MCPS Outdoor Environmental Education Programs
Patterns of Settlement
Using GPS for Navigation
Summary
In grade six social studies students study how geographic and natural features affect where ancient
people choose to settle and build societies. In this activity students will explore a variety of locations
and decide themselves which location would be best to settle and establish a community. Students will
choose their location based upon geographic, economic and environmental considerations. Students will
then describe and explain why they choose one particular location in contrast to their other choices.
The Big Questions are: Where should you settle and survive? Who will survive and grow to become a great
Civilization?
Standards
Common Core State Curriculum for Math and E/LA
Standards for Mathematical Practice
1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
5.Use appropriate tools strategically
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and
quantitatively, as well as in words.*
Reading Standards for Informational Text 6–12
7. Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as
well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue
College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences
Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects 6–12
1. Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that
demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
Social Studies State Curriculum
2.A.1.1 Describe how location and environment influenced early world cultures.
3.A.1.1 Use geographic tools to locate places …
3.B.1.2 Explain how physical characteristics of a place influenced human activities, such as agriculture,
art, transportation, architecture and economic activity in the ancient world.
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MCPS Outdoor Environmental Education Programs
3.B.1.5 Identify and describe physical characteristics that influenced human settlement.
3.D.1.1 Describe ways people modified their environment to meet their needs, such as cultivating lands,
building roads, dams, and aqueducts.
4.A.2.1 Identify ways people have used resources to meet economic wants such as cultivating land.
5.B.1 Analyze how civilizations emerged in the river valley areas.
6.B.1.Use informal writing strategies, such as journal writing, note taking and graphic organizers to
clarify, organize, remember and express new understandings
6.D.2.1 & 2 Engage in field work, such as gathering data and recording observations, which relate to the
topic being studied.
6.E.1.2.e Summarize information obtained from surveys and field work.
Science State Curriculum
3.D.1 Students will explain that in any particular environment, the growth and survival of organisms and
species depend on the physical conditions.
3.F.1.A Students will explain that populations increase, decrease (or even become extinct) relative to the
availability of resources and the conditions of the environment.
6.A.1 Students will identify and describe the natural resources at determined locations as
land, fossil fuels, forests, water, wind, minerals, or wildlife, and determine how these resources benefit
or harm humans.
Enduring Understandings
Throughout history, factors such as geographic characteristics and economic opportunity have influenced
the patterns of human settlement.
Today, geographic characteristics and economic opportunities continue to shape patterns of settlement.
Essential Questions
Why do people settle in certain locations?
How does geography affect human settlement?
How do civilizations adapt to their environment?
Vocabulary
Global Positioning System (GPS), approximate location, absolute location, physical characteristics on a
map, map elements, civilization, capital resources, human resources, natural resources, settlement,
nomadic, survival, scarcity, migration
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MCPS Outdoor Environmental Education Programs
Mastery Objectives
By the end of class students will be able to
1.
Analyze factors in the ecosystem that could positively or negatively affect human needs for
survival.
2. Explain how geographic and environmental factors affect choice on where to settle.
3. Use GPS technology to find destinations and to return home.
Engage (20-40 minutes depending upon use of map and compass or GPS devices)
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This is your land to establish your civilization. You are living approximately 4-5,000 years ago
In class the teacher will present the challenge to the students. “Imagine you are living and 5,000+
years ago. Your goal is to locate and determine the best place to SURVIVE and PROSPER as a group.”
Students will learn how to use a map and a GPS device or compass to find the locations where they
may settle. Use the GPS instructions to teach GPS purpose and mechanics.
Show and discuss the map to give students an idea of where they will be going.
In groups, students will discuss key considerations in order to choose the best place to start a
civilization.
Explore (40-80 minutes depending on class time limit and locations visited)
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Students will travel together to various pre-determined places to decide which location is the best
place to settle and establish a civilization. (Assign the locations they are to visit.)
o See choices of locations the students could visit.
Students will use GPS technology and/or map reading skills to find the potential settlement
locations.
Make sure a set time is established for students to return. Include time for sharing of discoveries
and decisions of where and how students plan to survive and prosper at their new (ancient) home.
Give each group at least one graphic organizer on which they should record what they observe during
their field research. Digital cameras or drawings may be included.
Once at a location students will observe, gather, record and prioritize data pertaining to each location
and its viability as a location to settle.
See other forms including, the settlement location options, sample outlines, and teacher directions.
Explain (20-30 minutes depending on the size of the group and the number of sites visited)
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Students will decide within their travel group which location offers the best chance of survival.
Students will then organize and prepare information to be presented to the class, which will explain
why they picked a certain location to settle.
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MCPS Outdoor Environmental Education Programs

Students will share with the group which location they would settle at and give at least 5 reasons why
this location is the BEST!
Evaluate
The Teacher will evaluate student learning by asking these or similar questions:
1. Why did ancient nomadic groups settle in certain locations?
2. How did geographic and environmental factors affect your choice of the best place to live?
3. How did your group choose to adapt to the environment and how would you adapt the environment to
better suit your lives?
