LEARN NC

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

Social Studies — Grade 7

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.

Additional related resources

We’re in the process of aligning our content for students to the Standard Course of Study. As we do, you’ll find it here.

General resources

Aligned lesson plans

Modern China: The dam debate
In CareerStart lessons: Grade seven, page 4.7
In this lesson for grade seven, students learn about the Three Gorges Dam in China and the controversy surrounding its construction. Students will take on the roles of people whose lives may be affected by the dam, and will participate in a debate about it.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 English Language Arts and Second Languages)
By Susan N. Carter-Hope and James Philippart.Adapted by Kenyatta Bennett, Meredith Ebert, and Sonya Rexrode.
Ecotourism in South Asia
In CareerStart lessons: Grade seven, page 4.4
In this lesson for grade seven, students learn about ecotourism in Nepal and discuss its negative and positive aspects. Students conclude by making connections with tourism in the United States.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Social Studies)
By Kenyatta Bennett.Adapted by Sonya Rexrode and Mary B. Taylor.
Australia: Careers, collisions, and compromises
In CareerStart lessons: Grade seven, page 4.8
In this lesson for grade seven, students learn about Australia and discuss the compromises that are sometimes necessary between economic development and environmental preservation. Students work through problem-based learning questions using Australia as the background.
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Social Studies)
By Joann Via.Adapted by Meredith Ebert.

Resources on the web

Where Do Your Possessions Come From?
It's important for geography students to learn about the Earth's natural resources and the ways that people use these resources. It's also important for students to recognize that there are always environmental and human impacts related to the resource... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Science and Social Studies)
Provided by: Xpeditions
Sushi bar: You, me, sushi
In this Xpeditions lesson, students visit a virtual Sushi Bar and explore where the ingredients for various kinds of sushi can be found. Students have the opportunity to consider what resources are available in their area and how globalization, transportation,... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
Rich, poor, or somewhere in the middle
This Xpeditions lesson offers students an opportunity to use economic and social indicators to identify the connection between a country's access to resources and its economic development. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
Oil and water in the Middle East region
In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students explore the roles of oil and water in the Middle East, especially in Iraq. Students use maps to look at the distribution of oil in the Middle East and discuss what it means for the different countries in the region. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
Living in a global forest
In this lesson from the Forest History Society in Durham, North Carolina, students compare the ecological footprint of a home constructed in 1950 with one constructed in 2000. They will learn where our wood comes from now and will analyze global efforts... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Social Studies)
Provided by: Forest History Society
Lions and people: Keeping the balance
In this Xpeditions lesson, students read an article about the conflicts between lions and people. They focus on an area of Kenya outside of the national park system that is being managed and studied in an attempt to maintain a healthy lion population. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Science and Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
GIS: Helping to save the African wild
In this Xpeditions lesson, students learn about a geographic tool known as GIS, Geographic Information Systems, and about how it is assisting the conservation efforts of ecologically-minded researchers. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic
Can the chiru be saved?
In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore the a small endangered deer-like animal called the chiru, which is found in Tibet. Activities in this lesson engage students in vocabulary development, use of graphic organizers and guided questions for reading,... (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Social Studies)
Provided by: Xpeditions
The Aral Sea: Then and now
Students consider what happens when a sea shrinks and to compare pictures of the Aral Sea at different times. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 7 Social Studies)
Provided by: National Geographic