus.pdf
Sheppard Software Web Site
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_
games.htm
University of Missouri eThemes: Geography:
Western Region of the United States
http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/143 9
Discovery Education: American Geography
Close Up Midwest Volume 02 (introduction to the
Midwest Region, first inhabitants, early explorers
and fur traders, Spanish and French explorers,
SS-05-4.3.1 Students will explain
patterns of human settlement in the
early development of the United
States and explain how these
patterns were influenced by physical
characteristics (e.g., climate,
landforms, bodies of water).
SS-05-4.4.1 Students will explain and
give examples of how people
adapted to/modified the physical
environment (e.g., natural resources,
physical geography, natural
disasters) to meet their needs.
SS-05-4.4.2 Students will describe
how the physical environment (e.g.,
mountains as barriers or protection,
rivers as barriers or transportation)
both promoted and restricted
human activities during the early
settlement of the United States.
Culture and Societies:
SS-05-2.1.1 Students will identify
early cultures in the United States
and analyze their similarities and
differences.
SS-05-2.3.1 Students will describe
various forms of interactions
(compromise, cooperation, conflict)
that occurred between diverse
groups in the history of the United
States.
I
can explain the patterns of early human settlements
in the Middle West Region.
 I can explain how these patterns were influenced by
physical characteristics (landforms, bodies of water) in
the Middle West Region.
I
can give examples of how people in early human
settlements adapted to the environment in the Middle
West Region to meet their needs.
first European settlers, Louisiana Purchase,
settlement of the Midwest, manufacturing of the
Midwest, cities of the Midwest, and major cities)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/ind
ex.cfm?guidAssetId=69CD452F-449D- 42F59A2F984E1DECEF53&blnFromSearch=1&produ
ctcode=US
Discovery Education: Major Bodies
of Water in the Midwest, A Segment of
American Geography Close-Ups,
Midwest: Volume 01 (land areas and
agriculture, geographic features, major
lakes and rivers, bodies of water,
waterways, Midwestern industry, and
climate of the Midwest)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/ind
ex.cfm?guidAssetId=B2C94132-5A54- 4817B5C13C48568D16B9&blnFromSearch=1&produ
ctcode=US
I
can explain how physical characteristics promoted
and restricted human- environment interaction in the
Middle West Region.
 I can use the five themes of geography to describe
the Middle West Region.
I
can identify and describe early cultures of the
Middle West Region.
 I can analyze similarities and differences of early
cultures in the Middle West Region.
I
can explain the contributions of diverse groups in
the Middle West Region.
 I can describe various forms of interaction between
diverse groups in the Middle West region.
Study of Native Americans: Kid Info (Sioux)
http://www.kidinfo.com/American_Histor
y/Native_Americans.html
35 Best Books for Teaching US Regions by
Tony Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz (Scholastic)
Ball State Webquest: Exploration of the
Middle West
http://web.bsu.edu/00smtancock/Storer/
MiddleWest/middlewest.htm
CNN US/Midwest Web Site (teacher
resources)
http://www.cnn.com/LOCAL/midwest/
Sheppard Software
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/usaw
eb/snapshot/
(Click on any Midwest Region state to read
about its history and economics.)
Economics:
SS-04-3.3.1 Students will give
examples of markets and explain
how they function and how the
prices of goods and services are
determined by supply and demand.
SS-04-3.4.1 Students will describe
production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services
in regions of Kentucky and the
United States.
SS-04-3.4.3 Students will define
interdependence and give examples
of how people in our communities,
states, nation, and world depend on
each other for goods and services.
Government:
SS-04-1.1.1 Students will describe
the basic purposes of Kentucky
government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish
common goals); give examples of the
services that state governments
provide (e.g., state police, state
highways, state parks, public
schools) and identify how the
government of Kentucky pays for
these services (e.g., sales taxes, state
income taxes).
D. The Southwest Region
Essential Questions:
I
can give examples of markets (past and present) in
the Middle West Region.
 I can explain how markets in the Middle West
Region function.
 I can explain how the prices and services are
determined by supply and demand in the Middle West
Region.
 I can identify goods and services (past and present)
produced in the Middle West Region.
 I can describe ways goods and services are
exchanged in the Middle West Region and the United
States.
 I can explain how natural resources and their uses
have changed over time in the Middle West Region.
I
can give examples of how people in the Middle
West Region depend on each other for goods and
services.
I
can explain ways that government meets the needs
and wants of people in the Middle West Region.
