United States History: 1877 to the Present

Geography

USII.2

The student will use maps, globes, photographs, pictures, and tables for

a) explaining how physical features and climate influenced the movement of people westward;
b) explaining relationships among natural resources, transportation, and industrial development after 1877;
c) locating the 50 states and the cities most significant to the historical development of the United States.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Begin the unit asking for one way of grouping the 50 states and some examples of cities that historically have had political, economic, and/or cultural significance to the development of the United States.
Explain and show how the states can be grouped by region.

Northeast: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania
Southeast: Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas
Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota
Southwest: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona
Rocky Mountains: Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho
Pacific: Washington, Oregon, California
Noncontiguous: Alaska, Hawaii

Introduce and locate the following cities on a map:

Northeast: New York, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
Southeast: Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans
Midwest: Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit
Southwest: San Antonio, Santa Fe
Western (Rocky Mountains): Denver, Salt Lake City
Pacific: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle
Noncontiguous: Juneau, Honolulu

To begin this topic, have students draw an outline of the United States from memory. Be sure there are no U.S. maps visible in the room. After students have completed this step, have them draw and label on their "memory" map some of the major topographical features of the United States, such as the Appalachian Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes, Grand Canyon, and Mississippi River. Challenge students to indicate the general location of some major cities, such as New York City, Boston, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, and Richmond. Students may feel frustrated by this exercise, but encourage them to persist and do the best they can. This exercise will help students comprehend their knowledge of United States geography.
After students have completed their "memory" maps, explain the concept of regions as a way to organize and study space. Explain that a region is an area defined by certain unifying characteristics, and remind them that the United States is divided into a series of regions. Ask students what physical characteristics can be used to designate a physical region (climate, vegetation, and physical features). Help students understand that regions have specific boundaries, are different from other regions in a significant way, and can be any size. This session is modified from two lessons offered by National Geographic. The lessons are "Regions: A Hands-On Approach" and "What's Your Region Really Like?" See also "Defining Regions of the United States" at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/04/g912/usregions.html.
Ask students to name the major physical regions of the United States (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, Rocky Mountains, Pacific, and Noncontiguous). Write the names of the regions on the board, and ask students to draw on their "memory" maps the boundaries of two of the above regions, using a different color for each region. Students may need to reference maps or consult an atlas in their texts. After they have finished, have them share and discuss their maps with the class. Explain that boundaries for regions may vary. Prompt discussion by asking the following questions:
How well did your memory serve you? Did you have a hard time remembering the outline of the United States? Did you leave out anything significant?
How well did you remember the location of major physical features? The locations of cities?
Explain why you drew the boundaries for each region where you did? What criteria did you use in determining your boundaries? What features give the boundaries of these regions meaning?
Give students an outline map of the United States with the political boundaries. Printable maps can be found on the Internet at the National Geographic's Xpeditions Atlas: Maps Made for Printing and Copying at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/. Emphasize to students that political boundaries are formal, often arbitrary, boundaries designated by governments or treaties. Have students use an atlas or reference maps in their text to label the states and draw boundaries for the seven regions of the United States. Also, have students label the major cities within each region. Explain that regions are determined not only by physical characteristics but also by cultural characteristics. You may want to use the Southeast as an example. Have the students brainstorm physical and cultural characteristics of this area, such as major industries, tourist attractions, or sports teams.
Divide students into small groups or pairs, and assign each group one of the seven regions. Instruct students to create a physical and cultural map of their assigned region. Provide students with a large outline map that includes political boundaries for their region. Alternatively, place the regional maps on an overhead and project the image on a large piece of flip-chart paper, allowing the students to trace the projection of the region to create a large map that can be hung in the classroom. See the Physical and Cultural Map of a U.S. Region worksheet for a sample assignment for students. For a copy of the worksheet, CLICK HERE.
Once students have completed the assignment, have them share their maps with the class. Ask students to consider how they would know when traveling when they leave one region and enter another. What characteristics make one region different from another?
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.
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. (Note: Although the concept of latitude and longitude is introduced in United States History to 1877, additional instruction in working with latitude and longitude may be necessary to allow students to apply their knowledge correctly.)

Northeast: Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania -- New York City, Boston, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia
Southeast: Maryland, Delaware, West Virginia, Virginia, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas -- Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New Orleans, Richmond
Midwest: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota -- Chicago, St. Louis, Detroit
Southwest: Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona -- Dallas, San Antonio, Santa Fe
Rocky Mountains: Colorado, Utah, Nevada, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho -- Denver, Salt Lake City
Pacific: Washington, Oregon, California -- San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle
Noncontiguous: Alaska, Hawaii -- Juneau, Honolulu

WEB SITES

http://interactive2.usgs.gov/learningweb/teachers/mapsshow.htm
Review of map skills

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/ideas912/912regions.html
Regions: A Hands-on Approach

http://www.kathimitchell.com/reggeo.html
U.S. geographic regions

http://www.alexandria.ucsb.edu/other-sites/United_States.html
U.S. digital mapping

http://ncge.net/geography/education/importance/page6.cfm
National Council for Geographic Education

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