TITLE:       THE INFLUENCE OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY/CLIMATE

AUTHOR:      Keith Harlow, Polk Middle School,
             Albuquerque, NM

GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT:     Appropriate for grades 6-12

OVERVIEW:  Largely due to the development of technology -air
conditioners, gas and electric heating, air travel- students
often seem to loose an appreciation for the limits and
demands from the physical world around them.  The
description here will focus on a lesson about "your" state,
but this activity can be used for the United States, or even
Continents of the World.

PURPOSE:  Used during a geography unit -large or small
scale- or at the beginning of a unit on exploration (ex.
Europeans to America; Spanish to New Mexico), this activity
focuses on motivating student consideration for the impact
of the physical world on the survival and well-being of
people.  Depending on the importance of Geography (depending
on the focus of the lesson and of the teacher), this lesson
is flexible enough to be a one-day activity, where students
write their answers on the chalkboard for a general
introduction to a unit, to a three-day activity, where
students use the Atlas, a State map, and necessary materials
-construction paper, glue, etc.- for a presentation with
visual aides.

OBJECTIVES:  The student will:

1)   Identify the geography and climate of your State (ie.
     New Mexico).
2)   List basic (or other) human needs -shelter, food,
     water, "MTV, radios, Nintendo, telephones, etc."- and
     describe how to meet those needs in the conditions
     identified.
3)   Write a letter (contemporary or dated) to/from
     travelers/explorers to your State which identifies
     conditions and important resources which will be
     needed.


RESOURCES/MATERIALS:  Depending on the weight given this
activity, the information base can come from either student
"brainstorming" to the use of an Atlas, class texts, and a
State map.

ACTIVITIES AND PROCEDURES:
1)   Define the following on the board (other elements may
     be used as appropriate):  geography (elevation,
     vegetation, distances/dimensions); climate (rainfall -
     include lakes, rivers, proximity to water) and
     temperature in terms of seasonal differences, and human
     needs (shelter, food, water, "MTV, radios, Nintendo,
     telephones, etc").
2)   Divide your State (or could be the United States) into
     regions and assign groups (3-4 students) to investigate
     each region.  Each group should have no more/less
     students than the number of assignments.  Work can be
     done individually for group consensus or in
     cooperation.
3)   Finally, students will collect their data and write a
     letter to travelers or explorers going to their area.
     This can be done either as a letter of recommendation
     from the "point of origin," to the explorers, or as a
     letter "home" from explorers already in the area of
     study.  From investigating the facts, identifying human
     needs, combining these for describing the impact of
     physical geography, students finish by synthesizing the
     data and their opinions to a 2-3 paragraph "letter."

TYING IT ALL TOGETHER:  At first, students will probably
want to bring along MTV, "boom-boxes," and plenty of
perishable food.  After they identify the physical
geography, the teacher should ask how they plan using the
things they regularly enjoy.  This is also a good
opportunity for asking and investigating what early
explorers had and what else the students think they would
need.  An evaluation can come from student writing or group
presentation (with maps, drawings, and original information,
presentations can be very interesting).  Teachers should
remember this is only a BRIEF description; this activity can
be used to introduce a lesson about explorers, as an
inclusive geography lesson, and as a simulation of
interacting with the land.