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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

The Aral Sea: Then and now

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/14/g35/shrinking.html

A lesson plan for Grade 7 Social Studies

Provider: National Geographic

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Appropriate grades
7
Provider
National Geographic

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The shrinking of the Aral Sea has led to a number of problems for people in the region. This lesson asks students to consider what happens when a sea shrinks and to compare pictures of the Aral Sea at different times. They'll conclude by pretending to be people living in the Aral Sea region, drawing “before” and “after” pictures of how changes to the sea have affected their lives. This lesson can be found on the National Geographic website.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 7

  • Goal 1: The learner will use the five themes of geography and geographic tools to answer geographic questions and analyze geographic concepts.
    • Objective 1.03: Use tools such as maps, globes, graphs, charts, databases, models, and artifacts to compare data on different countries of Africa, Asia, and Australia and to identify patterns as well as similarities and differences.
  • Goal 2: The learner will assess the relationship between physical environment and cultural characteristics of selected societies and regions of Africa, Asia, and Australia.
    • Objective 2.01: Identify key physical characteristics such as landforms, water forms, and climate and evaluate their influence on the development of cultures in selected African, Asian and Australian regions.
    • Objective 2.03: Examine factors such as climate change, location of resources, and environmental challenges that influence human migration and assess their significance in the development of selected cultures in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
  • Goal 3: The learner will analyze the impact of interactions between humans and their physical environments in Africa, Asia, and Australia.
    • Objective 3.02: Describe the environmental impact of regional activities such as deforestation, urbanization, and industrialization and evaluate their significance to the global community.