7th Grade Eastern Hemisphere Geography
Summary of Unit 1: Skills and Tools of Geography
3-4 weeks
This unit is an overview of the Eastern Hemisphere's physical and human characteristics. Through this introduction, students
should become familiar with the tools and skills of geography that are used throughout the course. All of the unit objectives
are incorporated into the remaining units and will allow instruction to be more specific while teaching the various regions of
the Eastern Hemisphere.
Oklahoma Academic Standards
Essential Questions
Overview of Standards 1-5
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 How does geography influence the way people
live?
 What makes a culture unique?
 Why do people make economic choices?
 How do people adapt to their environment?
SKILLS (What students must be able to do)
CONCEPTS (What students need to know)
Analyze data
 Use the skills of a geographer
Cite specific data to support analysis
 Analyze data from a geographer’s perspective
Draw conclusions
 Analyze interactions between humans and their
Make predictions
environment
Read maps, charts, graphs
 Use data
Integrate visual information to explain
 Apply the skill of mental mapping
Define and apply key vocabulary
 Analyze primary and secondary sources
Tulsa Public Schools, Curriculum & Instruction, June, 2013
Updated June 2014
7th Grade Eastern Hemisphere Geography
Unit 1 – Skills and Tools of Geography
CONTENT STANDARDS FOR SOCIAL STUDIES
1. The student will analyze data from a geographic
perspective using the skills and tools of geography.
1.1 Cite specific geographic information to support
analysis from primary and secondary sources
located in texts, documents, newspapers,
magazines, journals, political cartoons, and online
news sources.
1.2 Integrate visual information, draw conclusions,
and make predictions from geographic data and
analyze spatial distribution and patterns by
interpreting that data as displayed on globes,
graphs, charts, satellite and other forms of visual
imagery including data from bar and line graphs,
pie charts, thematic maps, population pyramids,
climagraphs, cartagrams, contour/relief maps,
GIS systems, and diagrams.
1.3 Apply the concepts of scale, distance,
direction, relative location, absolute location, and
latitude and longitude.
1.4 Integrate visual information and apply the skill
of mental mapping of the political and physical
features of Earth’s surface and to organize
information about people, places, and
3 weeks
LITERACY IN SOCIAL STUDIES
1.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and
secondary sources.
1.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source
distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
1.3 Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to
history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest
rates are raised or lowered).
1.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in
a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to
history/social studies.
1.5 Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially,
comparatively, causally).
1.6 Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view
or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of
particular facts).
1.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs,
photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and
digital texts.
1.8 Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
1.9 Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary
source on the same topic.
1.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social
Tulsa Public Schools, Curriculum & Instruction, June, 2013
Updated June 2014
7th Grade Eastern Hemisphere Geography
environments.
2. The student will examine the human and physical
characteristics of the major regions of the Eastern
Hemisphere.
3. The student will examine the interactions of
physical systems that shape the patterns of Earth’s
surface in the Eastern Hemisphere.
4. The student will analyze the world’s peoples and
cultures in the context of the human systems in the
Eastern Hemisphere.
4.3 Integrate visual information to analyze data
used by geographers to measure the human
characteristics used to define developed versus
developing countries including literacy rates, life
expectancy, infant mortality rate, Gross National
Product (GNP), and per capita income.
4.6 Integrate visual information to explain
patterns of global economic interdependence and
world trade focusing on the concepts of imports
and exports, supply and demand, Gross Domestic
Product (GDP), and balance of trade
5. The student will analyze the interactions of humans
and their environment in the Eastern Hemisphere.
studies texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band
independently and proficiently.
2.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
2.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of
historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical
processes.
2.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development,
organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and
audience.
2.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop
and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing,
rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose
and audience have been addressed.
2.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing and present the relationships between information and ideas
clearly and efficiently.
2.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including
a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and
generating additional related, focused questions that allow for
multiple avenues of exploration.
2.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital
sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and
accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and
conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a
standard format for citation.
2.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis
reflection, and research.
2.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection
and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or
two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, & audiences.
