Content:
Europe and Russia Unit 4
Major Concepts: World
Geography
The physical and political
geography of Europe and
Russia embed five major
concepts: location, place,
human interaction with the
environment, movement, and
regions.
 Introducing the Region:
Physical and Human
Geography
 Supranational Cooperation
in the European Union
 Population Dilemmas in
Europe
 Invisible Borders:
Transboundary Pollution in
Europe
Standards:
E.1 On a map of the world, locate the continent of Europe. On a map of Europe, locate the Atlantic Ocean,
Norwegian Sea, and Barents Sea. Locate the Volga, Danube, Ural, Rhine, Elbe, Seine, Po, and Thames Rivers.
Locate the Alps, Pyrenees, and Balkan Mountains. Locate the countries in the northern, southern, central, eastern,
and western regions of Europe.
E.2 Use the map key to locate countries and major cities in Europe.
E.3 Explain how the following five factors have influenced settlement and economies of major European countries.
 Absolute and relative location
 Climate
 Major physical characteristics
 Major natural resources
 Population size
HAG1 Use map and globe skills learned in prekindergarten to grade five to interpret different kinds of projections
as well as topographic land forms, political, population and climate maps.
HAG2 Use geographic terms correctly, such as delta, glacier, location, settlement, region, natural resource, human
resources, mountain, hill, plain, plateau, river, island, isthmus, peninsula, erosion, climate, drought, monsoon,
hurricane, ocean, and wind currents, tropics, rain forest, tundra, desert, continent, country, nation, and urbanization.
HAG3 construct a graph or chart that conveys geographic information (e.g., about rainfall, temperature, or
population size data.)
EC10 Provide examples of currencies from several countries and explain why international trade requires a system
for exchanging currency between nations.
EC11 Give examples of products that are traded among nations, and examples of barriers to trade in these or other
products.
EC15 Compare the standard of living in various countries today using gross domestic product per capita as an
indicator.
Additional Topics Of Study
 Describe the purposes and achievements of the European Union.
 Identify the countries that were once part of the Soviet Union in the Baltic area, Central Asia, Southern Russia,
and the Caucasus, and compare the population and the size of the former Soviet Union with that of present day
Russia.
Explain the sources and effects of the massive pollution of air, water, and land in the satellite nations of Eastern
Europe.
Key Questions:
Skills and Outcomes: When students have finished
What forces work for and
against supranational
cooperation among nations?
 How do population trends
affect a country’s future?
 How can one country’s
pollution become another
country’s problem?
studying this topic, they will know and be able to:

http://contentarealearningstrategies.wikispaces.com/


Define and explain key geoterms.
Explain the forces that unite and divide members of the
European Union.
 Explore the effects of population trends and population
pyramids then apply this relationship to population
growth rates and development rates throughout the
world.
 Analyze the causes and impact of transboundary
pollution and how acid rain is spread worldwide.
Lesson14
 Mapping Lab: Label political and physical boundaries.
Interactive Notebook 102&103. (Europe)
 European Union “Experiential Exercise” (GA1 pg.
317-321)
 Guide to Reading Notes-Student Interactive Notebook
pg.106-108, Think, Write, Pair, Share
Lesson 15
 Preview 15, Transparency 15A I See It MeansIdentify Key Elements on a Population Pyramid.
 Pair/Share- Interactive Notebook pg.110.
 Response Group Activity-Analyzing World Population
Trends GA1 pg.344-348.
 Reading Notes- Interactive Notebook pg.112-115
Formative/Summative Assessments:
Students
will complete the following products/other assessments to
demonstrate the skills and understandings they have
acquired.
Lesson14
 Map quiz- political and physical boundaries of
Europe.
 Mastering the Content Quiz- Assessment 14-GA1
p.324
 Analytical Writing Assignment. I See/It Means.
What forces work for and against supranational
cooperation? Students will analyze a political cartoon
and decide what the cartoonist wanted to show about
the impact of the Euro.
Lesson 15
 Mastering the Content Quiz-Assessment 15GA1 p.350.
 Analyzing Population Pyramids: Geography
Skills: GA1 p.351
 Persuasive Writing: How do population
trends afffect a country’s future? Students will
write a business letter about their ideas to
prepare for changes in popualtion within a
given country.
Think, Write, Pair, Share
Lesson 16
 Preview: Confetti Toss-GA1 pg.364-366
 Visual Discovery Activity- I See It Means Radioactive
Pollution from Chernobyl. Use transparencies 16A16D. GA1 pg.366-369.
 Content/Response Notes: Student will take notes on
activities and video clips about various pollution
problems throughout history/or cuurent issues.
 Resources: Teachersdomain.org
Lesson 16
 Mastering the Content Quiz-Assessment 16-GA1
p.372.
 Geography Skills: Forming Generalizations from
Map Data. GA1 pg.373
 Illustrated Timeline: Exploring the essential
Question: How can one country’s pollution
become another country’s problem? Students will
create a “before and after” cartoon about air
pollution.
Technology:
 Cartoons will be scanned to wiki and students will
create a podcast explaining how one country’s
pollution can become another country’s problem.
Student will explain ways to prevent
transboundary pollution.