Utah’s Geography
Unit I – Utah’s Geography:
Utah’s Plants and Animals
This is a no gum class.
Please dispose of it properly!
Bell Activity
Get out all of your papers from this unit.
Define “basin” and “plateau” in the
vocabulary section.
Find the word on your study guide and complete
the following information for the word.
Find the definition using a glossary.
Use your own knowledge and experience to complete the
rest of the definition.
Look over your study guide. Work on any
incomplete sections, except the essay.
Where should your backpack be?
Does your work look
something like this?
word:
basin
Definition:
Sentence:
Synonym/Example: Antonym/NonExample:
My Understanding: 4 3 2 1
Draw a picture of it:
Does your work look
something like this?
word:
basin
My Understanding: 4 3 2 1
Definition: a wide, bowl-shaped area Draw a picture of it:
of the earth’s surface.
Sentence: The Great Basin covers parts
of Utah and Nevada; no water is able
flow out of the area to the sea.
Synonym/Example: Antonym/NonGreat Basin
Example:
mountain, plateau
Does your work look
something like this?
word:
plateau
Definition:
Sentence:
Synonym/Example: Antonym/NonExample:
My Understanding: 4 3 2 1
Draw a picture of it:
Does your work look
something like this?
word:
plateau
Definition: a high, wide, flat
landform.
Sentence: The Colorado Plateau covers
South Eastern Utah, and rivers have
carved many colorful canyons there.
Synonym/Example: Antonym/NonColorado Plateau
Example:
basin, valley
My Understanding: 4 3 2 1
Draw a picture of it:
Today we will learn…
Language Objective –
History Objective –
We will listen to, give
We will prepare for
answers and write the
the essay part of our
important details from
test by practicing how
to write a simple essay. the activity.
Behavior Objective – Participation & Work Ethic:
We will listen to each example, answer
questions, and write the important details on our
essay outline in the study guide.
Essay Writing
We will be working on the essay together so
that we all understand how to do an essay.
We will go step by step through each part of
essay writing.
First Step: Brainstorming on the topic:(Think
of at least three important pieces of
information for each essay question.)
Write what you come up with in the boxes on your
study guide.
Essay Writing
Essay Questions
1) How do latitude, elevation, and
distance from large bodies of water
influence Utah’s climate?
2) How does Utah’s geography affect its
people?
Essay Writing
Essay Questions
How do latitude, elevation, and distance
from large bodies of water influence
Utah’s climate?
Question #1
Detail 1Detail 2Detail 3-
Essay Writing
Essay Questions
How does Utah’s geography affect its
people?
Question #2
Detail 1Detail 2Detail 3-
Essay Questions
Essay Writing
Did/Does geography greatly affect the
development of Utah? (argumentative)
Question #3
ClaimData 1 (facts)Warrant 1 (reasoning)Data 2 (facts)Warrant 2 (reasoning)Data 3 (facts)Warrant 3 (reasoning)-
Essay Writing
Second Step: Which question do you think
you know the most about or have the best
information for? Circle one of the following:
Question #1
Question #2
Question #3 (argumentative)
That is the only question you will have
to write a full essay about. Cross out
the other two brainstorms. Don’t use the
information from them in your essay!!!
Essay Writing
Third Step: Look at the question you chose,
then cross out the words and punctuation that
make it a question.
How does Utah’s geography affect its
people?
Essay Writing
Third Step: Rewrite it below as a statement
of fact.
Example: How does Utah’s geography affect its
people? becomes Utah’s geography affects its
people.)
If you want to move the words around to
make it sound better, go for it, but you don’t
have to do so. (The geography of Utah
changes the way people live here.)
Write what you came up with on the line.
Essay Writing
Topic Sentence (So what?):
________________________________
________________________________
____________________ Guess what?!
The sentence you came up with is the topic
sentence of your essay! Write it below on
the topic sentence line.
Essay Writing
Fourth Step: Now we need to come up with
some supporting detail sentences for the rest
of your essay.
Pick three things from your brainstorm and
write them here.
Detail 1=____________
Detail 2=_____________
Detail 3=____________
Essay Writing
Fourth Step: Then, write a complete
sentence that answers your question of the
first line below.
Then do the same thing for the other supporting
sentences.
(Example: Detail 1= _dry climate__ becomes
Utah is very arid so people use irrigation to farm.)
Essay Writing
Fifth Step: You are almost done! It is time to
close your essay with a parting thought for
your reader.
An easy way to do this is by changing your topic
sentence a bit and adding a concluding phrase.
(Example: The geography of Utah changes the way
people live here. Becomes something like As
you can see, the geography of Utah forces the
people who live here to change the way they live.)
Write your sentence on the conclusion line.
Essay Writing
Outline:
Topic Sentence (So what?):
______________________________________
Supporting Sentence 1:
______________________________________
Supporting Sentence 2:
______________________________________
Supporting Sentence 3:
______________________________________
Concluding Sentence (So why?):
______________________________________
Essay Writing
Final Step: Write a final draft of your essay
using your best handwriting, punctuation and
spelling.
Your essay should be neat and easy to read!
If you need more space, you can write the final
draft on a lined piece of paper, but staple your draft
to it!!
Things to do:
1) Finish your essay, writing the final draft on
your paper neatly!
Pick up the computer that matches your box
number.
Log into Canvas, click on Utah Studies.
Go to quizzes, click “Chapter 1 Test”
Take the test. NO TALKING DURING THE TEST!
3) When you are done with the test, finish
homework (study guide, assignments).
If you have finished your homework, read or
play a game from Ms. Thatcher’s Links page.
Utah Counties
Utah Counties
Utah Counties