Activity Packet
Rising 7th graders
WORLD STUDIES SUMMER READING:
A Child's Introduction to
The World:
Geography, Cultures, and People
From the Grand Canyon to the Great Wall of China
by Heather Alexander, illustrated by Meredith Hamilton
ISBN 13 978-1-57912-832-6
Directions: (please read these VERY carefully!)
1. You must purchase this book yourself – through a local bookstore, or an online book supplier.
2. We suggest that you wait until August to read the book (so that the information stays fresh in
your head!). Read a little bit at a time. Trying to read over Labor Day weekend, however, is not
going to be a very satisfying experience nor will you learn much!
3. Read each and every one of the thirteen sections of Part One: Where Am I? (pages 8-35).
4. After reading a section try one of the suggested activities in this packet. It should take you about
ten minutes to read the section; then, take about 30-45 minutes on each of the activities. We do
NOT expect you to complete every activity in the packet! Choose five (5) activities to
complete thoroughly.
5. Make sure you:
a. Make a notation in the packet of the date you read the chapter and completed the
activity.
b. Answer the questions embedded within each activity on a separate piece of paper.
Some activities will require you to make a chart, write a story, make a map, or take some
pictures. Pay close attention to all of the different components!
c. Within the first week of school we will ask to see your packet and created materials, so
keep it all together nice and neat. This will be your first graded work in the class.
6. After working through Part One, please read portions of Part Two. Please read about Latin
America (p. 50-57), the Middle East (p. 72-73), and Africa (p. 80-87). These chapters
discuss the three regions of the world on which the seventh grade course will focus.
We look forward to meeting you in the fall and welcoming you to the 7th grade!
-- The Seventh Grade World Studies Team
WHERE AM I? (pages 8 & 9)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
Try to stump us! Choose three or four places in the world. Maybe you have visited these
locations, but you don’t have to have actually been there. Use the four clues listed on page 8:
Land, Climate, Plants, and Animals. Compose a paragraph for each place describing those
four aspects, trying not to give too much away, and yet being fairly specific. Then invite your
reader to guess what place you are describing. Compose several if you like. Here’s a sample:
There are ups and downs to the land on these 57 acres. The weather throughout the year
varies a great deal; it can be hot and humid from May through September, but it can also
be cold and icy in the winter months. There are many different types of trees, and a
central garden contains many flowering plants. There aren’t many wild animals – some
squirrels and the occasional rabbit and deer – but over 700 human beings come and go
from this environment five days each week. Where is this place? Answer: Holton-Arms School.
Staple your descriptive paragraph(s) to the back of this packet.
IN THE BEGINNING (pages 10 & 11)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
Which number is bigger? . . .
. . . the number of years scientists think the Earth has been around
or
the number of stars (such as our Sun) that there may be in the Milky Way galaxy?
If you made a timeline (outdoors) with one inch equaling a century, how far away would you
mark :
-- the first successful flight of an airplane in 1903?
-- Columbus’s “discovery” of the Americas, 1492?
-- Julius Caesar’s lifetime (approximately 2,000 years ago)?
-- the era of dinosaurs?
-- when scientists believe the Earth formed?
Try imagining: Write a short story in which – all of a sudden – Earth begins spinning on its
axis faster (or maybe slower . . . or maybe both!) What would happen to time? How would
humans’ daily lives change? Staple your story to the back of this packet.
EXCUSE ME, I THINK WE’RE FLOATING (pages 12 & 13)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
After you have read about Pangaea and tectonic plates, be sure to review the picture on the
left side of page 12. How has earth changed over the last 250 million years ago? How do
you think it will look 250 million years in the future?
You can explore plate tectonics more at this website :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcPghqnnTVk (a little silly, but great diagrams)
Read the “Plate Tectonics” article from World Book Kids at the end of this packet.
Get as large a 3 Musketeers® or Snickers® or Milky Way® candy bar as you can and try the
activity “Be A Candy Geologist!” (p. 13) Take a series of photos with your iPad as you pull
apart the candy. Print and staple your photos to the back of this packet (or display them on a
poster which you should bring the first day of class.) You may now eat the candy!
