Richmond Public Schools
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Curriculum Pacing and Resource Guide ~ Unit Plan
Course Title/ Course #: United States History I (to 1865) #2066
Unit Title/ Marking Period # (MP): US Geography/MP1
Start day: 5
Meetings (Length of Unit): 12
Desired Results ~ What will students be learning?
Standards of Learning/ Standards
The student will use maps, globes, photographs, pictures, or tables to
a) locate the seven continents and five oceans.
b) locate and describe the location of the geographic regions of North America: Coastal Plain, Appalachian Mountains, Canadian
Shield, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, Basin and Range, and Coastal Range.
c) locate and identify the water features important to the early history of the United States: Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Missouri
River, Ohio River, Columbia River, Colorado River, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence River, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and Gulf of
Mexico.
d) recognize key geographic features on maps, diagrams, and/or photographs.
Essential Understandings/ Big Ideas
Continents are large land masses surrounded by water. Geographic regions have distinctive characteristics. The United State s has
access to numerous and varied bodies of water. Bodies of water support interaction among regions, form borders, and create links
to other areas. Geographic features on maps, diagrams, and/or photographs. Landforms and water features set the stage for and
influence the course of events in United States history.
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are the seven continents?
What are the five oceans?
Where are the geographic regions of North America located?
What are some physical characteristics of the geographic regions of North America?
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5. What are the major bodies of water in the United States?
6. What are some ways bodies of water in the United States have supported interaction among regions and created links to other
areas?
7. What are some important categories of geographic features?
8. What do these important geographic features look like when they appear on maps, globes, and diagrams?
9. What do these important geographic features look like when they appear in pictures and photographs?
10. Why are geographic features important in United States history?
Key Essential Skills and Knowledge
Essential Knowledge:
1. Continents
a. North America
b. South America
c. Africa
d. Asia
e. Australia
f. Antarctica
g. Europe*
2. Oceans
a. Atlantic Ocean
b. Pacific Ocean
c. Arctic Ocean
d. Indian Ocean
e. Southern Ocean
3. *Note: Europe is considered a continent even though it is not entirely surrounded by water. The land mass is frequently called
Eurasia.
1. Geographic regions’ locations and physical characteristics
2. Coastal Plain
a. Located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico Broad lowlands providing many excellent harbors
3. Appalachian Highlands
a. Located west of the Coastal Plain, extending from eastern Canada to western Alabama; includes the Piedmont Old,
eroded mountains (oldest mountain range in North America)
4. Canadian Shield
a. Wrapped around the Hudson Bay in a horseshoe shape Hills worn by erosion and hundreds of lakes carved by glaciers
5. Interior Lowlands
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6.
7.
8.
9.
a. Located west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the Great Plains Rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad river
valleys, and grassy hills
Great Plains
a. Located west of the Interior Lowlands and east of the Rocky Mountains Flat lands that gradually increase in elevation
westward; grasslands
Rocky Mountains
a. Located west of the Great Plains and east of the Basin and Range Rugged mountains stretching from Alaska almost to
Mexico; high elevations Contains the Continental Divide, which determines the directional flow of rivers
Basin and Range
a. Located west of the Rocky Mountains and east of the Sierra Nevadas and the Cascades Varying elevations containing
isolated mountain ranges and Death Valley, the lowest point in North America
Coastal Range
a. Located along the Pacific Coast, stretching from California to Canada Rugged mountains and fertile valleys
1. Major
a.
b.
c.
d.
bodies of water
Oceans: Atlantic, Pacific
Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence River
Lakes: Great Lakes Gulf: Gulf of Mexico
Trade, transportation, exploration, and settlement The Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts of the United States have
provided access to other parts of the world.
i. The Atlantic Ocean served as the highway for explorers, early settlers, and later immigrants.
ii. The Ohio River was the gateway to the west. Inland port cities grew in the Midwest along the Great Lakes.
iii. The Mississippi and Missouri rivers were used to transport farm and industrial products. They were links to
United States ports and other parts of the world.
iv. The Columbia River was explored by Lewis and Clark.
v. The Colorado River was explored by the Spanish.
vi. The Rio Grande forms the border with Mexico.
vii. The Pacific Ocean was an early exploration destination.
viii. The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and Spanish with exploration routes to Mexico and other parts of
America.
ix. The St. Lawrence River forms part of the northeastern border with Canada and connects the Great Lakes to the
Atlantic Ocean
1. Key geographic features
a. Water-related
i. Lakes
ii. Rivers
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iii. Tributaries
iv. Gulfs and bays
b. Land-related
i. Mountains
ii. Hills
iii. Plains
iv. Plateaus
v. Islands
vi. Peninsulas
2. Geographic features are related to patterns of trade the locations of cities and towns the westward (frontier) movement
agricultural and fishing industries.
Essential Skills:
1. Identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase understanding of events and life in United
States history. (USI.1a)
2. Sequence events in United States history. (USI.1c)
3. Analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water features, climatic characteristics, and
historical events (USI.1f)
4. Distinguish between parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude. (USI.1g)
Vocabulary
Academic
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Identify
Interpret
Primary and secondary sources
Sequence
Analyze
Distinguish
United States History: Beginnings to 1865
Content
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
North America
South America
Africa
Asia
Australia
Antarctica
Europe
Atlantic Ocean
Pacific Ocean
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10. Arctic Ocean
11. Indian Ocean
12. Southern Ocean
13. Equator
14. Longitude
15. Latitude
16. Prime Meridian
17. Coastal Plain
18. Appalachian Mountains
19. Canadian Shield
20. Interior Lowlands
21. Great Plains
22. Rocky Mountains
23. Basin and Range
24. Coastal Range.
25. Lakes
26. Rivers
27. Tributaries
28. Gulfs and bays
29. Mountains
30. Hills
31. Plains
32. Plateaus
33. Islands
Assessment Evidence ~ What is evidence of mastery? What did the students master & what are they missing?
Assessment/ Evidence
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Maps
Exit slips
Foldables
Quizzes
Interactive Achievement
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Learning Plan ~ What are the strategies and activities you plan to use?
Learning Experiences/ Best Practices
Learning Experiences

