Overview of the Lesson: This lesson is two-fold.  First, through kinesthetic activities and the use of maps, students acquire an understanding of population density.  Second, after reading The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgliesh, students speculate on cultural differences between Native Americans and English settlers living in close proximity along the eastern seaboard in the late 17th/early 18th centuries.

Connection to the Curriculum, Standards, and Skills: 

The geographically informed person knows and understands:
#9: The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface.
#10: The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.

Grade 3:   #2  Know how to interpret and display information and data using various graphic organizers.
                            Maps, Globes, Charts, Graphs, Time lines, Tables
                  #11  Describe relationships between early settlements and the natural environment.
                           Choice of settlement sites; Basic needs of settlers; Occupations of settlers; Clearing land; Use of natural
                           resources
                  #13  Describe land use by Native American and European settlements.

Grade 4:   #2  Interpret and display information and data using various graphic organizers.
                           Maps, Globes, Charts, Graphs, Illustrations, Tables, Time lines

Grade 5:  #2   Read, interpret, and organize information using a variety of sources and tools.
                            Charts, Globes, Graphs, Illustrations, Maps, Time lines, Tables

SAT 9 - Primary 3  Social Science: Geography - Organizing and Using Information
                                                                                         Objectives:  Analyze a special purpose map
                                                                                                                 Draw a conclusion from information on a map

Asking geographic questions:  Students speculate:
                                                            1.) about effects on humans and the environment in densely populated areas; and
                                                            2.) about cooperation/conflict between two distinct human cultural groups living togehter 
                                                                  within close proximity.

Acquiring geographic information: Students read and interpret maps.

Primary Question:  How does population density impact people of different cultural groups who live together in a limited land area?

Secondary Questions: 
                   1.) What is population density?
                   2.) How does population density help or hurt humans and the environment?

Materials:  Computer with at least a 17" monitor (or with cables and a video convertor for a  T.V. screen monitor)
                     Masking tape and some red bulletin board paper
                     Book:  The Courage of Sarah Noble  by Alice Dalgliesh, illustrated by Leonard Weisgard
                     Handout: "What Did Sarah Learn?", one copy and a pencil for each student

Summary of Procedures:  This lesson is basically two activities involving students for two separate 15 minute sessions.   Both are teacher guided whole group activities with a single computer that does not need to be connected to the Internet. 

Body of Lesson: 
Activity 1:   Students will spread out in the classroom area, getting as far away from each other as is physically possible.  Next, they will crowd together on red paper marked areas of a United States map (outlined with masking tape) on the floor.   Then, as they are guided by teacher probing through the yellow background Web pages, students will speculate about the effect of high population density on humans and the environment.

Activity 2:   After reading The Courage of Sarah Noble, students will be guided by the teacher through the blue background Web page and will cite examples of cultural diversity/similarity and cooperation/conflict between the Native Americans and English settlers living in the same geographic place during the early 1700's.

Assessment:
Activity 1:  Oral responses/comments/questions by students throughout the activity.

Activity 2:  Individual written responses on "What Did Sarah Learn?" handout.

Extensions:  In The Courage of Sarah Noble, Native Americans and English settlers used the land differently.  Through teacher questioning, students can discuss the different ways in which these two groups provided food and shelter for themselves (e.g., primarily hunting & fishing vs. cultivated farming methods, simple huts vs. log cabins, etc.) and the relative positive and/or negative impact on the environment these two groups demonstrated.

References/Resources Used:

          Animated global population density map and U.S. population density map from Geography Awareness Week 1998: Exploring People, Places, and Patterns with Geographic Information Systems CD-ROM from the National Geographic Society.
         1775 Map of New England from The Library of Congress, American Memory Map Collections: 1544-1996, archived images with no copyright restrictions, at http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/gmpage.html
          Digital images of cover and illustrations from The Courage of Sarah Noble written by Alice Dalgliesh and illustrated by Leonard Weisgard, Charles Scribner's Sons, New York, 1954.