Content Map for Units 9, 10, 11, & 12
Georgia Performance Standards for these Units
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G9: The student will locate selected features in Southern and Eastern Asia.
G10: The student will discuss environmental issues across Southern and Eastern Asia.
G11: The student will explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of
natural resources, and population distribution on Southern and Eastern Asia.
G12: The student will analyze the diverse cultures of the people who live in Southern and Eastern
Asia.
H3: The student will analyze continuity and change in Southern and Eastern Asia leading to the 21 st
century.
CG6: The student will compare and contrast various forms of government.
CG7: The student will demonstrate an understanding of national governments in Southern and
Eastern Asia.
E8: The student will analyze different economic systems.
E9: The student will explain how voluntary trade benefits buyers and sellers in Southern and Eastern
Asia.
E10: The student will describe factors that influence economic growth and examine their presence or
absence in India, China, and Japan.
Unit Essential Questions
By the conclusion of this unit of study, students should be able to answer these essential questions
in complete sentences, supporting their answers with their evidence of understanding.
 What are the similarities and differences of Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Shinto, and the
philosophy of Confucianism?
 How does literacy rate affect the standard of living in East and South Asia?
 Where are the Ganges River, Huang He (Yellow River), Indus River, Mekong River, Yangtze
(Chang Jiang) River, Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Sea of Japan, South China Sea, Yellow
Sea, Gobi Desert, Taklimakan Desert, Himalayan Mountains, Korean Peninsula, China,
India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Vietnam?
 What is the impact of climate and location on population distribution in Southern and Eastern
Asia?
 How do the mountains, deserts, and water features of Southern and Eastern Asia affect the
population in terms of where people live, the type of work they do, and how they travel?
 How did nationalism lead to independence in India and Vietnam?
 How would you describe the impact of Mohandas Gandhi’s belief in non-violence protest?
 How would you explain the role of the United States in the rebuilding of Japan after WWII?
 How would you describe the impact of communism in China in terms of Mao Zedong, the
Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, and Tiananmen Square?
 What are the reasons for foreign involvement in Korea and Vietnam in terms of containment
of Communism?
 How would you compare and contrast the federal republic of The Republic of India, the
communist state of the People’s Republic of China, and the constitutional monarchy of
Japan, distinguishing the form of leadership and the role of the citizen in terms of voting
rights and personal freedoms?
 How would you compare and contrast the economic systems in China, India, Japan, and
North Korea?
 What lead to Japan’s economic miracle?
 How would you describe the role of natural resources in a country’s economy?
Key Vocabulary
Students will know and be able to correctly use the following vocabulary in their unit assignments, assessments, and to
answer the unit’s essential questions. Creating a vocabulary “dictionary” will be your final assignment, regardless of your
tier. Total 24 words.
Communism
Long March
Korean War
Domino Theory
Great Leap Forward
38th parallel
Mohandas Gandhi
Vietnam War
cultural revolution
Ho Chi Minh
Mao Zedong
Tiananmen Square
Ganges River
Yangtze River
civil disobedience
monsoons
Hiroshima
Nagasaki
Cold War
Himalaya Mts.
Deng Xiaoping
terracing
scarcity
outsourcing
Evidence of Learning
ALL STUDENTS:
Assignment for all Tiers, students must complete vocabulary “dictionary”.
Tier A: Evidence of Learning for students completing assignments in TIER A will
complete vocabulary dictionary plus 2 others of your choice from the following options.
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Tier A students are required to complete vocabulary dictionary as described by Tier teacher.
Create a map of Southern and Eastern Asia, including major physical features (deserts, mountains,
plateaus, rivers, etc.), location of major natural resources, and predominant climactic conditions
(monsoons, temperature ranges, average rainfall, etc.). Use the MAP POWERPOINT TEMPLATE to
create a presentation citing specific examples of where people live, what work they do, and how they
travel. Be sure to address the problems associated with overpopulation, industrial pollution,
accessibility to drinking water, and natural disasters, which affect Southern and Eastern Asia and
influence the rest of the world.
After WWII, Japan was devastated after two atomic bombs were dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
Research the reasons to explain how Japan became an “economic miracle” in such a short period of
time (include their ways of adapting technology). Be sure to include an explanation of the relationship
between investment in capital goods/human capital and Japan’s GDP. Explain the role of the United
States in the rebuilding of Japan after WWII and compare Japan’s economy before and after WWII.
Illustrate your findings on a glog.
Create a virtual museum using the MUSEUM POWERPOINT TEMPLATE about World War II
regarding U.S. involvement WITH JAPAN. Information about the war in Europe is not to be included.
Include why Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, along with details about the attack and U.S. response. Key
battles should be included as well as information about the Japanese internment camps. Research
the reasons why the U.S. dropped the atomic bombs on Japan and the effects of this decision. Also
include YOUR answer to the question “Was the atomic bomb a necessary evil?”
Analyze two primary documents (provided) about Mohandas Gandhi’s belief in non-violent protest to
explain what made his nonviolent movement work. Write a 1-2 page typed position paper to include
your analysis of these documents, along with background information on Gandhi and his movement in
India to gain independence from the British.
Use the POWERPOINT TIMELINE TEMPLATE to create a presentation on the impact of communism
in China in terms of Mao Zedong, the Communist Revolution, the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural
Revolution, and Tiananmen Square. Details on the events and how each affected China as well as
pictures must be included.
Research the reasons why the U.S. became involved in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. Complete the
POSITION GRAPHIC ORGANIZER. Then, write a 2 page position paper discussing the reasons for
U.S. involvement in Korea and Vietnam in terms of containment of communism. This paper should be
typed in 12 point, Times New Roman font.