 Physical Characteristics
 Natural Resources
 Dams/Reservoirs/Roads/Irrigation/Urban/Rural/
Irrigation
 Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma
Social Studies Regions by Scott Foresman:
The Southwest Region Unit 5
Harcourt Kentucky States and Regions:
The Southwest Region Unit 5
National Geographic Reading Expeditions:
Travels Across America’s Past: The
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
*How can I describe the
geography of the Southwest
Region of the United States?
*How does culture impact the
way people live in the Southwest
Region?
*How does the availability of
resources influence economic
decisions in the Southwest
Region?
*How was life in the past
similar to and different from
life today in the Southwest
Region?
*How has government worked
to meet the wants and needs of
the people in the Southwest
Region?
Geography:
SS-04-4.1.1 Students will use
geographic tools (e.g., maps, charts,
graphs) to identify and describe
natural resources and other physical
characteristics (e.g., major
landforms, major bodies of water,
weather, climate, roads, bridges) in
regions of Kentucky and the United
States.
SS-05-4.1.2 Students will use
geographic tools to locate and
describe major landforms, bodies of
water, places and objects in the
United States by their absolute
location.
SS-04-4.2.1 Students will compare
regions in Kentucky and the United
CLTs:
 I can use geographic tools to identify and describe
physical characteristics of the Southwest Region of the
United States.
 I can describe natural resources of the Southwest
Region of the United States.
 I can describe major landforms in the Southwest
Region.
 I can identify bodies of water in the Southwest
Region.
I
can describe the location of bodies of water in the
Southwest Region using absolute location.
 I can describe the location of major landforms in the
Southwest using absolute location.
I
can use geographic tools to identify and describe
human characteristics of the Southwest Region of the
United States.
 I can compare regions in the United States by their
human characteristics.
Southwest: Its History and People by
Adam McClellam
National Geographic Reading
Expeditions: Readings About America:
The Southwest Today
National Geographic Reading
Expeditions: Travel Across America: The
Southwest by Elspeth Leacock
The Southwest (Regions of the United
States) by Mark Stewart
35 Best Books for Teaching US Regions
by Tony Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz
(Scholastic)
Miss Lady Bird’s Wildflowers by Kathi
Appelt
Under the Wild Western Sky by Jim
Arnosky
The Grand Canyon’s Long-Eared Taxi by
Karen L. Taylor
United States Regions Web Site
(geography, climate, culture, economics)
http://www.dembsky.net/regions/
US Geography: Regions of the
United States: The Southwest: The
People and Heritage (Native
Americans, Spanish conquistadors,
conflict in the Southwest, Southwest
grows, problems in the Southwest,
and the Southwest today)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/
ind ex.cfm?guidAssetId=F7E646E86CE5- 4DC6-914C094453D93EEF&blnFromSearch=1&pro
du ctcode=US
Southwest Region Webquest
http://cg043.k12.sd.us/regions%20of%20th
e%20US%20webquest/southwest_region.h
tm
U.S. Geography for Children Video Series
Owl and Mouse Web Site: Print United
States Maps
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megama
ps/print-usa-maps.html
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
States by their human characteristics
(e.g., language, settlement patterns,
beliefs) and physical characteristics
(e.g., climate, landforms, bodies of
water).
SS-05-4.3.1 Students will explain
patterns of human settlement in the
early development of the United
States and explain how these
patterns were influenced by physical
characteristics (e.g., climate,
landforms, bodies of water).
I
can compare regions in the United States by their
physical characteristics.
 I can compare regions in the United States by their
natural resources.
I
can explain the patterns of early human settlements
in the Southwest Region.
I
can explain how these patterns were influenced by
physical characteristics (landforms, bodies of water) in
the Southwest Region.
I
SS-04-4.4.1 Students will explain and
give examples of how people
adapted to/modified the physical
environment (e.g., natural resources,
physical geography, natural
disasters) to meet their needs.
SS-05-4.4.2 Students will describe
how the physical environment (e.g.,
mountains as barriers or protection,
rivers as barriers or transportation)
both promoted and restricted
human activities during the early
settlement of the United States.
Culture and Societies:
SS-05-2.1.1 Students will identify
early cultures in the United States
and analyze their similarities and
differences.
SS-04-2.3.1 Students will describe
various forms of interactions
can give examples of how people in early human
settlements adapted to their environment in the
Southwest Region to meet their needs.
I
can explain how physical characteristics promoted
and restricted human- environment interaction in the
Southwest Region.
 I can use the five themes of geography to describe
the Southwest Region.
I
can identify and describe early cultures of the
Southwest Region.
 I can analyze similarities and differences of early
cultures in the Southwest Region.
