Why is that city located there?
(Site & Situation)
Judith M. Painter
Virginia Geographic Alliance
Subject(s): World Geography
Key Words: Site, Situation
Time Allotted: to complete the entire worksheet – allot 4 days for 50 minute
periods. If completing for each region, then allot 20-30 minutes for the cities in
that region.
Software: Google Earth
Lesson Overview
Relevant Standards
Site and situation is often a hard concept for students to understand when
taught in general terms. This lesson is designed to have the student consider
why a city is located in that place based on satellite views that allow the student
to view the city from a different angle.
Virginia WG.11a - The student will analyze the patterns of urban development by
applying the concepts of site and situation to major cities in each region.
Virginia WG.4 - The student will locate and analyze physical, economic, and cultural
characteristics of world regions: Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, United
States and Canada, North Africa and Southwest Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Russia and
Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands,
and Antarctica.
Learning
Objectives
Students will be able to:


Spatial Thinking
Fundamentals &
Skills


Geospatial
Technology Skills














Materials/
Resources
Modifications/
Extensions


Identify the location of key cities in the world using a satellite
image.
Analyze the site and/or situation of key cities in the world using a
satellite image and related processing questions.
Comparison (comparing one place with another)
Aura (describing the influence that a place can have on neighboring
locations)
Analogy (finding places on other continents that have similar positions and
therefore have similar conditions)
Cartography (language of maps)
Navigation in Google Earth
Control of layers
Fading of layers
Zooming in and out.
Zoom in using a placemark.
Tilting the view for 3D dimensions.
Moving and looking controls.
Copies of student worksheets
Computers
Google Earth software
Site and Situation Google Earth file
Complete only site or only situation sections.
Focus on the cities in the region or pertaining to the theme you are currently
covering in World Geography. I plan to have the students update the
worksheet for each region.
Use as a review tool prior to World Geography EOC SOL test.
Why is that city located there?
(Site & Situation)
Judith M. Painter
Virginia Geographic Alliance


Have students learn about site and situation and then apply it to their own
city or to other cities in the world.
Use the elevation tool to show students about locations with hilltops, etc.
http://maps.esri.com/AGSFlex_Demos/FlexViewer21_viewItLive/index.html
?config=cfg-ElevationProfile.xml or navigate to
edcommunity.esri.com/webmapping and select Elevation Profile
Instructional Procedures/Process (How will you guide your students through this
activity)
1. Introduce the concepts of site and situation.
a. Site is the physical features of the location. The reason why it was
settled. Usually based on water features or protection features.
b. Situation is
2. Provide each student (or groups of two) with a computer. Open the Site and
Situation.kmz file (will vary depending on your school and situation).
3. Demonstrate the following Google Earth skills for your students:
a. Zooming in and out.
b. Zoom in using a placemark.
c. Tilting the view for 3D dimensions.
d. Moving and looking controls.
e. How to fade a layer (used with the Rumsey Maps).
f. Turning on a placemark.
g. Viewing the information associated with each placemark.
h. If you are unsure about some of the skills, check out this help page
http://support.google.com/earth/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=176674
i. You may also want to demonstrate the World View placemark in the
kmz file. The purpose of this placemark is to return the students to the
world view so that they have a general point in order to know where
the other points are. This helps to build their mental maps.
4. Handout the student worksheet to the students. Go over the logistics
involved with the worksheet.
5. Helpful Hints:
a. Have the students read the blurbs with each place in GoogleEarth.
Otherwise, they will miss key information.
b. Remind them to un-check the links as they go along. They also should
turn off the 3D buildings so the other cities load quicker.
c. If your network runs slower or your students often need more
assistance, put them in groups of 2 to work on one computer.
6. Go over the worksheet and provide extension assistance.