WS/FCS
Unit Planning Organizer
Subject(s)
Grade/Course
Unit of Study
Unit Title
Pacing
Social Studies
3rd
Unit One
Five Themes of Geography
20-22 days
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Conceptual Lenses
Place
Location
Human environment
Interaction
Movement
Region
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Geography Focus
All five themes
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Unit Overview
The points of focus for this unit include an understanding of the five themes of geography.
Through extensive exploration, students will develop an understanding of
 Absolute and relative location
 Human and physical characteristics of places
 Movement of goods, ideas, and services.
 Ways humans interact with the environment to meet basic needs.
 Characteristics of regions
Unit Enduring Understanding(s)
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Places are often located by absolute and
relative positions.
Places form and change as a result of
human and physical characteristics.
Humans will interact with their environment
in order to meet their needs.
Places are often connected with one
another through movement of goods,
people and ideas.
Many factors can contribute to a region’s
identity.
Regions are often distinguished by their
characteristics?
Unit Essential Question(s)
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How do we identify the location of places?
What is the impact of human and physical
characteristics in the formation and
change of places?
In what ways do humans interact with the
environment to meet needs?
How do the movement of goods, people
and ideas connect places?
What factors contribute to a region’s
identity?
What characteristics are used to
differentiate between regions?
Essential State Standards
Priority Objectives
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Supporting Objectives
3. G.1.1 Find absolute and relative
locations of places within the local
community and region.
3. G.1.2 Compare the human and physical
characteristics of places.
3. G.1.3 Exemplify how people adapt to,
change and protect the environment to
meet their needs.
3. G.1.4 Explain how the movement of
goods, people and ideas impact the
community.
3. G.1.5 Summarize the elements (cultural,
demographic, economic and geographic)
that define regions (community, state,
nation and world).
3. G.1.6 Compare various regions
according to their characteristics.
“Unpacked” Concepts
(students need to know)
The difference between
absolute and relative locations.
How to use distinguish
between a map and a globe.
Human characteristics of
a place come from human
beliefs and actions.
Physical characteristics
of a place make up its natural
environment.
Humans depend
on/modify the natural
environment for their basic
needs.
How to define
movement.
Regions are defined by
various elements of culture,
“Unpacked” Skills
(students need to be able to do)
 Find absolute and relative
locations of places
o on a map, globe, etc.
o within the local
community and region
 Construct maps of local
community including
o Symbols
o Labels
o Legends
o Absolute and relative
location
 Compare
o Human characteristics of
places
o Physical characteristics
of places
 Exemplify people/ environment
COGNITION
(RBT Level)
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Remember
Understand
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demographics, economics, and
geography.
A region is a basic unit
of geographic study. It is
defined as an area that has
unifying characteristics.
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Essential Vocabulary
Absolute location
Relative location
Movement
Region
Place
Human environment interaction
Symbol
Legend
Label
Adapt
modify
Standards
Unit “Chunking”
& Enduring
Understandings
3.G.1.1
Find absolute
and relative
locations of
places within the
local community
and region.
Places are often
located by
absolute and
relative positions.
o Adapt
o Change
o Protect
Explain impact of movement of
on community
o Goods
o People
o Ideas
Summarize elements that define
regions
Use a variety of visual materials
and data sources to compare
regions by characteristics.
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Enrichment Vocabulary
Definitive vicinity
Approximate vicinity
Suggested Lesson
Essential Questions
What is the difference
between a map and a
globe?
Possible Factual
Content
Example(s)
from
Unpacked
Standards
What are an absolute
and a relative location?
How are maps used to
locate places using
absolute and relative
locations?
Absolute and
relative locations
are two ways of
describing the
positions and
distribution of
people and
places on the
earth’s surface.
Difference
between absolute
and relative
locations.
Find absolute
(e.g., definitive
vicinity) and
relative (e.g.,
approximate
vicinity) locations
of places on a
map, globe, etc.
.
How do we use maps to
describe locations of
places within the local
community and region
by applying concepts
including absolute and
relative location,
direction, scales, etc.?
Find the
absolute
locations of
places such
as home
address,
school
address, etc.
Find the
relative
location of
significant
places in the
local
community
and region
such as where
the school is
located in
relation to the
fire dept.
Construct
maps of the
local
community
that contain
symbols,
labels, and
legends
denoting
absolute and
relative
locations.
3.G.1.2
Compare the
human and
physical
characteristics
of places.
3.G.1.3
Exemplify how
people adapt to
change and
protect the
environment to
meet their
needs.
Places form and
change as a
result of human
and physical
characteristics.
Humans will
interact with their
environment in
order to meet
their basic needs.
What are the human
characteristics of a
place?
Human
characteristics of
a place come
from human
beliefs and
actions.
What are the physical
characteristics of a
place?
Physical
characteristics of
a place make up
its natural
environment.
How can we observe,
explore and compare the
human and physical
characteristics of
places?
How do you compare
the human and physical
characteristics of the
local community with
those of another
community?
How do humans depend
on the natural
environment for basic
needs?
Humans depend
on the natural
environment for
their basic needs.
Bridges,
houses, parks,
population,
language,
religion,
architecture,
land use,
density of
population,
language
patterns,
religion, etc.
Landforms,
bodies of
water, climate,
soils, natural
vegetation,
animal life,
etc.
Food, clothing
and shelter
3.G.1.4
Explain how the
movement of
goods, people
and ideas
impact the
community.
Places are often
connected with
one another
through
movement of
goods, people
and ideas.
How do people modify
their environment to
meet their needs?
People modify
their environment
to meet their
needs.
How do you define
movement?
Definition of
movement
What is the impact of
movement on
communities?
When people
choose to move it
can have impacts
on various
communities
(immigration,
migration, cultural
diversity, the
environment).
People rely upon
products,
information, and
ideas within the
local community.
Why do people rely on
things that come from
beyond their immediate
environment?
How are people, goods
and ideas moved within
the local community?
What is cultural diffusion
and interdependence?
How has the movement
of people, goods,
services and ideas
impacted people
throughout history?
People create
means for moving
people, goods,
and ideas within
the local
community.
Definition and
examples.
Throughout
history people
have moved from
place to place,
traded goods and
services, and
ideas, (migration,
trade, cultural
diffusion and
Build dams,
plow and
irrigate fields,
build houses,
schools,
shopping
centers.
Immigration,
transportation,
import and
export of
goods, etc.
interdependence).
Many factors can
3.G.1.5
contribute to a
Summarize the
region’s identity.
elements
(cultural,
demographic,
economic and
geographic) that
define regions,
community,
state, nation and
world.
3.G.1.6
Compare
various regions
according to
their
characteristics.
Regions are often
distinguished by
their
characteristics.
How do we define
regions?
What are the
characteristics we use to
define regions?
How are regions similar
and different to each
other?
Regions are
defined by
various elements
of culture,
demographics,
economics and
geography.
Factors that
make a region
unique include
cultural
diversity,
industry,
agriculture,
It is a basic unit of landforms, etc.
geography study.
It is defined as an
area that has
unifying
characteristics.
Regions are
Physical,
distinguished by
human and
their
cultural.
characteristics.
Regions are
similar and
different to each
other.
Physical,
political,
cultural, urban
and rural, etc.
Use a variety
of visual
materials and
data sources
to compare
regions.