I
can explain the contributions of diverse groups in
the Southwest Region.
Sheppard Software Web Site
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_g
ames.htm
Discovery Education: The Mexican
Cession and the Mexican War-American
War, A Segment of How the USA Grew:
From the 13 Colonies to 50 States
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/inde
x.cfm?guidAssetId=18605DB5-FD154368- 99764C4832C71AB7&blnFromSearch=1&prod
uc tcode=US
Study of Native Americans: Kid
Info(Pueblo Indians and Cherokee)
http://www.kidinfo.com/American_Histo
ry/Native_Americans.html
Discovery Education: American Indians of
the Southwest (Hohokam Indians, Pueblo
Indians, Turke girl, Indian Removal Act,
cultures)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/in
dex.cfm?guidAssetId=5B54F5EE-208E43BC-BF914E91E9C55380&blnFromSearch=1&prod
uctcode=US
Sheppard Software
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/usa
web/snapshot/ (Click on any Southwest
Region state to read about its history and
economics.)
 CNN: US/Southwest News (teacher resource)
http://www.cnn.com/LOCAL/southwest/
(compromise, cooperation, conflict)
that occurred between diverse
groups in the history of the United
States.
Economics:
SS-04-3.3.1 Students will give
examples of markets and explain
how they function and how the
prices of goods and services are
determined by supply and demand.
I
can describe the various forms of interaction of
diverse groups in the Southwest Region.
I
can give examples of markets (past and present) in
the Southwest Region.
 I can explain how markets in the Southwest Region
function.
I
SS-04-3.4.1 Students will describe
production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services
in regions of Kentucky and the
United States.
can identify goods and services (past and present)
produced in the Southwest Region.
 I can give examples of ways that goods and services
are exchanged in the Southwest Region.
 I can explain how natural resources and their uses
have changed over time in the Southwest Region.
SS-04-3.4.3 Students will define
interdependence and give examples
of how people in our communities,
states, nation, and world depend on
each other for goods and services.
I
Government:
SS-04-1.1.1 Students will describe
the basic purposes of Kentucky
government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish
common goals); give examples of the
services that state governments
provide (e.g., state police, state
highways, state parks, public
schools) and identify how the
government of Kentucky pays for
these services (e.g., sales taxes, state
income taxes).
I
can give examples of how people in the Southwest
Region depend on each other for goods and services.
can explain ways that government meets the needs
and wants of people in the Southwest Region.
E. The West Region
Essential Questions:
*How can I describe the
geography of the West Region
of the United States?
*How does culture impact the
way people live in the West
Region?
*How does the availability of
resources influence economic
decisions in the West Region?
*How was life in the past
similar to and different from
life today in the West Region?
*How has government worked
to meet the wants and needs of
the people in the West Region?
SS-04-4.1.1 Students will use
geographic tools (e.g., maps, charts,
graphs) to identify and describe
natural resources and other physical
characteristics (e.g., major
landforms, major bodies of water,
weather, climate, roads, bridges) in
regions of Kentucky and the United
States.
SS-05-4.1.2 Students will use
geographic tools to locate and
describe major landforms, bodies of
water, places and objects in the
United States by their absolute
location.
SS-04-4.2.1 Students will compare
regions in Kentucky and the United
 Physical Characteristics
 Natural Resources
 Dams/Reservoirs/Roads/Irrigation/Urban/Rural
 California, Oregon, Washington, Colorado,
Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Montana, Wyoming
CLTs:
 I can use geographic tools to identify and describe
physical characteristics of the West Region of the
United States.
 I can describe natural resources of the West Region
of the United States.
 I can describe major landforms in the West Region.
 I can identify bodies of water in the West Region.
I
can describe the location of bodies of water in the
West Region using absolute location.
 I can describe the location of major landforms in the
West Region using absolute location.
