Overview of Lesson		Materials
Connection to the Curriculum,Standards and Skills		Body of Lesson - Procedure & Assessment
Grade Level		Activity One and Student Assessment
Purpose of Lesson		Activity Two and Student Assessment
Primary Geographic Question		Assessment of Lesson
Secondary Questions		References

Overview of the Lesson

The idea of "perception is reality" can be shown with clarity by drawing our own mental map of a specific city, state, region, or country. We all have developed mental images of places by stories we have heard, the evening news, books we have read and other information we have collected. This lesson uses mental maps to help students understand the difference between perception and reality by drawing and exploring their own mental map of locations in Alabama. Then using reference materials such as maps, and facts on population density, physical features, elevations, climate, compare their finding with the mental map they produced.

Geography Standards

Standard 1:  How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.

Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places.

Standard 6: How culture and experience influence people's perception of places and regions.
 

Alabama Course of Study:  Social Studies Content Standards (Grade 7)

Standard 8: Compare the physical and human characteristics of places using observation data and geographic resources

Standard 20: Identify major agricultural and urban settlement types and the geographic reasons for their location.

Geographic Skills

Acquiring geographic information from maps charts graphs and written data for comparison purposes. Researching a specific geographic site for the purpose of collecting a body of facts to clarify, update and revise the mental perception (or map) of that site.

Grade 7

To make the student aware of their mental map of a specific site and the concept of "perception vs. reality." To determine if their mental map is represented by true facts or perceived truths.

What mental map (picture) comes to mind at the mention of Birmingham? North Alabama? Huntsville? Mobile? The Black Belt? Mobile? The Gulf? Sand Mountain? Montgomery? The Tennessee Valley?

How were these mental maps developed?

Are these mental maps positive or negative?

Are the Mental maps more accurate (or positive) the closer the site is to ones home? Why?
 

• Maps of Alabama
• Atlas
• Demographic facts on Alabama
• Cultural facts on Alabama
• Geographic Facts on Alabama

 

 

Activity One
 

Have a class discussion on the differences between perception and reality. Define both words by having the students look them up in different dictionaries.  Explain to the students the concept of a mental map and how we develop our mental maps. Have the students draw a mental map of their hometown. Then have them draw a map of another city or region in Alabama.

Assessing Student Learning: Activity One

Have each group display their chart.  They should have at least four or five advantages for each form of transportation.  Students should be able to explain their work.

Activity Two

• Secondary Question # 2:  How many gallons of fuel would be necessary to transport 3,000 tons of grain from Decatur, Alabama to Mobile, Alabama by barge?  By rail?  By trucks?  How many barges will be needed?  How many rail cars?  How many trucks?
• Tell students the information they will need to complete this activity is found in their reference materials.  Remind students they will need to use the distance scale on each map to determine the distance between the two cities.

Assessing Student Learning: Activity Two

Have the student explain their mental map and how it was developed. What are the differences between their hometown mental map and the other location mental map? Why was there a difference in the two mental maps?

Ask students to write a paragraph in response to the primary question.

National Geographic Society