LEARN NC

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

Explore the spatial patterns of your hometown

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/03/g68/hometown.html

A lesson plan for Grade 4 Social Studies

Provider: National Geographic

About this resource

Appropriate grades
4
Subjects
social studies (geography, North Carolina), thinking skills (information literacy, research skills, visual literacy), education technology (integrating technology), teaching methods (cooperative learning, discussions)
Provider
National Geographic

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In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore how patterns within the distribution of physical and human features on Earth are essential to developing a geographic perspective. Activities in this lesson engage students in working in pairs, doing research using resources from the community, and whole class discussion.

Students will:

  • analyze and explain patterns of land use in urban, suburban, and rural areas;
  • understand terms such as “distance,” “accessibility,” and “connections;” and
  • apply these land-use patterns to his or her community.

Xpeditions provides detailed instructions for completing the lesson, assessment and extension activities, and discussion questions.

North Carolina Curriculum Alignment

Social Studies (2003)

Grade 4

  • Goal 1: The learner will apply the five themes of geography to North Carolina and its people.
    • Objective 1.01: Locate, in absolute and relative terms, major landforms, bodies of water and natural resources in North Carolina.
    • Objective 1.03: Suggest some influences that location has on life in North Carolina such as major cities, recreation areas, industry, and farms.
    • Objective 1.05: Assess human movement as it relates to the physical environment.
  • Goal 4: The learner will analyze social and political institutions in North Carolina such as government, education, religion, and family and how they structure society, influence behavior, and response to human needs.
    • Objective 4.01: Assess and evaluate the importance of regional diversity on the development of economic, social, and political institutions in North Carolina.