Michigan Geographic Alliance
Presents
Mapping Physical
Regions of the
Eastern Hemisphere
Cindy Bloom
Comstock Northeast Middle School
& Kristi Karis
Bay Middle School
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Mapping Physical Regions of the Eastern Hemisphere
Cindy Bloom, Comstock Northeast Middle School, Comstock Public Schools, Kalamazoo,
MI 49008 and
Kristi Karis, Macatawa Bay Middle School, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI 49424
Grade Level: 7th grade
Grade Level Content Expectation(s)
 Locate and describe major climatic and physical regions of the Eastern Hemisphere
II.4.MS.2
Lesson Overview
This mapping, jigsaw activity is designed to give students a general overview of the
major climatic and physical regions of the Eastern Hemisphere. Students will complete
four individual maps and cooperatively create four Eastern Hemisphere maps focusing on
continents, bodies of water, landforms, climate and vegetation.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Recognize the physical geography of the Eastern Hemisphere
 Locate and identify major landforms and bodies of water
 Create regional map of landforms and bodies of water
Materials
 Detailed student atlas – one for each group
 Colored pencils, scissors, tape
 Map direction worksheet – one for each student
 Eastern Hemisphere regional maps (each student in the group needs one complete set
of Eastern Hemisphere regional maps—Do not backside maps)
Teacher Background Notes
 The maps are of the following regions: Europe (two maps due to size), North Africa
and Middle East (one map), Africa South of the Sahara (one map), Central, Eastern,
Southern Asia and Oceania (two maps)
 Even though groups of four are recommended, use your judgment when assigning
groups.
 By the end of the activity, within a group, each student will have completed one type
of map for each of the four regions. Each student will create four maps, covering all
four regions.
 Make sure students use the same symbols and colors within their own group. (One
key per Eastern Hemisphere map.)
 This mapping procedure can be followed later in the course focusing on cultural
features.
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Procedure for Activity
1. Review basic landforms (mountains, deserts, bodies of water) on a world map using
examples from the Western Hemisphere. Also review map-labeling techniques
(carets for mountains; blue for water; light tan for deserts).
2. Divide students into groups of four. Each student in the group will begin with a
different region and its appropriate map. They will all complete the Map One
requirements for their region (see below for the requirements for each map).
3. Students should lay out all of their Map One regions creating an Eastern Hemisphere
map. Trim and tape together.
4. Within each group students will select a different region and complete the appropriate
map for Map Two task. When finished, tape together.
5. Continue this process until all four maps are finished. At this point, each student will
have worked on a different map task for each region.
6. Finished maps may be displayed.
Assessment
As each student finishes map one, two, three, four, teacher will evaluate for accuracy.
Student worksheets (blackline masters)
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Africa South of the Sahara
Map One:
Label:
Africa
Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Guinea
Map Two:
Draw or shade and label:
Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika
Congo, Niger, Zambezi rivers
Okavango Delta
Kalahari and Namib deserts
Mozambique Channel
Cape of Good Hope
Map Three:
Color and Label:
Climate Regions
Map Four:
Color and Label:
Vegetation Regions
Reminder: Make sure that you are using the same colors and symbols as other
people in your group so that when you put your map parts together you can create
one key.
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Central, Eastern and Southern Asia and Oceania
Map One:
Label:
Asia, Australia
Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arabian Sea, South China Sea, Yellow Sea, Sea of Japan, Coral
Sea, Tasman Sea, Philippine Sea, Bay of Bengal
Map Two:
Draw or shade and label:
Himalaya Mountains, Kunlun Shan, Tien Shan, Altai Mountains
Plateau of Tibet
Great Dividing Range
Gobi, Great Sandy, Takla Makan deserts
Ganges, Huang He, Yangtze, Mekong, Murray rivers
Great Barrier Reef
Map Three:
Color and Label:
Climate Regions
Map Four:
Color and Label:
Vegetation Regions
Reminder: Make sure that you are using the same colors and symbols as other
people in your group so that when you put your map parts together you can create
one key.
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Europe and Russia
Map One:
Label:
Europe and Asia
Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, North Sea, Baltic Sea, Barents
Sea, Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk
Map Two:
Draw or shade and label:
Alps, Ural Mountains
Rhine, Danube, Volga, Yenisey rivers
North European Plain
Lake Baikal
English Channel
Map Three:
Color and Label:
Climate Regions
Map Four:
Color and Label:
Vegetation Regions
Reminder: Make sure that you are using the same colors and symbols as other
people in your group so that when you put your map parts together you can create
one key.
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North Africa and the Middle East
Map One:
Label:
Africa and Asia
Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Aral Sea, Persian Gulf, Gulf of
Aden, Gulf of Oman
Map Two:
Draw or shade and label:
Atlas and Zagros mountains
Hindu Kush
Straits of Hormuz; Strait of Gibraltar, Bosporus
Suez Canal
Sahara Desert
Nile, Tigris, Euphrates rivers
Lake Chad
Map Three:
Color and Label:
Climate Regions
Map Four:
Color and Label:
Vegetation Regions
Reminder: Make sure that you are using the same colors and symbols as other people
in your group so that when you put your map parts together you can create one key.
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