National Council for Geographic Education
Curriculum & Instruction Committee
Geography Club
Submitted by: Steve Pierce
[email protected]
Third Year
Second Month Activities
Geography for Life: National Geography Standards
The World in Spatial Terms
Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and
technologies to acquire, process, and report information
Standard 3: How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments
onEar
t
h’
ss
ur
f
a
c
e
Places and Regions
Standard 4: The physical and human characteristics of places
Standard 6:Howc
ul
t
ur
eande
xpe
r
i
e
nc
ei
nf
l
ue
nc
epe
opl
e
’
spe
r
c
e
ptions of places and
regions
Human Systems
Standard 10: Thec
ha
r
ac
t
e
r
i
s
t
i
c
s
,di
s
t
r
i
but
i
on,andc
ompl
e
xi
t
yofEar
t
h’
sc
ul
t
ur
almos
ai
c
s
Thi
sMont
h’
sAct
i
vi
t
i
es
I. Map Scraps Warm-up
Challenge your map skills and knowledge by identifying the place shown on
each map scrap. Use clues on the map scrap and an atlas to help identify the
place and answer the questions.
II. Activity: Flags of the World
In this activity students will explore flags of the world and the U.S. states. The
activities will help them understand the use of colors and symbols that
represent countries. They will identify symbols and colors that are common
to certain cultures and geographic regions.
III. Geo-Questions
Use clues from these national flags to identify the country.
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Second Month
Page 1 of 6
I. Warm-up Activity: Map Scraps
Exami
nee
ac
h“
MapSc
r
ap”andt
r
yt
ode
t
e
r
mi
net
hel
oc
at
i
on.Us
ean atlas and
other reference materials to answer the questions.
Map Scrap 3-2-1
Questions
1. Which European Country is shown on this
map scrap?
2. What country borders it on the east?
3. What energy resource found beneath the North Sea
does this country share with other countries?
4. What type of land features carved by glaciers
are found along the west coast of this country?
5. What ocean lies north of this country?
Map: National Geographic Society
Map Scrap 3-2-2
Questions
1. What body of water of water is shown on the map
scrap?
2. Name the two countries located on the
southwestern part of the map scrap.
3. What mountain range is located west of the body
of water?
4. What great river in Russia flows into this body of
water?
5. This body of water lies in an area rich in what
energy resources?
Map: National Geographic Society
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Second Month
Page 2 of 6
II. Activity: Flags of the World
Note to teachers/sponsors: The activities that follow are suggestions. You are
encouraged to adapt them as you need to, so they are useful to the ages and
abi
l
i
t
i
e
sofyourgr
oup.Fe
e
lf
r
e
et
o“
pi
c
kandc
hoos
e
”f
r
om t
he
s
eac
t
i
vi
t
i
e
s
.Al
s
o,
use them as springboards to other activities that fit the interests of your students.
Introduction
National flags serve as symbols of countries. Many are easily recognizable while
others are not. Flags convey information about a country through the use of color
and symbols. They are often closely tied to the history of the country.
In this activity students will explore flags of the world and the U.S. states. The
activities will help them understand the use of colors and symbols that represent
countries. They will identify symbols and colors that are common to certain cultures
and geographic regions.
Materials
Images of world flags (see Internet Resources below)
Activity sheet for Flags of the World
Internet Resources
Information about Flags - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag
Gallery of sovereign-state flags - Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gallery_of_sovereign_state_flags
This website has flags arranged by country, by continent, and by design.
World Flag Database
http://www.flags.net/
Alphabetical listing of flags by country. Includes a profile and map of each country.
Flags of the World
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/
Alphabetical listing of flags by country. Includes a description and history for each
flag. Good images of each flag.
State Flags of the Fifty States
http://www.netstate.com/state_flags.htm
Image and description of each state flag.
Flag Detective
http://www.flags.av.org/flags/
This web site has flags organized by design. For example, all the flags with crosses
are on one page, all the solid flags on another, flags with strips, flags with plants, etc.
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Second Month
Page 3 of 6
Procedure
1. Begin by displaying the flag of the United States. Ask students what the colors
represent and the significance of the stars and the stripes. This will set the stage
for their analysis of flags of the world.
2. Using the Internet resources and other print resources, have the students work
on the activity sheet. The activity sheet is a separate document on the Geography
Club webpage.
3. Design you own flag. Have students create a flag for their school, class, or
geography club.
III. Geo-Questions
Use clues from these national flags to identify the country.
1. The Red Cross, which has its international headquarters in this country, copied
its flag by reversing the colors. Name the country.
