Fossil Fuels
Days 1-10
Social Studies
Lesson Plan
2013-2014 School Year
Grade: 7th
Lesson Title:
“Excuse me, sir, do you have the time?”
“What? How? For Whom?”
STRANDS
Geography
Economics
LESSON OVERVIEW
Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, problem, or community link.
This lesson focuses on how transportation has influenced both economics and geography. Students will be examining latitude and longitude in preparation for The Last
Great Race project. These very lines, alongside modernizing transportation, gave rise to time zones as we know them today. Students will examine the mathematics
behind the creation and use of latitude and longitude and will also be writing throughout the unit in connection to Social Studies.
Additionally, because transportation has made us a more globalized and connected world, students will be examining key economic concepts like supply and demand as
well as imports and exports. Students will be graphing the supply and demand schedules and seeing how market forces translate the curve of the graph. To better
understand just how connected our own country is, students will be looking at data from the U.S. Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics website and finding imports
from all of our trading partners.
Overall, this unit relies heavily on mathematics, science, as well as writing in order to communicate key geographic concepts.
MOTIVATOR
Hook for the week unit or supplemental resources used throughout the week. (PBL scenarios, video clips, websites,
literature)
Throughout the days within this unit, students will watch engaging videos, tackle brain teasers and riddles, as well as engage their prior knowledge for class.
DAY
Objectives
(I can….)
1
I CAN identify
and explain
the four main
economic
systems.
Materials &
Resources







iPad
Apple TV and
Television
Newspaper, tape,
ruler, markers, and
scissors for each
group
Economic Systems
Prezi (Appendix A)
Economic Systems
Graphic Organizer
(Appendix B)
Comparative
Systems Assignment
Table (Appendix C)
Comparative
Systems Assignment
Questions
(Appendix D)
Instructional Procedures
Essential Question:
What is an economic system?
What are the four main economic systems?
I.
Activating Strategy:
a. Students will Think-Pair-Share the following question:
In our society, you may buy anything you want with
the amount of money in your pocket, wallet, or bank
account. Likewise, you may start a business and sell
nearly anything (within legal and moral reason) to
nearly anyone. Could it be that this is not necessarily
the case for everyone in the world? Why or why not?
II.
Teaching Strategy
a. Explain to students they are participants in an
economic system. Today they will learn what an
economic system is and what three questions
every economic system answers.
b. Provide each collaborative group of 3-5 students
with paper, tape, ruler, markers, and scissors.
Allow time for groups to make a decision about
what good to produce with their resources.
Specify that they may not use outside resources.
c. After a decision has been made, instruct each
group to make one prototype of its good. The
group needs to decide how to produce its good.
Let students know that they will have additional
time to produce more of their group’s good.
d. Allow students time groups to work and then
Differentiated
Instruction
Enrichment:


Assessment
Formative
Heterogeneous 
grouping
Peer Tutoring


Remediation:




Classroom
activity
Student
observation
Comparative
Systems
Assignment
Heterogeneous
grouping
Peer Tutoring
Summative
Extended time
 Student mastery
on
of the content
assignments
standards will be
for selected
assessed with an
students
assessment at
Economic
the end of the
Systems
unit.
Graphic
Organizer.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
show their prototype to the class.
Replenish supplies of paper, but do not replenish
tape, rulers, makers, or scissors.
Allow a 15-minute production period for groups
to produce as many of their goods as possible.
At the end of the production period, collect
materials and display all of the completed goods.
Point out a problem to students: looking at each
good produced, tell each group it has not
produced enough for everyone who wants one
to have one.
Discuss ways students can decide who will get
the products they have produced. Encourage as
many answers as possible, even the impractical.
Record these responses on the whiteboard.
Explain that the list on the board are ways for
each group to decide which method of allocation
it will use and then have the groups share with
the class. Use the following questions to guide
conversation:
i. Who will benefit from your allocation
method and who will suffer?
ii. Do you think one allocation method is
fairer than another?
iii. Besides producing more, is there any way
for everyone to be satisfied?
iv. What three questions did each group
have to answer during this activity?
Use the answer from the last question of the
“What? How? For Whom?” activity to spring into
the discussion on economic systems.
Use the Economic Systems Prezi to guide
classroom conversation. As the conversation
progresses, students are to record characteristics
of each economic system using the “Economic
Systems Graphic Organizer”
III.
2
I CAN define
economic
system
I CAN
compare and
contrast
traditional,
market,






