Oceania: Pacific Palaces  Bobbie Shelton  Hatton Elementary School

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

Oceania consists of thousands of islands with many different physical characteristics. Students research the islands to learn ways in which the physical characteristics affects human activities and how the people affect the islands. Students will then design their own "Pacific Palace", along with its physical characteristics. They will tell how these characteristics affect humans there and how humans have adapted.

Geography Standards

Standard 4:  The physical and human characteristics of places.

Standard 8:  The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems on the Earth's surface.

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

Standard 13:  Describe ecosystems and explain why they differ from place to place.

Standard 24: How the characteristics of different physical environments affect human activities.

Geographic Skills

Acquiring geographic information: analyze maps and information to create an island where humans and the environment interact. Understanding the importance of location; understanding interaction between humans and the physical environment; discovering problems within the environment.

Grade 5

To analyze information and create an imaginary island with different physical characteristics and determine how the environment affects the people, and how people affect the environment. .

How are humans affected by the physical characteristics of their environment?

What are the physical characteristics of Oceania and how have the people adapted?

What ways can humans adapt to many different physical environments?

• poster boards Picture Atlas of the World CD-ROM
• colored pencils atlases
• encyclopedias

Activity One

Secondary Question # 1:  What are the physical characteristics of Oceania and how have the people adapted?

• Review the following terms: atoll, bay, cape, delta, gulf, reef, mountain, volcano, climate, vegetation, resources, tropical, marine.
• Divide the class into groups of three or four students. Have students read the Oceania essay to find characteristics of the high and low islands.
• Have each group use atlases, encyclopedias, and Picture Atlas CD to research five countries in Oceania. They should gather information about physical characteristics of the environment and how the people have adapted.

Assessing Student Learning: Activity One

Have each group write about and read aloud the findings of their research.

Activity Two

• Secondary Question # 2:  What ways can humans adapt to many different physical environments?
• After the research findings have been presented, each group should create an imaginary island country in Oceania.
• The groups should come up with a list of specific physical and cultural characteristics. Note: Students in each group must decide whether they are creating a country of low islands, high islands, or one with a mixture of both. Once they make that choice, the relief, climate, vegetation, resources, and human uses of the island should be consistent with that choice.
• Have each group create a map of their imaginary Pacific island country on poster board. The map should include: the name of the fictitious country at the top of the map, latitude and longitude markings with degree designations that place it in Oceania, a legend, at least three of the water and landforms reviewed in activity one, for example, if the island includes mountains, volcanoes, etc, a description of climate and vegetation characteristics in the legend, a description of population in the legend, at least two cities or towns, at least two of the following: a road system, an airport, a harbor, or a railroad, ( Note: Encourage students to label map features with fictitious names - preferably related to one central theme).
• Have groups create a TV/radio commercial, or newspaper/magazine advertisement promoting their island.
• Have each group present its map and advertisement to the class.

Assessing Student Learning: Activity Two

Each group will present its map and advertisement to the class. Students should also discuss their imaginary country using geography themes (location, place, human/environment interactions)

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

National Geographic CD-ROM Picture Atlas of the World, 1994