2. This country’
s flag features a sphere with several constellations of the Southern
Hemisphere. Name this large country.
3. The world’
s most populous country has a flag with a red field and five stars.
Name this country.
4. Arabic script and a sword on a field of green make up the flag of this Middle East
kingdom. Name the country.
5. One of only two square flags, this flag flies over the world’
s smallest country. It
features the keys of St. Peter. Name this country.
6. This country was once provided cedar timber throughout the Mediterranean
region. The cedar tree is a prominent design on its flag. Name this country.
7. Five red crosses, one large and four small, lying on a white field make up this
country’
s flag. Not used for almost 500 years, this former Soviet Republic in the
Caucasus Mountains adopted the flag in 2004. Name the country.
8. A red disc on a green field makes up the flag of this densely populated South
Asian country. Once known as East Pakistan, this country gained independence
in 1971. Name the country.
9. Showing its ties to the United States, this country’
s flag features eleven
alternating red and white stripes and one star on a blue field. Name this African
country.
10. This one-of-a-kind flag features a double pennant. It flies over a landlocked
kingdom located in the Himalaya Mountains. Name this country.
11. This country was once a republic of Yugoslavia, but declared its independence in
1991. This Balkan country’
s flag features a sun with eight rays. It shares a name
with a region in Greece. Name this country.
12. The colors of African unity - red, green, yellow - are seen here on one of the oldest
African flags. This country located in the Horn of Africa has been independent
for centuries. Name this country.
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Second Month
Page 4 of 6
ANSWERS
I.
Map Scraps
Map 3-2-1
1. Norway
2. Sweden
3. Oil (petroleum)
4. fjords
5. Arctic Ocean
Map 3-2-2
1. Caspian Sea
2. Azerbaijan and Iran
3. Caucasus Mountains
4. Volga River
5. oil and natural gas
II.
Flags of the World Activity
Sheet
Basic Shape
1. rectangle
2. square
3. a double pennant
Color
4. Libya is solid green
5. red, white and blue
6. green, red and yellow (also
black)
Symbols
7. Christianity
8. They all have large crosses on a
solid color field
9. a crescent and a star
10. Islam
11. Israel; Judaism
12. Hinduism
13. Taoism
The Union Jack
14. England - the red cross of St.
George; Scotland - the white
cross of St. Andrew; Ireland the red cross (diagonal) of St.
Patrick
15. Australia, Fiji, New Zealand,
Tuvalu
16. Hawaii
Geographic Representations
17. Barbados - a trident; Kiribati ocean waves and sea bird
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Second Month
18. Albania - two-headed eagle;
Bolivia - eagle; Dominica parrot; Ecuador - condor;
Egypt - eagle; Kazakhstan golden eagle; Mexico - eagle;
Moldova - eagle; Montenegro two-headed eagle; Guatemala quetzal; Papua New Guinea bird of paradise; Serbia - twoheaded eagle; Uganda - greycrowned crane; Zambia -eagle;
Zimbabwe - soapstone bird
19. Andorra - cows; Bhutan dragon; Montenegro - lion;
Peru - vicuna; Sri Lanka golden lion
20. Belize - mahogany tree;
Canada - maple tree leaf;
Cyprus - olive branches;
Dominican republic - bay
laurel and palm frond; Ecuador
- palm leaves; Equatorial
Guinea - mangrove tree; Fiji coconut palm, sugarcane,
bananas; Guatemala - bay
laurel; Haiti - palm tree;
Lebanon - cedar tree; Mexico cactus; Myanmar- rice; Peru cinchona tree; San Marino oak and laurel branch;
21. Ecuador - Andes Mountains; El
Salvador - mountains;
Nicaragua - mountains;
Slovenia - Mt. Triglav
Cultural Representations
22. Angkor Wat
23. Angola - machete and cog
wheel; Belize - ax and saw;
Mozambique - hoe
24. Haiti - cannons; Kenya Maasai shield and spears;
Mozambique - AK-47 rifle;
Saudi Arabia - sword; Sri
Lanka - sword; Swaziland shield and spears;
Page 5 of 6
III.
Geo-Questions
1. Switzerland
2. Brazil
3. China
4. Saudi Arabia
5. The Holy See (Vatican City)
6. Lebanon
7. Georgia
8. Bangladesh
9. Liberia
10. Nepal
11. The Republic of Macedonia
12. Ethiopia
National Council for Geographic Education
2007 Geography Club Activities - Third Year - Second Month
Page 6 of 6