GONE EXPLORING (pages 14 & 15) Read on : _______
Activity completed: _______
Now that you know the world isn’t flat, try re-tracing the routes of Columbus and Magellan.
Do you know how to use Google Earth on your iPad? If so, open it up and zoom in to the
country of Spain. Move your mouse across the Atlantic Ocean to San Salvador. Where is
San Salvador? Is it part of a particular island chain?
Now start again from the Canary Islands. Plot the route of Magellan and his crew with a
colored line on one of the maps at the back of this packet. (You’ll have to draw in the Canary
Islands.) Which continents did they sail around? Where are the Philippines (the location of
Magellan’s death!)? Using Google Earth, you can search for the following places (in the
upper left corner), which will lead you around the world:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Canary Islands, Spain
Salvador, Brazil
Strait of Magellan, Chile
Manila, Philippines
Cape of Good Hope, South Africa
Canary Islands, Spain
LIVING ON A SPHERE (pages 16 & 17) Read on : ______
Activity completed: ______
In which direction does your house face? (How did you figure that out?) From which
direction does the sun rise in the morning? Where at your house do you have to face to
observe the sun early in the day?
Use Google Earth again. You may need to adjust the settings so that you can see the latitude
and longitude numbers at the top of the screen. To do this click on Tools (the wrench icon)
in the upper right hand corner; then choose “Position”; turn on; we suggest you then select
the first (top) of the three styles of listing the coordinates.
Zoom in to where you live. You can do this by typing your street address into the search
box. Can you read the latitude and longitude coordinates at the top of the screen? They are
complicated by the fractions of degrees. The first and most important digits are the number
of degrees. Then degrees are divided (by 60) into minutes, and minutes (can you guess?) are
subdivided again by 60 into seconds. Can you find Holton Arms (7303 River Road, Bethesda,
Maryland, 20817)? A place you have visited or will visit on vacation? Write below the
latitude/longitude coordinates of both your house and Holton; for simplicity, just pay
attention to the number of degrees.
Among those “Cool Places” on page 17, which is the furthest north on the Earth? Which is
furthest south?
Your house
Latitude
_______
Longitude
_______
Holton-Arms
_______
_______
A vacation spot:
_______
_______
WHEN ARE WE? (pages 18 & 19)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
On the next sunny day, go outside right at noon. PLEASE DON’T STARE DIRECTLY
AT THE SUN, but does it seem as if the Sun is “directly overhead?” Go back out at 1:00
in the afternoon. Now does it appear more “directly overhead?” But isn’t noon supposed
to be when the Sun is “directly overhead?” What do we do in the United States every
spring (and then “undo” every fall) that makes noon come one hour earlier than it is truly
noon?
WHEN ARE WE? (pages 18 & 19) (continued)
Check out on a computer:
www.timeticker.com
(This won’t run on an iPad, unfortunately.)
Do you have a friend in another state or another country? Do you have a family member
who is traveling? What time is it where that person is? Can you tell whether that person is
east or west of you? Using that formula 1 hour of difference in time equals 15 degrees of difference in
longitude, figure out how many degrees of longitude away from here that friend or family
member is. If we are at approximately 77 degrees (west) longitude, where is that person?
Using http://www.worldtimezone.com/ fill out this chart : If it is noon in Washington, D.C. :
-- it is ____:____ am./pm. in Chicago, Illinois (USA).
-- it is ____:____ am./pm. in London, England.
-- it is ____:____ am./pm. in Seattle, Washington (USA).
-- it is ____:____ am./pm. in Moscow, Russia.
-- it is ____:____ am./pm. in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
-- it is ____:____ am./pm. in Beijing, China.
MAP STORIES (page 20)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
What story would a map of your own neighborhood tell? What would it highlight about the
area where you live? Read page 20 and then use colored pencils and graph paper (if you have
them), to create a thematic map of your street and the two or three streets closest to your
own.
The theme that you highlight is up to you. Think of all the possibilities and then choose one
theme. Is it a place where people like to grow flowers and vegetables? If so, then your map
can show the locations of gardens or outdoor potted plants. Do people there have dogs?
Then you can mark the households that have dogs (you might even mark the name, breed,
and/or color of the dog on your map). Is it a place where people can walk to a store? Then
you could create a shopping map.
