Describing
United States Regions
Stan Masters, Lenawee ISD
Maggie Patterson, Nystrom
POP
• Purpose
– Teaching and learning the concept of region
• Objectives
– Identify and describe the characteristics of
regions of the United States, using data sets
• Grade 4
– Describe ways in which the United States
can be divided into different regions
• Procedure
– Model learning activities from the lesson
– Reflect on classroom instruction and student
work
Opening Activity
Reflections from Classroom
• Students had strong understanding of:
– Human, physical, and functional regions
• Attention to the orientation of the US map
and classroom grid
• Modeling the regions by drawing on
screen/board
– “comparison of map patterns is one of the
most powerful analytical tools of geography”
(Gersmehl, 2005)
Extending the Lesson
Poverty
Married Households
More Practice with Maps
• Working in cooperative groups, the
students reviewed other maps to locate
regions of the United States
– data “crossed” State boundaries
• We established some naming
conventions, using map directions and
place characteristics
• Students used a criteria checklist to
remove their decisions on creating regions
Culminating Activity
Your Task Today
• Decide how and why to divide this map
into regions, drawing the regions onto the
map.
• Write a few sentences describing
– how you divided the US into regions and
– why you felt this was a good way
to create a regional map.
Reflections from Student Work
• We used a map with four characteristics
– Students considered math prefixes as naming
conventions: quad, tri, bi, uni
• Students struggled with “how many regions?”
• Students created regions that described
– A lack of a characteristic from the map
– Regions within other regions
Assessment
• Students were given a table of data and
a blank outline map of the US
• Students were given a scenario prompt,
asking them to create a new map for
inclusion in a Nystrom atlas
– Students created a regional map
– Students wrote a persuasive letter
• describing the regions
• arguing why their map should be published
Scoring Rubric
4
3
2
You have
composed an
accurate
description of
the
characteristic of
the regions to
Nystrom,
including an
explanation of
what audience
would value a
published
version of your
map.
You have
composed an
accurate
description of
the
characteristic of
the regions of
your map to
Nystrom.
You have
composed a
description of
the
characteristic of
the regions of
your map to
Nystrom, but
there are some
inaccurate
details.
1
You have
composed a
description of
your map to
Nystrom, but
without the
details of the
characteristics
of the regions.
Scoring Rubric
1
You have
composed a
description of
your map to
Nystrom, but
without the
details of the
characteristics
of the regions.
Dear Nystrom I created a map. I hope
you like it. And I want you to show other
people my map if my teacher give you
the map. I have different colors and
regions on the map. I hope you injoy it.
Love (student name)
Student states what the map looks like.
Next step: name the characteristics
Scoring Rubric
2
You have
composed a
description of
the
characteristic of
the regions of
your map to
Nystrom, but
there are some
inaccurate
details.
Dear Nystrom,
We used this little piece of paper that told us what
states that we had to color them but, we got to choose
the colors for them. We created this map because it
would tell you the Population Under the Age of 18 of
the United States. You could tell that most of them are
the same color is a region. This should be published
because other kids around the world might want to see
where other kids are under the age 18.
From,
(student name)
Student describes the characteristic of the map, but
does not describe the characteristic of the regions.
Next step: describe the regions, using the naming
conventions.
Scoring Rubric
3
You have
composed an
accurate
description of
the
characteristic of
the regions of
your map to
Nystrom.
Dear
Nystrom
I made this map because people might want to
know the population under Age 18. I see TX, NM, LA,
MS, as a region because it has the highest population
under the age 18. I also see WY, SD, NE, KS, MN, as a
region because they have high population. I think this
map should be published because people might want
to know the population under the age 18. I think it
would be valuable because it has the population under
age 18.
from
(Student Name)
The student has described the regions, using the
characteristics of “highest” and “high” and naming
States that are in that created region.
Next step: argue what audience would want to see
this map
Scoring Rubric
4
You have
composed an
accurate
description of
the
characteristic of
the regions to
Nystrom,
including an
explanation of
what audience
would value a
published
version of your
map.
Dear Nystrom,
My map was created to show the population under age
18. There is highest, high, Low, and Lowest
populations. I created this map by coloring Highest =
yellow High = purple Low = brown Lowest = Green.
There is a big Green area in the northeast section
purple is more north. Yellow goes from ID to MS going
through UT, NM, TX, and LA. Brown is in the middle.
It sould be published so people can see where most
kids are. Other kids and people who are looking for
the population.
From: (Student Name)
The student describes the regions (connected to
colors) and their locations. The student identifies an
audience (other kids) that would value this map.
Next step: Why would kids value this map?
Resources for this Lesson
• www.lisd.us/curriculum
– Click on link on “splash page”
• Resources available:
– Teacher’s video, script for lesson, cards and
maps for classroom, assessment task and
rubric, other web links for data