United States History: 1877 to the Present

Skills

USII.1

The student will develop skills for historical and geographical analysis, including the ability to

a) identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase understanding of events and life in United States history to 1877;
b) make connections between the past and the present;
c) sequence events in United States history from pre-Columbian times to 1877;
d) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives;
e) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;
f) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water features, climatic characteristics, and historical events;
g) distinguish between parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude;
h) interpret patriotic slogans and excerpts from notable speeches and documents.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Explain that location can be described in relative terms, such as "near the Atlantic Ocean" or "west of the Mississippi River." Have students practice locating places such as U.S. cities, states, or mountain ranges by using these or other relative terms.
Show how a precise description of location is available by using parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude. Create a worksheet that asks students to pinpoint the following regions, states, and cities on a map of the United States, using latitude and longitude.
Have students work through the lesson "A Summer Day," located at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/education/lesson_plans/k4summer.html. In this lesson, students are given the coordinates for four different states and must identify the states described by the coordinates and decide which one of these states is identified by clues contained in a brief story. Students must use their previous knowledge of the physical and cultural characteristics of regions to derive the correct answer.
After students have completed the lesson example, have each student select four other states and identify the coordinates for each. These states may be in the region they researched or outside their region. Then have them write a two-paragraph story that includes references to some of the physical and cultural characteristics of one of the states they chose. Have students share their stories with the class to see if the other students can determine the correct state from the writer's list of four. Have them explain and defend their answers.
Provide additional maps and globes to guide students to an understanding of lines of latitude and longitude.
Have students develop clay models of specified geographic areas that include lines of latitude and longitude.
Divide the classroom with yarn or string into lines of latitude and longitude and provide cards for students to use to locate specific items at specific locations.

WEB SITES

http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/guide/
Geography and Maps: An Illustrated Guide from the Library of Congress

http://www.kids.gov/k_geography.htm
First Gov for Kids provides a variety of United States maps

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/geography/vga/resource.html#SOL
Virginia Geographic Alliance provides resources for geography teachers

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g68/mapmaking.html
National Geographic Xpeditions Lesson Plans on latitude and longitude

http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/exploremaps_lesson2_1.htm
USGS Exploring Maps Using Latitude and Longitude

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