Staple your map to the back of the packet.
HOW TO READ A MAP (pages 21 - 23)
Read on : ______ Activity completed: ______
Have you ever used an online map service or a map app on your iPad to find out how to go
somewhere? Try an application such as Google Maps. Put your home address in the search
box. Play around with zooming in and out. Do you recognize street names in the map of
your neighborhood? Using this street map, can you trace a route to Holton (or some other
place that is familiar to you)?
OR, there is the old fashioned way! Try that mapping activity that is on page 23. Does your
family have some “old” paper maps, say, of Maryland? (Maybe there are some sitting in that
hiding place in the dashboard with the old fashioned name “glove compartment.”) Or does
your family have one of those big books of local maps such as maps of Montgomery County
or maps of Washington, D.C.? See if you can locate your house and then figure out how to
drive to Baltimore or to the National Mall or to Dulles Airport. (Just be sure to ask your
parents’ permission before you borrow their car to drive there!)
of downtown DC beginning at
Union Station. You may only walk on the sidewalks, most of which run along streets. No
shortcuts! In this order: Union Station to the U.S. Capitol to the National Gallery to the
Botanic Garden to the Freer Gallery to the National Archives to the Gallery
Place/Chinatown Metro station.
On the map below trace with a colored line a walking tour
THE UPS AND DOWNS (pages 24 & 25)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
Have you visited the Grand Canyon? It is a truly amazing, very special spot! Watch this
beautiful National Park Service video about the Grand Canyon:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hoGpYyn4Bs&index=7&list=PL34ozNGa7CQO8ozpu9cXjX1TDDjOgia6
As you watch, recall what the book told us: “The Colorado River which created the Grand
Canyon in Arizona, has been wearing away the Earth for millions of years.” The United
States government protected this canyon beginning in 1919 (just a little less than a century
ago) as a National Park. The video is called “More Than A View.” In a paragraph explain
why this National Park protects a place that is more than a place at which to take selfies.
AND / OR:
After reading the Ups and Downs section, complete this crossword puzzle.
Staple your paragraph to the back of the packet.
GOING WITH THE FLOW (pages 26 - 28)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
Fish swim, but rubber duckies float. Who would have thought that our bath tub buddies
could teach us about ocean currents? Check out http://www.mnn.com/earthmatters/wilderness-resources/stories/what-can-28000-rubber-duckies-lost-at-sea-teach-usaboutThen write a short story about one of these lost-at-sea duckies and some of the sights
she/he has seen bobbing about the ocean since 1992.
OR Want to get depressed? Do you know how much human junk ends up out in the
oceans? Go to
http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/translating-unclesam/stories/what-is-the-great-pacific-ocean-garbage-patch
How about writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper complaining about our littering the
oceans of the world? (You don’t really need to mail the letter, but staple it to the back of
this packet.
OR It’s Science Fair Project Time! The book says “Saltwater can’t be used for drinking or
growing crops.” Find two small similar plants. Maybe your parents will let you experiment
in your garden or maybe you could buy two inexpensive plants at a garden store. Begin to
water your pair of plants – one always with fresh water and one always with salty
water. (Just make salt water by mixing a decent amount of table salt into a glass of tap
water.) Keep track of the progress (or lack of progress) of your two experimental
plants. Take photos each day of the two plants side-by-side. What happens to the plant
nourished by the salt water? (You can probably guess the tragic results!)
Display your photos(with some explanations)on a poster; bring the poster to class the first
day.
DIFFERENT SPACES, DIFFERENT PLACES (pages 29-31)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
After reading the section on biomes, explore the biome of your own backyard or of a
place that you visit this summer. What kind of biome are you exploring (tundra,
deciduous forest, desert, etc.)? See this site for a list of biomes:
http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/world_biomes.htm
Create a collage of the different kinds of plants (also known as flora) and animals (also
known as fauna).
OR, write a poem in tribute to the plants and animals that live in a biome of your choice.
Staple your poem to the back of this packet; bring your collage to class the first day.
IT’S GETTING CROWDED IN HERE (pages 32 & 33)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
Use the following website to learn about human population around the world.
