PG Modification of The Environment

Powerful Geography
Modifica�on of the Environment
LESSON INFORMATION OVERVIEW OF LESSON

Subject Area: Geography This lesson is a twist on the classic concept of
human and environment modifica�on and
Grade Level: Grade 6 or Grade 9 impact. Students will learn about how the
environment is modified and start to think
Time Frame/Dura�on: four 55-minute
about how those decisions are made and by
class periods
who.
LEARNING OUTCOMES ESSENTIAL / GUIDING QUESTIONS

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to What are the questions being asked and
1. Iden�fy ways in which the environment potentially answered for this lesson?
is modified by humans and how the 1. How do roads, businesses, and housing
environment is impacted. impact the environment of a place?
2. What professions make decisions about
the placement of roads and housing?
3. How do they use Geography to make
those decisions?
CONNECTION TO CURRICULUM / UNIT BASIC TERMS AND VOCABULARY

During the U.S. and Canada Unit human-environment interaction * suburbs *
runoff * pollution * transportation *
infrastructure * modification
POWERFUL GEOGRAPHY FOCUS KEYWORDS

Career and Jobs: urban planner | environmental 4-day lesson, building path, environment, green
consultant | housing authority | parks jobs, high school, human modifica�on,
management | water management | infrastructure, lesson plan, middle school,
infrastructure | transporta�on planning | energy North America, urban development, US and
and u�li�es | hazards management Canada
Career Categories: Urban Development,

Sciences, Transporta�on, Environmental Maters
GEOGRAPHIC SKILLS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

☐ Asking Geographic Ques�ons Date Created October 2019
☐ Acquiring Geographic Informa�on Developed by Robin Manning
☐ Organizing Geographic Informa�on
☐ Analyzing Geographic Informa�on
☐ Answering Geographic Ques�ons
STANDARDS (STATE AND/OR NATIONAL)

Social Studies - Grade 6 (Texas Essen�al Knowledge and Skills Standards)
• (5) Geography. The student understands the impact of interactions between people and the
physical environment on the development and conditions of places and regions. The student is
expected to:
(C) iden�fy and analyze ways people have modified the physical environment such as mining,
irriga�on, and transporta�on infrastructure.
• (22) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working
independently and with others. The student is expected to use problem-solving and decision-
making processes to identify a problem, gather information, list and consider options, consider
advantages and disadvantages, choose and implement a solution, and evaluate the effectiveness
of the solution.
World Geography Studies (Texas Essen�al Knowledge and Skills Standards)

• (8) Geography. The student understands how people, places, and environments are connected and
interdependent. The student is expected to:
(A) compare ways that humans depend on, adapt to, and modify the physical environment,
including the influences of culture and technology.
• (23) Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solving and decision-making skills, working
independently and with others. The student is expected to:
(C) use problem-solving and decision-making processes to iden�fy a problem, gather
informa�on, list and consider op�ons, consider advantages and disadvantages, choose
and implement a solu�on, and evaluate the effec�veness of the solu�on.
RESOURCE / MATERIALS NEEDED

For Students: For Teachers:
• Career Connection Tools handout • Projector for pictures
• Student Resources on the Powerful • Arrange for guest speaker.
Geography website Guest speaker (urban planner, Environmental
• Handout/graphic organizer/note paper to Consultant, or similar professional) available in
record answers person or by Skype to discuss how they make
• List of ques�ons for the Guest Speaker decisions about road placement, development
• Large blank paper for mural (newsprint or density, posi�ve and nega�ve impacts of
11x17 paper) development, and the use of geography in their
• Markers, paint, or crayons job.
PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGIES PRE-REQUISITE KNOWLEDGE

N/A Students will need to be familiar with the basic
concepts of both physical and human geography
before undertaking this lesson. In fast growing
suburban areas roads, houses, and parking lots
are quickly covering up natural areas. Many
problems result, such as increased rainwater
runoff into streams, which can result in
downstream floods; pollu�on both from
increased vehicle traffic and runoff of various
pollutants (yard fer�lizers and pes�cides, liter);
decreases in pollinators (bees) and other
animals due to lack of food. This lesson helps
the student iden�fy professions with the
informa�on the student needs to analyze the
impacts of development on the environment
and connects student learning to real-life career
paths.
LESSON DEVELOPMENT
STARTING THE LESSON