Tulsa Public Schools, Curriculum & Instruction, June, 2013
Updated June 2014
7th Grade Eastern Hemisphere Geography
KEY ACADEMIC and CONTENT VOCABULARY
1.1 spatial distribution, visual imagery
1.2 climagraph, cartogram
1.3 relative location, absolute location
1.4 mental mapping
4.3 developed country, developing country, literacy, GNP
4.6 global economic interdependence, GDP, supply and
demand
STUDENTS are:
interacting with text—asking questions about it,
highlighting or underlining on small portions of
the text printed for their use
engaged in discussion with partners, in small
groups, and with the teacher
asking questions
writing
interpreting charts, maps, graphs and other
visuals
PERFORMANCE TASKS AND ASSESSMENTS
Pre-assessment (TPS C&I)
Post-assessment (TPS C&I)
DBQ Writing assignment
TEACHERS are:
reading aloud
guiding discussion
asking questions
providing ample time for answers
providing opportunities for students to work with maps,
charts, graphs, data
RESOURCES
Primary
Sources/DBQs
It is
recommended
that you
incorporate as
many primary
sources as well as
maps, charts,
Textbooks/Other
Texts
Websites/Apps/Multimedia
Discovering World
Geography, chapters 1-
http://connected.mcgraw-hill.com/connected/login.doThe online textbook resource has a wealth of items to support each unit: hands on
projects, interactive maps and whiteboard activities, primary sources, video, games,
slideshows, presentations, assessment suggestions.
NOTE: All standards
are not covered in the
Five Themes lesson
http://geoalliance.asu.edu/azga_site/sites/default/files/LessonFiles/Ekiss/Themes
Tulsa Public Schools, Curriculum & Instruction, June, 2013
Updated June 2014
3 (parts of) and the
Reference Atlas
7th Grade Eastern Hemisphere Geography
graphs and other
stimuli as you can
you’re your daily
instruction.
Listed below is a
link that will take
you to a simple
Geography DBQ
lesson. Use this
sample to create
DBQs for future
units.
http://www.liveb
inders.com/play/
play?id=130061
textbook; teachers and
students will need to
use other resources to
teach/learn all the
objectives/standards.
Also, it is not necessary
to cover all the material
in a chapter if it
doesn’t correlate to a
standard.
/Alliance5ThemesS.pdf
Mental Mapping lesson
http://geoalliance.asu.edu/azga_site/node/249
An Introduction to Map Reading
http://geoalliance.asu.edu/azga_site/dogstails
Graphing Literacy Rates
http://geoalliance.asu.edu/azga_site/node/230
Arizona Geographic Alliance
http://geoalliance.asu.edu/azga_site/lessons/geoliteracy
Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education
http://www.okageweb.org/
Safari Montage videos
By The Way – Current Events
http://blog.glencoe.com/
EPALS
www.epals.com/learningcenter
Mapping Our World
http://www.digitalweek.info/education/mapping_our_world/mapping_our_world/l/home/index.htm
Fact Monster
Tulsa Public Schools, Curriculum & Instruction, June, 2013
Updated June 2014
7th Grade Eastern Hemisphere Geography
http://www.factmonster.com/countries.html
World Info Zone
http://www.worldinfozone.com/
GeoBeats Video
http://www.geobeats.com/
National Geographic
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/
National Geographic Education
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/?ar_a=1
Place Spotting – Good for mental mapping
http://www.placespotting.com/
I KNOW THAT
http://www.iknowthat.com/com/L2?GradeLevel=6:6&Subject=Social Studies
MAPS TO PRINT
http://d-maps.com/index.php?lang=en
National Geography Bee http://www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee
Google Earth
http://www.google.com/earth/index.html
National Geography Week
http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/collections/geographyawareness
Tulsa Public Schools, Curriculum & Instruction, June, 2013
Updated June 2014
7th Grade Eastern Hemisphere Geography
week/?ar_a=1
National Council for Geographic Education
http://www.ncge.org/resources
CIA World Factbook
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/
Tulsa Public Schools, Curriculum & Instruction, June, 2013
Updated June 2014