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

Overview of the Lesson

By studying the locations of plantations, port cities, and governmental centers, students will learn how they are connected economically and how their locations are affected by the physical environment.

Geography Standards

Standard 4:  The physical and human characteristics of places.

Standard 11:  The patterns and networks of economic dependence on the Earth's surface.

Standard 12:  The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlements.

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

Standard 18:  Evaluate trading patterns of the U.S. and other countries related to locations.

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

Geographic Skills

Acquiring geographic information:  analyze maps and graphs to determine patterns and networks of economic interdependence. Understanding interaction between humans and the physical environment; understanding the importance of location.

Grade 7

To analyze maps showing the locations of these settlement types and analyze graphs to show how they are connected economically.

Why did plantations, port cities, and governmental centers develop at their current locations?

What environment characteristics do these locations have?

What physical characteristics are found at plantations?  Port cities?  Governmental centers?

What crops were grown on the plantations and how were the plantations linked to the port cities?  Urban centers?

What are port cities' primary "crops"?

Materials

• Atlas
• United States Base Map
• Plantations with 100 or More Enslaved Persons in 1860 Map
• Paper and Pen
• Growing Season Map
• Textbook
• Encyclopedia

Activity One

Secondary Questions # 1 - #3:  What environmental characteristics do these location have?  What physical characteristics are found at plantations?  Port cities?  Governmental centers?  What are the primary functions of plantations?  Port cities?  Governmental centers?

Students will be given an atlas or textbook, United States Base Map, a map showing plantations, and and Encyclopedia.  They will locate plantations, port cities, and governmental centers on their base map.  The students will then gather centers on their base map.  Teh students will then gather information about a port city, plantation, and a governmental center using an encyclopedia.

The students will write a paper describing a plantation, port city, a governmental center using physical and environmental characteristics.  They will also include the primary function of each location.

Assessing Student Learning: Activity One

Each student will turn in their maps and give a presentation about their plantations and cities.  They should have at least five or six physical and environmental characteristics included in their presentation.  Presentations should also include the primary function of locations.

Activity Two

• Secondary Questions # 4 - #5:  What crops were grown on the plantations and how were the plantations linked to the port cities and urban centers?  What are port cities' primary "crops"?
• Each student will be given a Growing Season Map, Plantation Map, and an atlas or a textbook. Each student should have paper and pen to make a graph showing the crops and the yield of crops grown on plantations and transported to port cities.

Assessing Student Learning: Activity Two

The graphs that each student makes will show how plantations, port cities, and urban centers are connected economically.

Ask students to write a one-page paper in response to the primary question.

Goode's World Atlas - Rand McNally

Rand McNally North America Base Map

Plantations with 100 or More Enslaved Person in 1860 - courtesy of J.F. Hart

Growing Season Map - Argus, 1995