1. Hook: Open the PowerPoint presenta�on. Show the picture of the Road to Nowhere and have
students brainstorm ques�ons they have about it, such as “where is it” “why is it there” “who
built it” etc.
2. Then show the Suburban Neighborhood and Parking Lot pictures. Ask students how the
environment in pictures 2 and 3 are different from picture 1.
3. Point out that both have roads - what makes the environment around them different? How
have people modified the environment? What impacts do the roads and surrounding
development have on the environment?
4. Model ques�oning for the students, such as:

a. How do people choose where to place roads?
b. Where is open/natural space?
c. Who decides how much “green space” is le� a�er development?
d. How many buildings can/should be built on this land?
e. How many cars can fit on this road?
f. What impacts will there be on the environment from a road or parking lot?
g. What happens to rain that falls on pavement?
5. Ask the students “what ques�ons do you have?” (write down student ques�ons on board).
6. Ask the students “what careers can answer these ques�ons”, “who gets to decide what gets
built in a city?”
THE LESSON
7. Hand out the one-pager Career Connections. Professions that use Geography are divided into
four categories: Physical Geography, Human Geography, Places and Regions, and Environment
and Society.
8. Using the one-page handout, help students to iden�fy which category mostly closely aligns
with the informa�on they need. Be sure to help them observe the overlap between
categories (such as Watershed Management in Physical Geography and Hurricane Mi�ga�on
and Hazard Management in Environment and Society).
9. A�er students have selected the categories they need, have them look through the Student
Resources on the Powerful Geography website to iden�fy par�cular professions/careers that
apply to development in suburban areas. Students should summarize that informa�on on the
graphic organizer.
10. With the teacher, brainstorm to iden�fy other professions that might be involved in
transporta�on infrastructure and the consequences of human modifica�on of the
environment. Record these on the graphic organizer.
ENDING THE LESSON AND CLOSING PRODUCT

11. Tell the students that a guest speaker is coming, and they will have the opportunity to ask
him/her ques�ons about roads and development, and how the person uses geography in their
job. Depending on the level of the students they can be divided into groups, work
independently, or work as a class to develop ques�ons they would like to ask the Guest.
12. Have the speaker present their informa�on, then have the students ask their ques�ons. If the
students are able, they can take some notes on their own paper.
13. A�er listening to the speaker and having their ques�ons answered, debrief students by
helping them organize their informa�on - perhaps develop a list of posi�ve and nega�ve
consequences of development on the board.
14. Discuss how the speaker used Geography.
15. Explain the assessment to the students: they will demonstrate their new knowledge by
crea�ng a mural.
DIFFERENTIATION STRATEGIES
• Provide a modified Career Connections handout with less careers in each box.
• Give students a list of careers/professions to research on the Student Resources page.
• Decrease the number of impacts that are needed in the mural.
• Require students to include possible solu�ons to nega�ve impacts in the mural.
EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT

Students will create a mural that answers the big ques�on “How do roads, businesses, and housing
impact the environment of a place?”
On the back of the mural, they will write a paragraph to answer the ques�ons:
“What professions make decisions about the placement of roads, businesses, and housing?”
“How do they use Geography to make those decisions?”
Rubric:
A - mural shows 4 impacts on the environment; neat, colorful; paragraph answers the ques�ons
completely, and includes detailed explana�ons.
B - less than 4 impacts; not as colorful or neat; paragraph lacks details.
C - less than 4 impacts; messy, lacks color; paragraph does not adequately answer the ques�ons.
EXTENSION AND ENRICHMENT

Have students research possible solu�ons for nega�ve impacts that had been discovered throughout
the lesson and connect the solu�ons to careers.
ACCOMPANYING WORKSHEETS
Name Date
Profession
Profession
Profession What they do
What they do
What they do
Skills needed
Skills needed
Profession
What they do Skills needed
Skills needed
Notes
Speakers Name
Speakers Profession
My questions
My notes

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Powerful Geography

Modiﬁca�on of the Environment

LESSON INFORMATION OVERVIEW OF LESSON

LEARNING OUTCOMES ESSENTIAL / GUIDING QUESTIONS

CONNECTION TO CURRICULUM / UNIT BASIC TERMS AND VOCABULARY

POWERFUL GEOGRAPHY FOCUS KEYWORDS

Career Categories: Urban Development,

GEOGRAPHIC SKILLS ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

STANDARDS (STATE AND/OR NATIONAL)

World Geography Studies (Texas Essen�al Knowledge and Skills Standards)

RESOURCE / MATERIALS NEEDED

PEDAGOGICAL STRATEGIES PRE-REQUISITE KNOWLEDGE

STARTING THE LESSON

4. Model ques�oning for the students, such as:

ENDING THE LESSON AND CLOSING PRODUCT

14. Discuss how the speaker used Geography.

EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT

EXTENSION AND ENRICHMENT

What they do Skills needed

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