TEACHER:
CLASS: 5th Grade
DATE: May 9
M T W TH F
FRAME THE LESSON
Five Themes of Geography
&Reading Maps
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline Verb=Italicize
Resources/Materials
6A: apply geographic tools, including grid systems, legends, symbols, scales, and compass roses, to construct and interpret maps
6B: translate geographic data into a variety of formats such as raw data to graphs and maps.
7A: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as political, population, and economic regions that result from patterns of
human activity
Pearson’s 5th Grade
Building Our Nation
TE
(p. 12-14)
7B: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as landform, climate, and vegetation regions that result from physical
characteristics such as the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Coastal Plains
7C: locate on a map important political features such as the ten largest urban areas in the United States, the 50 states and their capitals, and
regions such as the Northeast, the Midwest, and the Southwest
7D: locate on a map important physical features such as the Rocky Mountains, Mississippi River, and Great Plains
24C: organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
Closing Product/
Question/ Informal
Assessment:
Objective/Key Understanding:









Identify the five themes of geography.
Apply geographic tools to read and interpret maps.
Use and explain the purposes of political maps.
Use and explain the purposes of physical maps.
Use and explain the purposes of elevation maps.
Use and explain the purposes of special-purpose maps.
Use and explain the purposes of current-events maps.
Identify and describe a variety of regions in the United States.
Translate geographic data into a variety of formats.
Rigor & Relevance: (Real World Connection)
Got it Questions
1-2 (p. 12-14)
Vocabulary
Region
landform
climate
Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions
Five Themes of Geography (p. 12)
 Why are the five themes of geography useful?
 What is a region?
 What is an example of a physical characteristic of a region? What is an example of a pattern of human activity in a region?
 What are inland areas of the Coastal Plain like in Texas? What are they used for?
 What is one way people have changed the Coastal Plain in Texas?
 What are examples of human or environmental interactions in your community?
 How does the phot titled “Movement” illustrate how movement has changed the Coastal Plain?
 What might happen if there is too much movement within a region?
 Compare and contrast ways in which people, goods, and ideas move around the world. How are they similar and different?
 How has the Coastal Plain in Texas been used by people for economic benefit?
 Which images provide evidence of the population of the Coastal Plain in Texas?
Reading Maps (p. 14)
 What does a compass rose show? Where are symbols located on a map?
 What are the different uses of a scale and a grid system?
 Which lines run north and south on a map and measures distance east and west of the prime meridian?
 Which line would you find at 0° latitude? Which line runs
Engage
Explore
Prepare to Read (p. 12)
 Preview the lesson with students by asking them to describe the physical land that surrounds the area in which they live. Have them
tell about vegetation and climate.
 What kinds of information can be found in a map?
Introduce Vocabulary (p. 12) Read aloud region, landform, and climate.
 How familiar you are you with regions, landforms, and climates?
 What does it mean when someone talks about the climate of a place?
 Based on the two words that make up the term, what might a landform be? Can you think of some examples?
Begin to Read (p. 12)
 Five Themes of Geography (p. 12)
 Reading Maps (p. 14)
Five Themes of Geography (p. 12)
 Geography is the study of Earth. This study can be divided into five themes that help you understand why Earth has such a wide
variety of places. Each theme reveals something different about a place.
Reading Maps (p. 14)
 Reading maps is an important skill for learning about the world, past and present. If you want to read, construct, or interpret a map,
you’ll first need to learn to apply geographic tools.
Elaborate Questions from the Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions are to be used here. (Please see this from above).
Students will demonstrate mastery by completing the Got It Questions: (below is a sampling of the questions a teacher can use to evaluate
Evaluate student mastery).
 Describe the characteristics of the Coastal Plains region in Texas. Be sure to discuss population, economics, landforms, climate, an
vegetation.
 What line would you find at 0° longitude?
Explain
FRAME THE LESSON
Political Maps
&Physical Maps
TEACHER:
CLASS: 5th Grade
DATE: May 10
M T W TH F
Resources/Materials
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline Verb=Italicize
6A: apply geographic tools, including grid systems, legends, symbols, scales, and compass roses, to construct and interpret maps
Pearson’s 5th Grade
Building Our Nation
TE
6B: translate geographic data into a variety of formats such as raw data to graphs and maps.
7A: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as political, population, and economic regions that result from patterns of
human activity
(p. 15-16)
7B: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as landform, climate, and vegetation regions that result from physical
characteristics such as the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Coastal Plains
7C: locate on a map important political features such as the ten largest urban areas in the United States, the 50 states and their capitals, and
regions such as the Northeast, the Midwest, and the Southwest
7D: locate on a map important physical features such as the Rocky Mountains, Mississippi River, and Great Plains
24C: organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
Closing Product/
Question/ Informal
Assessment:
Objective/Key Understanding:









Identify the five themes of geography.
Apply geographic tools to read and interpret maps.
Use and explain the purposes of political maps.
Use and explain the purposes of physical maps.
Use and explain the purposes of elevation maps.
Use and explain the purposes of special-purpose maps.
Use and explain the purposes of current-events maps.
Identify and describe a variety of regions in the United States.
Translate geographic data into a variety of formats.
Rigor & Relevance: (Real World Connection)
Got it Questions
3-9 (p. 15-16)
Vocabulary
Region
landform
climate
Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions
Political Maps (p. 15)
 What are some examples of political information found on a political map?
 Why is Oklahoma tinted tan on the Texas political map?
 Using the locator map, in what part of the United states is Texas located?
 Which cities are located on the border with Mexico?
 About how many miles is Austin from Houston? Which geographic tool did you use to figure that out?
 Which direction would you go if you wanted to travel from Corpus Christi to Houston? Which geographic tool did you use to determine that?
Physical Maps (p. 16)
 What does a physical map show?
 What is relief on a map?
 What happens to the relief of the map as you go from east to west? What does that indicate about the western United States?
 What is the name given to the plains around the states of Illinois and Indiana?
 Why is Iowa shaded green?
 What body of water borders California? What body of water forms the east coast of Wisconsin?
 Name a state that does not have a border created by a body of water?
 What type of landform is Florida? How do you know?
 Other than the Rocky Mountains, what is another mountain range shown on the physical map?
 In which state is the nation’s highest peak located? Which geographic tool (or tools) did you have to use to determine that?
 What symbols might you find in a physical map key?
Engage
Explore
Explain
Venn Diagram Activity (p. 16)
 Draw a Venn Diagram that compares political and physical maps. Title it Political and Physical Maps. The first circle is Political
Map. The middle, shared area is titled Both. The second circle is Physical Maps.
 Have students come to the board and fill in the diagram. Encourage as many students as possible to participate. If they don’t know
how to spell a word, they may receive help from you or other students.
Begin to Read
 Political Maps (p. 15)
 Physical Maps (p. 16)
Political Maps (p. 15)
 Political maps show political information, such as the location of state or national borders or the location of capitals and other cities.
Physical Maps (p. 16)
 A physical map shows the physical characteristics of a place. It can show mountains and valleys. It can also show rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Elaborate Questions from the Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions are to be used here. (Please see this from above).
Students will demonstrate mastery by completing the Got It Questions: (below is a sampling of the questions a teacher can use to evaluate
Evaluate student mastery).
 Use a map symbol to find the capital city of Texas. Write its name on the line.
 What geographic tools tell you that San Antonio is not the state capital? Use the grid system and write what box the city of Houston is
located in.
 Estimate the distance between Armadillo and Lubbock.
 Use the compass rose and fill in the blank: El Paso is ____ of Fort Worth.
 Locate the Rocky Mountains on the map and draw a row of triangles over them. Then locate the Great Plains and circle them. Finally,
locate the Mississippi River and draw a line along its path.
TEACHER:
CLASS: 5th Grade
DATE: May 11
M T W TH F
FRAME THE LESSON
Elevation Maps
&Regions
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline Verb=Italicize
Resources/Materials
6A: apply geographic tools, including grid systems, legends, symbols, scales, and compass roses, to construct and interpret maps
6B: translate geographic data into a variety of formats such as raw data to graphs and maps.
7A: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as political, population, and economic regions that result from patterns of
human activity
Pearson’s 5th Grade
Building Our Nation
TE
(p. 17-18)
7B: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as landform, climate, and vegetation regions that result from physical
characteristics such as the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Coastal Plains
7C: locate on a map important political features such as the ten largest urban areas in the United States, the 50 states and their capitals, and
regions such as the Northeast, the Midwest, and the Southwest
7D: locate on a map important physical features such as the Rocky Mountains, Mississippi River, and Great Plains
24C: organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
Closing Product/
Question/ Informal
Assessment:
Objective/Key Understanding:









Identify the five themes of geography.
Apply geographic tools to read and interpret maps.
Use and explain the purposes of political maps.
Use and explain the purposes of physical maps.
Use and explain the purposes of elevation maps.
Use and explain the purposes of special-purpose maps.
Use and explain the purposes of current-events maps.
Identify and describe a variety of regions in the United States.
Translate geographic data into a variety of formats.
Got it Question
11-15 (p. 17-18)
Vocabulary
Physical map
relief
plain
landform
elevation map
elevation
Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions
Elevation Maps (p. 17)
 What is elevation?
 How would an engineer use an elevation map in his or her work?
 How are physical and elevation maps similar? How are they different?
 Which geographic tools do you use when interpreting an elevation map?
 What symbols do a political map and an elevation map have in common?
 What symbol does an elevation map have in common with a physical map?
 Which city has a higher elevation, Corpus Christi or Lubbock?
 What is the range of elevation of Amarillo
Regions (p. 18)
 What does a regions map show? Give examples as part of your answer.
 Which other physical or human characteristics might a regions map show?
 Which states belong to the Southwest region?
 Which region has the largest urban areas? What are the names of those urban areas?
 Which region has the most states?
 What color are the Midwest States?
 In which region does Wyoming belong?
 In what region is New York located?
 In what region is Chicago located?
 Based on what you have learned about physical maps, what landform provides the southeastern border between the Midwest and the Southwest?
Engage
Explore
Explain
Think-Pair-Share Activity (p. 17)
Have students review page 14 of the lesson before answering question 11 on page 17.
Have students think about the following:
 What does each of the geographic tools tell me?
Pair students pair up, talk about the answer they came up with, and agree on the one answer that they think is best.
Invite students to share their answer with the class. Then have them answer question 11.
Begin to Read
 Elevation Maps (p. 17)
 Regions (p. 18)
Elevation Maps (p. 17)
 An elevation map also shows physical characteristics of a land area. Elevation is the distance or height above sea level.
Regions (p. 18)
 A regions map sows areas that have common features. Regions might result from patterns of human activity, such as population, or
economic activity.
Elaborate Questions from the Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions are to be used here. (Please see this from above).
Evaluate
Students will demonstrate mastery by completing the Got It Questions: (below is a sampling of the questions a teacher can use to evaluate
student mastery).
 Interpret the map by applying what you know about geographic tools, like color shading. Then write which area of Texas has the
highest elevations, the eastern part or the western.
 Locate on the map the Northeast, the Midwest, and the Southwest. Circle each region.
 Work with a partner and locate on the map the ten largest urban areas in the United States. Read them aloud.
 Why are the five regions in the map described as political regions?
 Locate the 50 state capitals on the political map in the Atlas at the back of the book. Then draw a small star for each capital on this
map. Do your best to draw the stars in the correct places.
TEACHER:
CLASS: 5th Grade
DATE: May 12
M T W TH F
FRAME THE LESSON
A Variety of Regions
& Special-Purpose Maps
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline Verb=Italicize
6A: apply geographic tools, including grid systems, legends, symbols, scales, and compass roses, to construct and interpret maps
6B: translate geographic data into a variety of formats such as raw data to graphs and maps.
7A: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as political, population, and economic regions that result from patterns of
human activity
Resources/Materials
Pearson’s 5th Grade
Building Our Nation
TE
(p. 19-20)
7B: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as landform, climate, and vegetation regions that result from physical
characteristics such as the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Coastal Plains
7C: locate on a map important political features such as the ten largest urban areas in the United States, the 50 states and their capitals, and
regions such as the Northeast, the Midwest, and the Southwest
7D: locate on a map important physical features such as the Rocky Mountains, Mississippi River, and Great Plains
24C: organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
Objective/Key Understanding:









Identify the five themes of geography.
Apply geographic tools to read and interpret maps.
Use and explain the purposes of political maps.
Use and explain the purposes of physical maps.
Use and explain the purposes of elevation maps.
Use and explain the purposes of special-purpose maps.
Use and explain the purposes of current-events maps.
Identify and describe a variety of regions in the United States.
Translate geographic data into a variety of formats.
Vocabulary
Region
climate
irrigate
Closing Product/
Question/ Informal
Assessment:
Got it Question
16-19 (p. 19-20)
Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions
A Variety of Regions (p. 19)
 What is a region that contains many big cities called? What, then, is an economic region?
 What is climate?
 What category of characteristics does climate fall under?
 What common physical characteristics result in the region called the Great Plains?
 What physical characteristic dominates the Rocky Mountains?
 If there weren’t captions present, how would you know that the top picture is of the Great Plains and the bottom pictures shows the Rocky
Mountains?
 How are the climates of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains different?
Special-Purpose Maps (p. 20)
 What is a special-purpose map?
 Why is a resources map an example of a special-purpose map?
 What are some examples of special-purpose maps? Try to think of one not mentioned in your Worktext.
 How might a special-purpose map be used to compare different places?
 Why might a special-purpose map have certain elements in common with a political or physical map? Explain your reasoning.
 Which resources are located neat Amarillo?
 Near which city or cities are forest products located?
Engage
Explore
Explain
Differentiated Instruction Activity (p. 20)
Students are going to work as a class on creating a special-purpose map of their entire school and the surrounding neighborhood.
Special Needs:
Ask students to create labels to be pinned to the map. Ask them to brainstorm important classrooms, school common areas, and
surrounding neighborhood landmarks.
Extra Support:
Ask students to place the labels on the map in the correct places. Gently correct students if they make any errors.
On-Level:
Ask students to draw a map of their entire school and the surrounding neighborhood.
Challenge/Gifted:
Ask students to go around the school with a chaperone and take detailed noted about where certain places are located. Also ask students to
take notes when they go home that night of places they notice in their neighborhood that the class wants to include.
Begin to Read
 A Variety of Regions (p. 19)
 Special-Purpose Maps (p. 20)
A Variety of Regions (p. 19)
 As you have learned, the United States can be divided into a variety of regions. You will learn about those regions in this section of
the text.
Special-Purpose Maps (p. 20)

