North Carolina Rivers

Students will locate 28 rivers within the state of NC, noting names and origins of names, directions of flow, navigability, and development of population centers in relation to the rivers.

A lesson plan for grade 4 Social Studies

By Mike Stevenson

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Learning outcomes

Students will:

• learn about the geographical features of their State as they learn the names and locations of rivers within NC.
• see and state the relationship between rivers and potential economic development in a land.

Teacher planning

Time required for lesson

90 minutes

Materials/resources

1. Resources:
   • A road map of NC for each 2-3 students.
   • Outline maps of NC for locating rivers.
   • Overhead transparency of outline map.
   • A large pull-down map of NC is useful.
2. Classroom Environment:

   Normal classroom space is sufficient. Students will need to work at tables or desks in groups of two or three.

3. Set-up:

   Markers, highlighters, and/or colored pencils should be ready for use by students.

Technology resources

Overhead projector

Pre-activities

Students should have experience with the locating of places, such as cities, in NC, an understanding of the mountain, piedmont, and coastal regions of NC, familiarity with the compass rose and success in reading directions of northwest, northeast, etc.

A simple pre-test is to have students list rivers in the state whose names they know. This lesson should allow students to easily increase their awareness of names and locations of rivers in NC.

Activities

This lesson is designed for completion in two 45 minute periods.

DAY 1: During the first session, you will review the map of NC with your class so that they can recall and locate the 3 sections of the State, their community, and NC’s major cities. Use the overhead projector to record their answers and also to line in the 3 sections of the State on the map. Working from their knowledge of river names in the State, develop a class listing of as many rivers as possible. (approx 10 minutes)

Next, use a textbook and a pull-down map to locate rivers in NC. Among these are:

• Alligator
• Broad
• Cape Fear
• Cashie
• Chowan
• Catawba
• Dan
• Deep
• French Broad
• Haw
• Hiwasee
• Little
• Little Tennessee
• Lumber
• Nantahala
• Neuse
• New
• Pamilco
• Pasquotank
• PeeDee
• Pungo
• Roanoke
• Tar
• Toe
• Trent
• Tuckasegee
• Uwharrie
• Yadkin

Do not try to create a complete listing at this time, but do model for students how the rivers can be located on the map and drawn free-hand onto the overhead transparency map. (approximately 10 minutes)

Once students have seen this process, create working teams of 2-3 students. Provide each team with a NC road map and their outline map of NC. Assign each team a section of the State to search, and instruct students to locate rivers found in the section they are assigned. As they locate a river and have agreement within the team, they should use a highlighter to show the river name and its course on the road map. An approximation of its course should be drawn onto the outline map. The names of the rivers they locate should be added to their working list begun earlier in the class period.

Due to the difficulty of using the road map, small print, etc. this portion of the class is likely to take the remaining 25 minutes. Prior to the close of this class, call students to a reporting time. Have each working team report on the names of 1-2 rivers which have now been added to their working list. Explain that the next period will be spent completing their list of NC rivers.

DAY 2: With the wall map available and the overhead transparency of NC showing rivers identified during DAY 1, have students summarize their team’s progress on DAY 1. Have each team move from its first section of the state used on DAY 1 (mountains, for example) to one of the other two sections. Each team should use its NC road map to search the section for rivers and record them on their list. Point out to the students that they may be able to locate up to 28 rivers in our state.

Allow 20-25 minutes for students to complete their survey of each section of the state and to record river names. Share results by team having team members come to the wall map and the overhead transparency to point out location and to mark the courses.

Using the summary listing of rivers and the NC road map, lead a discussion of how the locations of the rivers and their direction of flow might affect the development of the state’s economy.

Possible questions:

1. How can we determine, using a map, the direction a river’s course takes?
2. In what ways can a river offer economic assistance to a community?
3. Rivers that flow from NC into a bordering State may not be as useful. Why not?
4. Studying the map, list NC’s major cities found on one of our rivers. What conclusions can we draw regarding the lack of city locations on our rivers?
5. Studying the coast of our State, can you find which cities may be able to serve as ports where shipping from around the world might dock?
6. Would our rivers be of assistance in travel in the 1700’s or 1800’s? Why or why not?

Complete DAY 2 with the discussion from questions found above.

Assessment

Students will be assessed using paper and pencil testing in the following ways:

1. Given an outline map of NC, students must be able to name and locate - by drawing in the rivers’ course - at least 4 rivers located in each section of NC - mountains, piedmont, and coastal plain.
2. Students must be able to write a paragraph explaining how NC rivers have influenced (positively and/or negatively) growth and development in the state. Students should mention direction of flow, suitability for navigation, and absence of viable ports.

Supplemental information

The Encyclopedia of North Carolina, Somerset Publishers, 1992. ISBN NO. 0-403-09905-6

For History’s Sake by H.G. Jones, The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, 1966.

The History of a Southern State North Carolina, revised edition by Hugh Talmage Lefler and Albert Ray Newsome, copyright 1954 by University of North Carolina Press

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