Socrative.com
Balls of light
packaging string
Pony Beads (A
package each of red,
blue, yellow and
green)
A ruler, scissors, and
bead bowl for each
group
Values and Goals
Info Sheet
(Appendix A)
Debriefing
Questions
(Appendix A)
Summarizing Strategy
a. With approximately five minutes remaining in
the class period, regroup the class. Allow for
students to give feedback regarding the task at
hand.
b. Review and assign the Comparative Systems
Assignment for homework.
Essential Question:
What are the four main economic systems?
How do the four main economic systems compare with one another?
I.
II.
Activating Strategy:
a. Using Socrative.com, students will answer a multiple
choice question pertaining to economic systems
Teaching Strategy:
a. Group students in collaborative groups of four or
five.
b. Each group should have a ball of string, a bead
bowl (with all the colors of beads), a scissors,
and a ruler.
c. Explain to students that they will be playing a
game. In the game, three seven-minute rounds
will be played.
d. Allow students a couple of minutes to review the
Values and Goals Info Sheet and then review as
a class, making any clarifications and taking
questions as necessary. Emphasize that students
must only do what is on their Values and Goals
Info Sheet.
e. Play the game and, after each production round,
Enrichment:
Formative




Heterogeneous
grouping
Peer Tutoring
The debriefing
component
may be done
individually for
higher
achieving
students.
Remediation:



Heterogeneous
grouping
Peer Tutoring
Extended time
on
assignments
for selected
students


Student
observation
Class
discussion/Debri
efing activity
Homework
questions
Summative

Student mastery
of the content
standards will be
assessed with an
assessment at
the end of the
unit.
III.
3
I CAN explain
the Laws of
Supply and



Socrative.com
iPad
Video: Scene from
post the group scores. The winning group is the
one that has the most dollars per person after the
third round.

Summarizing Strategy:
a. Use the debriefing questions to make connections
between the game and the real world. This may be
done as a class with heavy teacher guidance or in
small groups/individually for developing learners.
b. For homework (or in class if time allows) have
students answer the following three questions based
on their knowledge from the past two days:
i. How are people's lives touched or affected by
their economic system?
ii. Which system(s) provide(s) a better
opportunity for a higher standard of living?
Why?
iii. Opinion: Which system is best? Explain your
reasoning.

Essential Question:
What are the Laws of Supply and Demand?
How do the Laws of Supply and Demand influence the market?

Check often for
understanding
of subject
matter
Tactile learners
will experience
economic
concepts
firsthand.
Developing
learners may
require the
guidance of
the teacher
and/or peers
on the
debriefing
component.
Enrichment:

Formative:
Heterogeneous 
Student
Demand



The Hudsucker Proxy
(Appendix A)
Silly Bandz: the
Latest Fad Video
Doceri Whiteboard
App or Whiteboard
Supply and Demand
Assignment
(Appendix A)
I.
Activating Strategy:
a. Present students with a variety of items that they
would likely want (i.e. candy, trading cards, etc.).
b. Ask students if any would like the items. Play off of
student reactions to create a little competition in the
room. Allow the student willing to “pay” the most to
have the item.
c. Conversely, present students with items they would
not want (i.e. an onion, sauerkraut, or a quiz). . Play
off of student reactions in the room. Allow the
student willing to “pay” the most to have the item.
d. Connect to prior knowledge about economic systems,
specifically market economy, and explain/recall that
Supply and Demand are the invisible forces that drive
a market economy.
II.
Teaching Strategy:
a. Introduce students to the laws of supply and demand
using the terms outlined in the Unit Plan.
b. Introduce the economic concepts of equilibrium,
shortage, and surplus. Students will likely begin to
make real-world connections to their own
experiences with supply and demand.
c. Using the video as an example, show students the
interaction between quantities supplied and
demanded at different prices. Draw the supply curve
and demand curve on the board to demonstrate
d. Play the Silly Bandz: The Latest Fad video. Using this
video as an example, show students how market
forces can cause the schedules to shift to the left or
to the right.
III.
Summarizing Strategy:
a. As an individualized assessment, give students the

grouping
Peer Tutoring
Remediation:






observation
Class discussion
Supply and
Demand
Assignment
Heterogeneous
grouping
Summative:
Peer Tutoring
Extended time
 Student mastery
on
of the content
assignments
standards will be
for selected
assessed with an
students
assessment at
Check often for
the end of the
understanding
unit.
of subject
matter
Supply and Demand Assignment.
4
I CAN describe
how supply
and demand
determines
market
equilibrium.




