Homeschool World History For Principals & Administrators

Free download for phase 1 of planning a concept-based lesson by Lynn Erickson's teaching theory. Download and brainstorm an essential question.

Visit our Blog How To Teach Geography

There is no correct way to teach geography, but there are some best practices. When I began my teaching career in geography 26 years ago in Memphis City Schools, Memphis, TN, the district was focused on concept-based teaching — teaching to the big ideas & conceptual-based learning based upon Lynn Erikson's concept-based instruction. At first, I found it very challenging to implement this strategy into my lessons as it was a new concept and it significantly varied from the way we had all been presenting content to our students. It took persistence; it took patience, but I believe it was a huge part of why my students enjoyed geography and were able to grasp it. An example of this would be teaching the concept of "human population" and then applying this concept to world population ideas and issues throughout the world such as:

Push and pull factors of migration

Cartograms, and population density maps

Causes and outcomes of population growth and decline

China's one-child policies due to overpopulation

Africa's population decline

Europe's population decline, etc.

This conceptual-based learning worked well, and students were learning and grasping the concepts and material. It required me to spend more time on the concept with my students, but it gave them a BIG PICTURE of how variables affect population and how population trends work and are influenced. It made them think at higher levels preparing their pathways for high-level learning and working to strengthen their brain connectivity. It gave them a different viewpoint of looking at geography, rather than focusing on one small concept at a time.

Just to give you an idea of how I would/do begin planning each concept-based lesson, I would begin with a brainstorming bubble, and in the center circle, I would type in an essential question. All an essential question (they always have to use big terminology) is an open-ended question that educators use to spark student interest. I say, let' not make this harder than it has to be.

Here are examples of essential questions specific to geography:

How have Revolutions impacted our world? (This could be taking a look at the meaning behind "revolution" and empowering student understanding of this "concept" through discussing many different types of revolutions such as the American Revolution, the Industrial Revolution in the United States and Europe, the Russian Revolution, the Cultural Revolution, the Sudanese Revolution, and the Chinese Revolution of 1949.)

Does music create culture, or vice versa?

Who is an American?

How can learning about other cultures teach us about our own?

What is the relationship between climate and natural resources?

Need an idea for an essential question? There is so much information today on essential questions than there was when I first started teaching. Simply, type into your search engine: "Essential questions for geography." and then align it with your curriculum. Others have "essentially" (no pun intended) done this work for you over the years.

☑ For secondary, middle school and high school students☑Check out the preview to see what is included.

Visit our store Geography & Math Made Easy to view other related resources.

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Related Topics:

Early Humans Learning Goals and Data Tracker

Standards:

• SS.6.W.1.2: Identify terms (decade, century, epoch, era, millennium, BC/BCE, AD/CE) and designations of time periods.
• SS.6.W.2.1: Compare the lifestyles of hunter-gatherers with those of settlers of early agricultural communities.

Administrators always say to put the tracking in the student's hands, make sure you are keeping data, and never offer ways to help you do these! Well, that's where I come in! I sat down with the test specs, essential standards, and standard breakdown sheet to create this awesome excel sheet that you could easily print, distribute, or put in a google sheet that your students can track THEMSELVES! Plus this is also a great tracker for PLC's to ensure all students are learning the content you are on the same page. This has made our team meetings go SO much smoother! This is my favorite tool in my classroom. It does come in both English and Spanish

Students will track themselves unit by unit & by standard by standard with the use of "I can" statements.

Instructions: Step By Step

1. Find the unit we are in right now.

2. Based on the work we have done thus far, please put an x in the box that best describes your knowledge of the "I can" statement.

3. Be sure to revisit this before your test to ensure that You've Got This Down! This is what the Civics team is creating your test off of. If you can move yourself to the final column of "Yes, I can." Then you should score 80% or higher on the test. I will be checking on these :)

4. If you get assigned to an intervention. You will need to edit this on the last day of that cycle

Check out samples on my Instagram: @HistoryGuruTeachShare

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