A special-purpose map gives information related to a certain theme. For example, a resource map shows a state’s major natural and
economic resources and where they’re located.
Elaborate Questions from the Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions are to be used here. (Please see this from above).
Evaluate
Students will demonstrate mastery by completing the Got It Questions: (below is a sampling of the questions a teacher can use to evaluate
student mastery).
 On a separate sheet of paper, describe the landform, climate, and vegetation of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains.
 Identify what special information this map shows.
 Which resource is located near El Paso?
 Identify how the special purpose map on page 20 is different from a physical map of Texas.
TEACHER:
CLASS: 5th Grade
DATE: May 13
M T W TH F
FRAME THE LESSON
Current-Events Maps
&Geographic Data
Student Expectations Bundled in Lesson
Noun=Underline Verb=Italicize
6A: apply geographic tools, including grid systems, legends, symbols, scales, and compass roses, to construct and interpret maps
6B: translate geographic data into a variety of formats such as raw data to graphs and maps.
7A: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as political, population, and economic regions that result from patterns of
human activity
Resources/Materials
Pearson’s 5th Grade
Building Our Nation
TE
(p. 21-23)
7B: describe a variety of regions in the United States such as landform, climate, and vegetation regions that result from physical
characteristics such as the Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, and Coastal Plains
7C: locate on a map important political features such as the ten largest urban areas in the United States, the 50 states and their capitals, and
regions such as the Northeast, the Midwest, and the Southwest
7D: locate on a map important physical features such as the Rocky Mountains, Mississippi River, and Great Plains
24C: organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
Objective/Key Understanding:









Identify the five themes of geography.
Apply geographic tools to read and interpret maps.
Use and explain the purposes of political maps.
Use and explain the purposes of physical maps.
Use and explain the purposes of elevation maps.
Use and explain the purposes of special-purpose maps.
Use and explain the purposes of current-events maps.
Identify and describe a variety of regions in the United States.
Translate geographic data into a variety of formats.
Vocabulary
Resources map
satellite map
Closing Product/
Question/ Informal
Assessment:
Got it Question
20-23 (p. 21-23)
Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions
Current-Events Maps (p. 21)
Geographic Data (p. 22-23)
Engage
Explore
Explain
Introduce Vocabulary (p. 21)
Read aloud the vocabulary words: resource map and satellite map.
 Have you ever used a special-purpose map, which is a map that shows information about a single topic, such as population,
weather, or resources?
 What would a resource map, of the town or city in which you live might, show?
 Based on the term, what might a satellite map show?
Begin to Read
 Current-Events Maps (p. 21)
 Geographic Data (p. 22-23)
Current-Events Maps (p. 21)
 Some special-purpose maps deal with current events. They help people decide what laws to make or how to work for change. They
can also show the outcome of an election.
Geographic Data (p. 22-23)

The maps you’ve learned about so far are based on raw geographic data. The Texas resources map was created by translating
economic and geographic data *the names and locations of key resources) into symbols. The names of key cities were added. The
completed map tells about Texas’s economy and geography.
Elaborate Questions from the Stop and Check for Understanding- High Level Questions are to be used here. (Please see this from above).
Evaluate
Students will demonstrate mastery by completing the Got It Questions: (below is a sampling of the questions a teacher can use to evaluate
student mastery).
 On a separate sheet of paper, translate the geographic data presented by the map into a bar graph. The graph should show how
many states voted for Mitt Romney and how many states voted for Barack Obama?
 Look at and interpret the information in the current-event map on page 21. On a separate sheet of paper, describe the similarities
and differences between the way each region voted.
 Use a separate sheet of paper to organize and translate the data about Texas’s mountains and landmarks into a map. Use symbols to
represent each monument.
 On a separate sheet of paper, organize and translate the data about San Antonio’s yearly rainfall into a bar graph.