iPad
Economic Lowdown
Video: Supply
Economic Lowdown
Video: Demand
Economic Lowdown
Video: Equilibrium
Essential Question:
What are the Laws of Supply and Demand?
How do the Laws of Supply and Demand influence the market?
I.
Activating Strategy:
a. Ask students to give a “thumbs up” or “thumbs
down” in the corresponding blanks below.
In the supply curve, as price increases/decreases,
quantity supplied increases/decreases.
In the demand curve, as price increases/decrease,
quantity demanded increases/decreases.
II.
Teaching Strategy:
a. Place students into collaborative groups of three or
four to work through the day’s activity.
b. Play the Economic Lowdown Video: Supply
c. Have students think-pair-share the following
question:
List three factors that could affect the supply of tablet
Enrichment:


Heterogeneous 
grouping
Peer Tutoring

Remediation:




Formative:
Think-Pair-Share
Activity
Exit Ticket
Summative:
Heterogeneous

grouping
Peer Tutoring
Extended time
on
assignments
for selected
students
Check often for
understanding
of subject
matter
Student mastery
of the content
standards will be
assessed with an
assessment at
the end of the
unit.
computers. In your response, explain each factor and
whether it would cause the supply curve to shift to the
right or left and why.
d. Play the Economic Lowdown Video: Demand
e. Have students think-pair-share the following
question:
List three factors that could affect the demand of
tablet computers. In your response, explain each
factor and whether it would cause the demand curve
to shift to the right or left and why.
f. Play the Economic Lowdown Video: Equilibrium
g. Have students think-pair-share the following
question:
h. Who does the demand side of the market represent?
Who does the supply side of the market represent?
How does movement in the demand curve and the
supply curve affect market equilibrium? Your response
to the last question should reference the shifts in the
supply and demand curves and changes in the
equilibrium price and equilibrium quantity.
III.
Summarizing Strategy:
a. Using the short answer function of Socrative.com,
ask students to respond to the following:
In his book The Wealth of Nations, Eighteenth-century
economist, Adam Smith, spoke of an unobservable
market force known as ‘the Invisible Hand’. Based on
what you have learned about supply and demand,
why might these be referred to as such? Compose
your answer in a well-developed paragraph.
5
I CAN
distinguish
between an
import and
export.



I CAN explain
tariffs.


Socrative.com
iPad
Miscellaneous
imported goods
(e.g. coffee beans,
chocolate, tennis
shoes, picture of a
car, etc.)
Import & Export
Exploration
(Appendix A)
U.S. Census Bureau:
Foreign Trade
Statistics
Essential Question: What are imports, exports, and tariffs?
Enrichment:
What goods and services are imported to the United States from
around the world?


I.
Activating:
a. Place several household items in a bag. Each item
must be a good or product from another country (e.g.
coffee beans, chocolate, tennis shoes, print material,
clothing, etc.)
b. Present each item to the class and then ask: “What
do all of these items have in common?”
c. Allow students to see the items up close/hold them.
Guide the discussion, if necessary.
II.
Teaching Strategy
a. Review with students the concepts of imports,
exports, and tariffs.
b. It may be helpful for students to connect import and
export with their prior knowledge of immigration and
emigration.
c. Review with students how to navigate the U.S.
Census Bureau Foreign Trade Statistics website.
Review also the Import & Export Exploration Activity.
d. Allow students to work on the Import & Export
Exploration.
III.
Summarizing Strategy
a. Using the exit ticket function of Socrative.com, give
student the opportunity to share some of their most
exciting findings from the activity.
b. Display results on the TV for the class to see.
Heterogeneous 
grouping
Peer Tutoring

Remediation:




Formative
Import & Export
Exploration
Informal
questioning
Summative
Heterogeneous 
grouping
Peer Tutoring
Extended time
on
assignments
for selected
students
Check often for
understanding
of subject
Student mastery
of the content
standards will be
assessed with an
assessment at
the end of the
unit
6
I CAN explain 
the

relationship

between
transportation
and the
development
of time zones.
Socrative.com
iPad
Journey Across Time
Zones Prezi
(Appendix A)
Essential Question:
Enrichment
How did transportation contribute to the development of time zones?
How do I use a time zone map?


I.
Activating Strategy:
a. Present students with the following riddle:
You and your friend are playing video games. At 9:00
p.m. your parents tell you that it is time for bed. Your
friend begins to laugh telling you that he doesn’t have
to go to sleep for another six hours. Are the student
and his parents extremely irresponsible or is there
more to the story than first meets the eye?
II.
Heterogeneous 
grouping
Peer Tutoring

Remediation:



Answer: The student lives in Hawaii and you were
playing video games over the internet!