Social Studies Regions by Scott Foresman:
The West Region Unit 6
Harcourt Kentucky States and Regions:
The West Region Unit 6
National Geographic Reading Expeditions:
Travels Across America’s Past: The West:
Its History and People by Gare Thompson
National Geographic Reading Expeditions:
Readings About America: The West Today
National Geographic Reading
Expeditions: Travel Across America: The
West by Elspeth Leacock
The West (Regions of the United States) by
Sally Senzell Isaacs
35 Best Books for Teaching US Regions by
Tony Buzzeo and Jane Kurtz (Scholastic)
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar
Chevaz
by Kathleen Krull
I am Sacajawea, I am York by Claire Rudolf
Murphy
Going to Yellowstone by Peter and Connie
Roop
United States Regions Web Site
(geography, climate, culture, economics)
http://www.dembsky.net/regions/
Discovery Education: Regions of the United
States: The West: (states and landforms,
climate, natural resources, and industry)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/inde
x.cfm?guidAssetId=A821D268-D7AB42C9- 8D6AEA6217574FA4&blnFromSearch=1&prod
uc tcode=US
Discovery Education Web Site:
Nineteenth Century Explorers: Exploring
the West
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/inde
x.cfm?guidAssetId=BEBED620-A7004042- 8C02CB6F1F29709E&blnFromSearch=1&produ
ct code=US
U.S. Geography for Children Video
 On-Going
Formative
Assessments
 Teacher Created
Summative
Assessment
States by their human characteristics
(e.g., language, settlement patterns,
beliefs) and physical characteristics
(e.g., climate, landforms, bodies of
water).
SS-05-4.3.1 Students will explain
patterns of human settlement in the
early development of the United
States and explain how these
patterns were influenced by physical
characteristics (e.g., climate,
landforms, bodies of water).
SS-04-4.4.1 Students will explain and
give examples of how people
adapted to/modified the physical
environment (e.g., natural resources,
physical geography, natural
disasters) to meet their needs .
SS-05-4.4.2 Students will describe
how the physical environment (e.g.,
mountains as barriers or protection,
rivers as barriers or transportation)
both promoted and restricted
human activities during the early
settlement of the United States.
I
can use geographic tools to identify and describe
human characteristics of the West Region of the
United States.
 I can compare regions in the United States by their
human characteristics.
 I can compare regions in the United States by their
physical characteristics.
 I can compare regions in the United States by their
natural resources.
 I can describe the patterns of early human settlements
in the West Region.
 I can explain how these patterns were influenced by
physical characteristics (landforms, bodies of water) in
the West Region.
I
can give examples of how people in early human
settlements adapted to their environment in the West
Region to meet their needs.
I
can explain how physical characteristics impacted
human-environment interaction in the West Region.
I
SS-05-2.1.1 Students will identify
early cultures in the United States
and analyze their similarities and
differences.
can use the five themes of geography to describe
the West Region.
I
can identify and describe early cultures of the West
Region.
I
can analyze similarities and differences of early
cultures in the West Region.
Series Owl and Mouse Web Site: Print
United
States Maps
http://www.yourchildlearns.com/megama
ps/print-usa-maps.html
Education Place Web Site: U.S. Region Map
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/w
estus_nl.pdf (Blank)
http://www.eduplace.com/ss/maps/pdf/w
estus.pdf
Sheppard Software Web Site
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web
_games.htm
Social Studies for Kids Web Site: (used to
teach how geography influences economy,
the way people live, and other geographic
concepts)
http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/
Study of Native Americans: Kid Info
http://www.kidinfo.com/American_Histo
ry/Native_Americans.html
Sheppard Software
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/usa
web/snapshot/ (Click on any West Region
state to read about its history and
economics.)
 CNN: US/West
http://www.cnn.com/LOCAL/west/
SS-05-2.3.1 Students will describe
various forms of interactions
(compromise, cooperation, conflict)
that occurred between diverse
groups in the United States.
SS-04-3.3.1 Students will give
examples of markets and explain
how they function and how the
prices of goods and services are
determined by supply and demand.
I
can explain the contributions of diverse groups in
the West Region.
I
can explain the various forms of interaction of
diverse groups in the West Region.
I
can give examples of markets (past and present) in
the West Region.
I
can explain how markets in the West Region
function.
I
can explain how the prices and services are
determined by supply and demand in the West Region.
SS-04-3.4.1 Students will describe
production, distribution, and
consumption of goods and services
in regions of Kentucky and the
United States.
SS-04-3.4.3 Students will define
interdependence and give examples
of how people in our communities,
states, nation, and world depend on
each other for goods and services.
Government:
SS-04-1.1.1 Students will describe
the basic purposes of Kentucky
government (to establish order,
provide security and accomplish
common goals); give examples of the
services that state governments
provide (e.g., state police, state
highways, state parks, public
schools) and identify how the
government of Kentucky pays for
I
can identify goods and services (past and present)
produced in the West Region.
I
can give examples of ways that goods and services
are exchanged in the West Region.
I
can explain how natural resources and their uses
have changed over time in the West Region.
I
can give examples of how people in the West
Region depend on each other for goods and services.
I
can explain ways that government meets the needs
and wants of people in the West Region.
these services (e.g., sales taxes, state
income taxes).