Student Name: Amanda Shaffer
Lesson Title: Geographic Representation
Unit: Maps/Regions
Subject Area: Geography
Grade Level: 4th grade
Time Required: approximately 4-5 class periods
1. PA State Standards:
7.1.6.A: Describe how common geographic tools are used to organize and
interpret information about people, places, and environment.
7.1.6.B: Describe and locate places and regions as defined by physical
and human features.
2. NCSS Themes:
People, Places and Environments
Culture
3. Big Ideas:
Geographic representations are essential to explain the spatial
organization of people, places and environments.
4. Essential Questions:
How can geographic information systems and other geographic
technologies impact development?
Why are mental maps useful?
How is one place different from another place?
5. Learning Objectives:
The student will describe different types of geographic tools using a
graphic organizer.
The student will analyze different types of geographic tools by
experimenting with Google Earth, Google Maps, Mapquest,
National Geographic Maps, physical maps, mental maps, atlas, and
globe.
The student will determine which map to use for their assessment project
and use that map to complete the project.
6. Concepts and Vocabulary:
Geographic tools and technologies pose and answer questions about
spatial distributions and patterns on Earth.
Mental maps mirror an individual’s attitudes toward places and regions.
Physical processes and human characteristics define place.
Places
Regions
Human Features
Geographic tools
Environment
7. Materials:
Physical maps
Virtual Maps
Google Earth
Google Maps (http://maps.google.com/)
Mapquest (http://www.mapquest.com/)
National Geographic Maps
(http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/maps)
Atlas
Globe
Inflatable Globe
8. Instruction Procedures/Activities:

Students will discuss, with a partner, places in the world that they have
been.

They will each choose a place and find it on the geographical
representation given to them by the teacher [PASS Meaningful]

The students will each receive a sticky note to write the name of their
place and locate it on the class map by placing their sticky note on the
map [PASS Meaningful]

The students will explore the multiple types of geographic representations
by working with a partner to complete a scavenger hunt to find places
around the world [PASS Active]
o They will have a part of the scavenger hunt where they have to
create a picture of a place that they have already learned about
using their memory and what they think of that place
o The scavenger hunt will involve using all of the different types of
geographic representations

As a class, the students will determine which representation is the most
accurate and why. They will decide which representation that they would
like to use for their project.

In groups, the students will also compare their drawings and discuss why
their drawings may differ from one another based on their memories and
representations of the place.
9. Assessment:

The students will complete a graphic organizer (see attached) comparing
the different types of geographical representations.

The students, in groups, will determine which map they like to use the best
and which map they think is the most accurate.

Using the map that they determined to be the best, the students will create
directions for traveling between two given countries, states, and cities.
They will also use the maps and background knowledge to determine
physical and geographical features [PASS Challenging]

In their project, the students will determine distances and latitude and
longitude from the places. [PASS Integrative]
Map Type
Physical Map
Virtual Map 1
Virtual Map 2
Virtual Map 3
Globe
Atlas
Pros
Cons
When would you
use it?