Teaching Strategy
a. Use the Journey Across Time Zones Prezi, to guide
classroom discussion about how transportation
influenced the establishment of time zones as well as
key concepts regarding time zones.
b. Spend a particular amount of time reviewing the

Formative
Classroom
discussion
World Time
Zones
Assignment
Summative
Heterogeneous
grouping
 Student mastery
of the content
Peer Tutoring
standards will be
Extended time
assessed with an
on
assessment at
assignments
the end of the
for selected
unit
students
Check often for
understanding
of subject
Individualized
instruction for
students
International Dateline, a concept that is difficult for
most students (and adults alike!)
III.
Summarizing Strategy
a. Using the exit ticket function on Socrative.com, ask
students to list all of the time zones in the United
States from east to west.
b. For homework, instruct students to respond to the
following prompt:
Imagine living in today’s society—an ever-increasing
global society—without time zones. How would your
life be different? How might our community be
impacted? Our country? Our world? Construct your
answer in three to five well-developed paragraphs.
7
I CAN
interpret a
time zone



Socrative.com
iPad
Video: The longest
Essential Question:
Enrichment
How did transportation contribute to the development of time zones?
How do I use a time zone map?

Formative
Heterogeneous 
Classroom
map.


Day Ever (Appendix
A)
Map (Appendix B)
World Time Zones
Assignment
(Appendix C)
I.
II.
III.
8




Socrative.com
iPad
Whiteboard
Protractor
Activating Strategy:
a. Play The Longest Day Ever video.
b. Recap with students the lesson from the previous
day.
Teaching Strategy:
a. Use the Journey Across Time Zones Prezi, to guide
classroom discussion about how transportation
influenced the establishment of time zones as well as
key concepts regarding time zones.
b. Display to students the World Time Zone map.
Demonstrate to students how to use the map and
provide practice problems for students to come to
the TV and practice.
c. Place students in collaborative pairs and instruct
them to begin working on the World Time Zones
worksheet. Ensure that students are correctly
identifying their city of origin on the map; otherwise,
all of the answers will be incorrect!
d. Monitor student progress and work individually with
pairs that are struggling.

grouping
Peer Tutoring

Remediation:





discussion
World Time
Zones
Assignment
Summative
Heterogeneous
grouping
 Student mastery
of the content
Peer Tutoring
standards will be
Extended time
assessed with an
on
assessment at
assignments
the end of the
for selected
unit
students
Check often for
understanding
of subject
Individualized
instruction for
students
Summarizing strategy:
a. Instruct students to create three problems of their
own that require the use of the time zone map. The
questions should be leveled: easy, medium, difficult.
Essential Question:
Enrichment
What is the basis for the imaginary lines of latitude and longitude?
How do I find absolute location using geographic coordinates?

Formative
Heterogeneous 
grouping

Class discussion
Student practice






Coordinate Grid
System Map
(Appendix A)
Latitude and
Longitude Practice
Map (Appendix B)
Meter Stick
Angular
Measurements of
Latitude and
Longitude (Appendix
C)
Optional: Clay,
knife, and
protractor
Latitude and
Longitude Practice
Assignment
(Appendix D)
I.
II.
Activating Strategy:
a. Have several circles drawn on the whiteboard with
radii that form several different angles.
b. Ask student volunteers to come the board and
measure the angles using the protractor. Students
will likely question doing math in social studies. Allow
the anticipation and wonder to build!
Teaching Strategy:
a. Introduce students to the coordinate grid system
using the coordinate grid map. Be sure to highlight
the major lines of latitude, namely, the equator, as
well as the major line of longitude, namely, the prime
meridian. Anticipate questions regarding map
distortion and distance between lines.
b. Explain to students how we can use the coordinate
grid system to pinpoint a specific location on the
surface of the earth. Use the Latitude and Longitude
Practice Map to work through a couple of
coordinates, specifying that latitude is the first
number expressed, then longitude (i.e. 36°32′N
82°33′W).
c. Explain to students that life does not always come in
pretty, clean-cut packages. For example, our city does
not lie at the exact intersection of lines of latitude
and longitude, that is, whole degrees. Even if it did,
only a couple of steps in any direction would alter the
coordinates.
d. Ask students: How, then, can we express absolute
location using geographic coordinates (Use
subdivisions of degrees)
e. Use a meter stick as an analogy. Measure an item
(e.g. a book) in the room and ask a student how many
meters long it is. Their answer will be between zero