4. How would your group use natural, capital and human resources such as water, tools and labor to
produce needed goods?
Extend
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Create a Photo of video journal to be shared back at school while at outdoor ed. The photo
journal could tell the story of your exploration or it could show which place you choose to settle
and some of the reasons, through pictures, why you choose this location.
Complete the same activity at school, around the school grounds. You may borrow compasses or
GPS devices from the Smith Center for this purpose.
Have students create a map, with proper map parts, that shows a preferred location to start a
civilization.
Use a map of one of the areas where ancient civilizations did start for students to analyze
available resources etc.
Create your own exploration map for your school grounds or a nearby park.
Review
The Student Goal is to: SURVIVE
Pick a location to settle – Where, why, what are the geographic and economic advantages?
1.
Think about the geography – How would you DEFEND your land? Where would you build? What is
located nearby? Water access? Land?
2. Think about your economy – What resources are available? What items will you produce, sell or
trade? What could you build, plant, do at this location in order to best survive?
3. Think about other cultural priorities – Housing, markets, leisure activities, festivals, …
4. Share your results with the other groups.
o What location did you pick and why does it offer the most POTENTIAL for survival? Be sure
to record a detailed explanation to share with the class.
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MCPS Outdoor Environmental Education Programs
Sample Activity Outlines
Sample A (2 hours)
1. ENGAGE: In large group present the activity information and goals.
-10
2. Divide students into groups/tribes.
Divide Jobs within group if needed
-10
3. Present maps of the area where students could settle.
-10
4. Students learn how to use a GPS device
-10
5. EXPLORE: Travel to sites to plan for early town development
-50
6. Prepare necessary written material –
-10
7. EXPLAIN: Students present their civilization development plans.
-20
*** This activity could be limited to choosing a site and describing what geographic features of the
site makes it beneficial for settlement.
Sample B: (2 hours)
If the preparation is done ahead of time: 1-2 class periods to present information, learn GPS skills, and
preview maps, you could then add a written element to the planning. One “perfect” paragraph about what
site appears best for settlement; one “perfect” paragraph about economic development plans; one
paragraph about each student’s individual responsibilities and how they plan to achieve their goals.
1. Upon arrival review goals and GPS then go to the civilization settlement sites.
-20
2. At site, plan land use and economic development, and other cultural goals.
-60
3. Organize needed written material to present
-10
4. Present plans to group
-20
5. Decide upon the best location for a civilization to develop – why?
-10
SAMPLE C: Combine Orienteering Skills with Patterns of Settlement
If you choose to do this, first teach orienteering skills, either at school or here, then use the
orienteering posts for the potential settlement locations. Everything stays the same except instead of
using the GPS you will use the map and compass to identify locations.
Sample Outline: (2:30 hours)
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In large group present the activity information and goals.
-15
Divide students into groups/tribes.
Divide Jobs within group if needed
-05
Present maps of the area where students could settle.
-05
Students learn how to read maps and use compasses
-15
Travel to sites to plan for early town development – economy, government, culture… -70
Prepare necessary written material in order to explain choice of settlement location. -20
Students present their civilization development plans.
-20
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MCPS Outdoor Environmental Education Programs
Options at the Smith Center
1.
Travel up creek and under the Bridge for the remote Biodiversity Survivor (using either GPS or a
grid map)
This is your plot of land, where would you settle, and what resources would you use? Create a map using
the hectare grid. Students could explore the area, or be assigned a particular section to report back on.
Students would plan out a map of the area and locate where certain key survival features would be located
- shelter, water source, food, raw materials, protection…
2. Travel downstream along Rock Creek and to enjoy Rock Creek Survivor or travel from the Brown
cabin, past the covered bridge and along the Springs trail to experience Springs Trail Survivor
If I could COMBINE the Survivor activity with orienteering posts, such as A,C,F,P or B,E,N,I, then it
could work well. For example – to survive you must find
a. At least 2 water sources
b. An Agriculture area
c. A safety zone – protected area
d. Resources such as forest and hunting area
3. Travel around part of the lake to try out Lake Frank Survivor (see notes)
Students will travel around Lake Frank, stopping at a determined number of locations in order to decide
which location would work best as a place to settle and start a civilization. See the map for the
settlement options! Suggestions: Entrance of Rock Creek to Lake Frank, on hill, along edge of Lake by boat
entrance; near dam; near Old Nasty and small creek entrance,
Enrichments
1. Take equipment to do a lake survey – bread to lure fish, nets, thermometers, pH strips, fishing rods?
2. Assign one location to each group and have them determine strengths and weaknesses of using this
area as a place to settle. While at their location they should conduct several tests to determine the
value of the natural resources in the area.
Tests could include:
a. What types of trees are prevalent? Is there tree diversity? What could the trees be used
for?
b. Soil health – where to plant, is the soil rocky? On hill, valley, plain…?
c. What plants are already present or could be grown?
d. Is there access to water; what type of water; is it safe?
e. What natural defenses and boundaries are present?
f. Animal resources – is there evidence of animals in the area?
g. Water tests – fishing; netting; observation;
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