The student will be given two handouts that will be put
into their interactive notebooks. Both worksheets
highlight and explain the different continents, oceans, the
difference between longitude and latitude, and equator
and prime meridian.

Students will fill in their own map labeling the continents
and oceans, as well as longitude, latitude, equator and
prime meridian to put into their interactive notebook.

Students will create a foldable to describe and illustrate
the differences between the eight geographic regions.

Students will label and color a map that shows the eight
geographic regions.

Students will complete a graphic organizer that compares
and contrasts the differences between land and water
features.

Students, individually or in pairs, will be given a region
by the teacher to create an Instagram image.

Students will be tasked to take notes in different colors
and code it based on land or water features. Students
will also be given a map to label rivers/oceans on. These
notes and map pages will be put into their interactive
notebook.

Students will be asked to create a poster that illustrates a
main waterway and describe the poster on the back in
five sentences.
United States History: Beginnings to 1865
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Instructional Strategies
Cooperating learning
Close reading strategy
Setting the objective
Nonlinguistic representation
Advanced organizers
Cooperative Learning
Identifying similarities and differences
Explicit Teaching
Chunking
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Technology Integrations
Brainpop, Flocabulary, and DiscoveryEd videos
Smartboard Activities
SOLpass games
Resources
Textbook MaterialsVirginia Experience by Gallopade —pgs7-29
Pearson Coach and Assessment book—pgs12-21
Technology—
2aContinents
https://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/geography/continentsoftheworld/
Oceans
https://www.brainpop.com/science/earthsystem/oceans/
Continents and Oceans
http://www.solpass.org/z-site/us1/fps/fp2changman.php?section=study-0
2bRegions Millionaire
http://www.solpass.org/z-site/us1/fps/fp2dmill-regions.php
Geographic Regions Macarena
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZyXSksHqho
2cRivers Pop-up Quiz
http://www.solpass.org/z-site/us1/fps/fp2jriverppop.php?section=study-0
2dhttps://sites.google.com/a/solteacher.com/olteacher-com/home/fifth-grade/united-states-5th-grade/usi2-d-geographic-landforms
ALLFive Themes of Geography
https://www.flocabulary.com/five-themes-of-geography/
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Map Skills
https://www.flocabulary.com/map-skills/
Web Resources
2a, 2c, 2dInteractive notebook activities
http://rpshistory.weebly.com/interactive-notebooks.html
High Yield Activities
http://rpshistory.weebly.com/high-yield-activities.html
2bRegions Mnemonic
http://rpshistory.weebly.com/interactive-notebooks.html
Instagram the Region
https://drive.google.com/a/richmond.k12.va.us/file/d/0B2j-eScro1TYbk5nSUQyUjk3c0E/view?usp=sharing
Virginia Department of Education
http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/sol/scope_sequence/history_socialscience_scope_sequence/2008/scopeseq_histsoc_ushist_to1865
.pdf
TTAC
http://www.ttaconline.org/z/sol_files/SOL%20plus%20hist/histUS1.pdf
Cross Curricular Connection
Cross curricular with science with exploring land forms and water ways.
Cross curricular with math graphing x,y coordinates.
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