Peer Tutoring
Remediation:






problems with
latitude and
longitude.
Latitude and
Longitude
Assignment
Heterogeneous
grouping
Peer Tutoring
Summative
Extended time
 Student mastery
on
of the content
assignments
standards will be
for selected
assessed with an
students
assessment at
Check often for
the end of the
understanding
unit.
of subject
Tactile learners
may be
provided with
a threedimensional
model of the
angular
measurements
of the earth.
f.
and one meter. Explain that we must use a smaller
subdivision or smaller unit then a meter to get a more
accurate measurement. Ask the student how many
centimeters the book is in length. It will still not be a
precise measurement of the length of the book. Then,
use millimeters to measure the length of the book.
This will be the most precise measurement offered.
Share with students the following analogy:
Meters, centimeters, and millimeters are to length as
degrees, minutes, and seconds are to geographic
coordinates.
g. Explain to students that latitude and longitude are
simply the angular measurement from the center of
the earth to a point on the surface of the earth.
h. To clarify this definition, display the Angular
Measurements of Latitude and Longitude diagram to
students. Alternatively, you may create a simple,
three-dimensional model of the diagram by cutting
away one-eighth of a clay sphere and inserting a
protractor in the cross section. Pass the model
around to students.
i. Give students practice using geographic coordinates
using the Latitude and Longitude Practice
Assignment.
III.
Summarizing Strategy:
a. Using the short-answer function of Socrative.com,
have students answer the first essential question of
the day in their own words.
9





Socrative.com
iPad
Handheld GPS
receivers
Rolling Measuring
Wheels
Latitude and
Longitude: A Closer
Look (Appendix A)
Essential Question: What is the distance between units of latitude
and longitude?
I.
II.
Activating Strategy:
a. Display the Minecraft Model of the Hunger Games
Arena
b. Remind/describe to students of latitude and
longitude as “imaginary lines”. Contrast reality to the
picture, as in our world we cannot see a grid form
across the sky, they are just imaginary lines.
Teaching Strategy:
a. After review the lesson from the previous day, ask
students to estimate the distance (in miles) between
one degree of latitude and longitude. Accept any
answer and write it on the board.
b. Explain to students that they could easily just use a
map and map scale (review of prior knowledge) to
figure this out, however, that they will be collecting
data using the GPS receiver.
c. Take students outside and place them in collaborative
pairs. Using the GPS receiver plot out the distance
between one second of latitude and one second of
longitude, having a students mark the distance.
d. Instruct students to measure the distance using the
rolling measuring wheel. (Alternatively, students may
use the GPS distance tool but this may lead to less
accurate measurements.)
e. Students should record at least three different
measurements for both latitude and longitude.
f. Regroup back in the classroom and share the findings.
Then, assign students the Latitude and Longitude: A
Closer Look Assignment.
Enrichment


Heterogeneous 
grouping

Peer Tutoring
Remediation:





Formative
GPS activity
Latitude and
Longitude: A
Closer Look
Assignment
Summative
Heterogeneous
grouping
 Student mastery
of the content
Peer Tutoring
standards will be
Extended time
assessed with an
on
assessment at
assignments
the end of the
for selected
unit.
students
Check often for
understanding
of subject
Work
individually
with students
who struggle
to complete
the Math
III.
Summarizing Strategy:
a. Review with the class their findings regarding the
distance between degrees, minutes, and seconds in
relation to their initial estimates. Were they close?
b. Preview the Social Studies component for The Last
Great Race project, emphasizing the social studies
skills gained in class as an application to the project
goals.
Essential Question:
10
Project Day – Refer to Unit Plan
The Last Great Race
STANDARDS
Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT
College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies.
GLE 2.01 Understand fundamental economic concepts and their application to a variety of economic systems.
GLE 2.02 Understand global economic connections, conflicts, and interdependence.
GLE 2.03 Understand the changes that occur in the nature, use, distribution, and importance of resources.
7.2.spi.1. Recognize basic economic concepts (i.e. imports, exports, barter system, tariffs, closed and emerging markets, supply and demand, inflation,
recession, depression).
7.2.spi.4. Interpret economic issues as expressed with maps, tables, diagrams, and charts.
GLE 3.01 Understand the characteristics and uses of maps, globes, and other geographic tools and technologies.
7.3.spi.6. Locate on a map specific lines of longitude and latitude. (i.e., Prime Meridian, International Date Line, Equator, North and South Poles, Tropics of
Cancer and Capricorn, Arctic Antarctic circles).
7.3.spi.17. Read and interpret a time zone map.