Complete the webquest about Asia. You may type your answers into a word document. YOU MUST
ANSWER WITH COMPLETE SENTENCES.
Tier B: Evidence of Learning for students completing assignments in TIER B will complete
vocabulary assignment plus 4 others of your choice from the following options:
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Tier B students are required to complete vocabulary dictionary as described by Tier teacher.
Design a collage (use either hand-drawn or magazine pictures) to highlight the concerns of a specific
environmental problem from India, China, or Japan. Choices include: pollution of the Ganges or Yangtze River,
air pollution, overpopulation, industrial pollution, or flooding. You must correctly identify the natural and human
causes and effects of the chosen environmental issue including statistics, a slogan, and a colorful design. Make
sure your details contain SPECIFIC information about the chosen topic. This should be on a POSTERBOARD,
not a piece of computer or construction paper.
Create a hanging mobile representing the governments of Japan, India, and China. Include how each
government compares and contrasts with the others. Include the type of government, leader, legislature, and
important laws. Be sure to incorporate the role of the citizen in terms of voting rights and personal freedoms.
Use examples provided to guide your product.
Create a Pop-Up Poster comparing the major religions in Asia. Divide a posterboard into 4 sections—one for
Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto. Each section should contain 6 tabs—for a total of 24. There
should be a neat, colorful, HAND-DRAWN picture on the front, and information inside of the tab. Include details
about each religion, such as beliefs, traditions, where and when it was founded, symbols, founder, and where it
is practiced today. Use examples provided to guide your work.
Compare and contrast India’s and Vietnam’s independence movements and the outcomes. Complete the
compare/contrast organizer and use it as a springboard to write a 1-2 page essay. This should be typed in 12 pt.
Times New Roman font.
Summarize the important historical events that occurred at Tiananmen Square in 1989. Complete the cause and
effect graphic organizer and then create a poem or song that includes all of the details.
Use the RAFT activity (provided) to assume the role of one historical character. Considering the audience and
format, thoroughly explain the topic associated to the character. Include specific details, dates, facts, purpose,
importance, outcome, etc. to support your explanation. (Must be 1-2 pages in length.)
Create a text strip to describe the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Use the graphic organizer
provided. Then, transfer the information to create a flip book. Make sure your illustrations are neat and colorful
and your descriptions are in complete, detailed sentences. Include why the U.S. became involved, some key
events, and the outcome. Dates must be included as well.
Create a front page of a newspaper detailing either the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor OR the
dropping of the atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This should look like the front of an actual
newspaper, with a headline, date, graphics, article, etc.
Tier C: Evidence of Learning for students completing assignments in TIER C will complete
vocabulary assignment plus 6 other assignments of your choice from the following options:
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Tier C students are required to complete vocabulary dictionary.
Review major physical features on map of Asia. Complete mapping questions related to this region
to explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, natural resources, population
distribution in Asia.
Study the history of India, China, and Japan to construct a timeline of important events from the 19th
and 20th centuries for each country. Must include a minimum of 10 events for each country.
Examine the importance of trade and complete questions to explain the impact of global trade.
Review government systems to compare and contrast the structure of the governments in India,
China, and Japan. You will use a Venn diagram to demonstrate this comparison.
Review economic systems and trade barriers to describe the factors that influence economic growth.
Read information about the Vietnam War and complete an organizer to explain the reasons for U.S.
involvement.
Complete a character collage of Mao Zedong to describe the impact of communism in China, to
include the Communist Revolution of 1949, Great Leap Forward, and Cultural Revolution.
Research the Asian religions/philosophies of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism to analyze the
diverse cultures of the people in Asia. Complete a Frayer model to describe each religion/philosophy.
Complete a History Frame to summarize the important historical events that occurred at Tiananmen
Square in 1989.
Substitutions:
Tier B students can substitute 2 assignments from their Tier for 1 assignment from Tier A.
Tier C students can substitute 2 assignments from their Tier for 1 assignment from Tier A or B.
All substitutions must be pre-approved by the teacher.
Learning Contract
For the region of Asia, the 7th grade Social Studies students will be participating in a grade
level Tiered learning opportunity to reach the students at their individual strengths. The score
from the content pre-assessment determines the assignments and assessments the student
will be required to complete for the remainder units of study. Content pre-assessments are
scored to determine the assignment tier for individual students; however, the scores are not
recorded as a grade. All of the graded assignments will be thoughtfully planned to meet
individual learning styles and student readiness.
What to do:
1. Review the Content Map of the unit, which includes the curriculum standards,
vocabulary, and evidence of student learning.
2. Review the Learning Contract and Tier Assignments for this unit of study and sign the
student statement of understanding below:
Student Statement of Understanding:
I understand that I am required to complete assignments from the Tier as determined by the
pre-assessment. I understand that reading, notes, activity handouts, review for quizzes, and
the unit test will be my responsibility to complete and master. I understand that there will be
limited class days in which I will have an opportunity to work on my tier assignments in class. I
further understand that many assignments within the tier will require work outside of class and
on my own time. I also understand that all assignments are due as detailed below.
Student Signature:_________________________________
Date:___________________
Due Dates for Tier Assignments: March 22
Tier A: 1 Assignment (100 pts.)
Tier B: 2 Assignments (50 pts. each)
Tier C: 3 Assignments (33 pts. each)
April 5
Tier A: 1 Assignment (100 pts.)
Tier B: 2 Assignments (50 pts. each)
Tier C: 3 Assignments (33 pts. each)
April 19
Vocabulary Dictionary (All Tiers)