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

Overview of the Lesson

Regions are created by physical, cultural, global, and local criteria.

Geography Standards

Standard 3:  How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface.

Standard 4:  The physical and human characteristics of places.

Standard 5:  The geographically informed person knows and understands that people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity.

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

Standard 6:  Identify physical and human criteria used to define regions at different spatial scales.

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

Geographic Skills

Organize geographic information: define the term regions and how this term may be sued on the local level and through various spatial scales.

Analyze geographic information:  research information on specific regions for more precise mental mapping of personal location in the world, for comparison and contrast within and outside of Alabama.

Answer geographic questions:  present research of various regions to show determining factors for regionalization.

Grade 7

Students will be able to define the term region and will determine criteria used in regionalization of particular places.

What is a region and what criteria is used in regionalization?

In what region are you located, county, state, U.S., etc.?  Research reasons these areas were created.

• Two outline maps of Alabama, one depicting regions according to soil content or other geographic features
• http://www.keypal.com

Activity One

Ask students to define a region.  Have the students to research and find an acceptable definition.  Ask students to identify regions within the schools such as food regions (cafeteria), functional regions (offices), and instructional regions (classroom, library, etc.).  Have students describe the boundaries of the regions as specifically as possible.  Students should also explain and describe possible criteria considered when these regions were formed.  At this point, students should become aware of regions existing within regions.  Further investigation of the criteria used for local, county, state, and national regions is suggested to be discussed at this time.  these criteria should include several aspects of political (city boundaries), physical (rivers, mountains), and cultural (ethnic backgrounds, industries) regions.  Students should research designated regions of Alabama, U.S. and countries for insight on regionalization.  Regions to focus on may include, but are not limited to:

• Piedmont Region
• East Gulf Coastal Plain Region
• Black Belt Region of the southeast and midwest
• Cumberland Plateau Region
• Appalachian Ridge and Valley Region
• Manufacturing Regions of AL
• Rocky Mountain Region
• SEC Region (other football areas)
• New England Region
• Southern States
• Southwestern States
• Middle Atlantic States
• Pacific Coast States
• Blue Ridge Mountain Area
• Corn Belt
• Bible Belt
• Foods (U.S., World)
• Clothing (U.S., World)
• Physical Geography (Ring of Fire, etc.)
• Various Industrial/Agricultural Regions of U.S.

After research on region is complete, students should present the information on their assigned area.  The regional research may be expanded to include other world regions.

Activity Two

• Extension Activity
• Students may collect items that would represent their researched region.  For example, a football team logo of SEC football teams, pictures of prominent coaches/players would be representative of the SEC.  The items collected would be presented and discussed by students and displayed.

Activity Three

• Extension Activity
• Using a pen pal approach, students may write to other students and exchange pictures, writings, or items collected previously.  Received mail may be used to compare and contrast different regions and for general knowledge of particular areas.

Students should label various regions in U.S., world on outline maps.  Students should write a paragraph explaining how regions are determined and provide specific examples.  Given a scenario, students would be able to regionalize an area for specific purposes and give supporting reasons for the regions they determined.

http://www.keypal.com