U.S. Census Bureau: Country Ranking
http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/countryrank/rank.php
Color code one of the maps at the back of this packet according to population density.
Use one color to indicate highly populated areas of the world, a second color to
indicate moderately populated areas of the world and a third color for minimally
populated areas of the world. Be sure to make a key! Why do you think certain areas
of the world are so highly populated?
OR, as long as the rate of births exceeds the rate of deaths, the world population will
continue to increase. List 5-7 events that increase human population. List 5-7 events
that decrease human population.
Staple that list to the back of this packet.
WHO WE ARE (pages 34 & 35)
Read on : _______ Activity completed: _______
Explore different cultures through food. Use the following websites for inspiration:
International Food
Saveur http://www.saveur.com/
Zomppa http://www.zomppa.com/
Epicurious International http://www.epicurious.com/recipesmenus/global/recipes
Food Crisis
World Bank http://www.worldbank.org/foodcrisis/
National Geographic http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/06/cheapfood/bourne-text
Create a menu for a meal you are preparing for friends from another country. Include
only dishes that are authentic to their home country. You may use recipes from any
source. Why are many areas of the world experiencing a food crisis?
OR prepare an international dish for friends and insert a picture of the dish you’ve
prepared. You may use recipes from any source. Why are many areas of the world
experiencing a food crisis?
Staple your menu or photos of your cooking to the back of this packet.
All done ? Don’t forget to read about the three areas of the world that we will focus our class
discussions on this year: Latin America (p. 50-57), the Middle East (p. 72-73), and Africa (p. 80-87).
Be sure to bring in any of the work you did along with this activity packet during the first week of
school.
Plate Tectonics
Plate tectonics <<tehk TAHN ihks>> explains how parts of Earth's surface were formed. It
is a theory, or idea, based on known facts. Plate tectonics tells why volcanoes are found in
certain places, why there are high mountains and deep canyons in the oceans, and how
mountains form.
Map -- Plate tectonics: Earth's surface
Earth has a hard outer shell called the crust. Scientists who study Earth believe that this shell
is made up of about 30 pieces, or plates. The plates are different sizes. For example, the crust
under most of the Pacific Ocean is a single plate. A much smaller plate is almost completely
covered by the Arabian peninsula.
The plates sit on top of a layer of rock. The rock is solid, but it is so hot that it has melted,
and this melted rock flows. This flow of melted rock makes the plates move. They move
very slowly—only about 4 inches (10 centimeters) each year. That is about as fast as a hair
grows. The continents sit on the tops of the plates. So when the plates move, the continents
move, too.
How plates move
In some places, the plates move apart from each other. Those places are mostly on the
ocean floor. If plates on a continent move apart, water rushes in to form rivers, lakes, and
even oceans.
Plate tectonics: Continental drift
In other places, the plates move toward each other and push against each other. When that
happens, the edge of one plate sinks and slides under the other plate.
The sinking plate can make trenches, which are like huge, deep valleys. Sometimes it causes
earthquakes. Often volcanoes form along the top plate. Sometimes layers of the top plate
crumple like a napkin as the other plate slides under it. Then high mountains are pushed up.
Where plates move
Scientists can measure how fast plates move and where they are moving. For example, they
know that the Atlantic Ocean is slowly getting wider. The Pacific Ocean is slowly shrinking.
Scientists have also traced these movements backward in time. They believe the continents
were once one big continent. They call it Pangaea <<pan JEE uh>>, which means “all
earth.” Pangaea was surrounded by one big ocean called Panthalassa <<PAN thuh LAS
uh>>, or “all sea.”
About 200 million years ago, Pangaea broke into two huge continents, Gondwanaland and
Laurasia. Gondwanaland included what are now South America, India, Australia, Africa, and
Antarctica. Laurasia was made up of what are now Asia, Europe, and North America.
Both of these huge continents broke into smaller pieces. They drifted for millions of years
until they reached the places where they are today. For example, Africa and South America
were once next to each other. When they broke apart, Africa drifted to meet Asia and
Europe. South America drifted to meet North America.
The plates are still moving. Scientists believe that millions of years from now, the continents
and oceans will be different in size and shape than they are today.
"Plate tectonics." World Book Kids. World Book, 2014. Web. 2 May 2014 .