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

Certain cities within the United States are more populous than others.  The reason this occurs is a common thread between these cities.

Geography Standards

Standard 3:  Illustrate graphically and analyze the distribution of major physical and human features on Earth's surface using different scales.

Standard 4:  The physical and human characteristics of places.

Standard 9:  The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface.

Alabama Course of Study: Social Studies Content Standards

Standard 5:  Locate selected countries, cities, and physical features on maps, globes, and satellite images.

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

Standard 28:  Identify changes over time indicating the process of urban growth in the United States.

Geographic Skills

Obtaining geographic information:  analyze maps and create charts and graphs to determine a pattern among the three most populated cities in the United States.

Grade 7

To analyze thematic maps, create charts and graphs, to discover the common thread among the three most populous cities in the United States.

Where are the three most heavily populated cities in the United States located, and how are they each related to each other?

What are the three most populated cities in the United States?
What is the common thread all three cities share that helped make them the most populated cities in the United States?

• United States Population Thematic Map
• Markers
• Construction Paper

Activity One

Secondary Question # 1:  What do the thre most populated cities have in common?

• Divide students into small groups.  Give each group a thematic map of the United States showing population, markers, and construction paper.
• Tell students to look at the map and decide which three cities have the largest populations.
• After the groups have agreed on the three most populous cities, have them create a chart or graph showing the most populous to the lowest population, using the markers and construction paper.

Assessing Student Learning: Activity One

Have each group display their chart or graph on the bulletin board.  The population chart or graph should be completed correctly.  Students should be albe to explain how they decided which cities should be ranked as the top three most populated cities in the United States.

Activity Two

• Secondary Question # 2:  What is the common thread all three cities share that helped make them the three most populated cities in the United States?
• Have the groups look back at the map and discuss the possibilities of what the common thread may be.  Remind students to pay close attention to the placement of each city and to look for things that are similar to each city.
• Ask students to share answers with the group next to them.

Assessing Student Learning: Activity Two

Has each group explained how they think the common thread influenced these cities growth?

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

Rand McNally:  Goode's World Atlas