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Overview:
Using the Xpedition Hall virtual exhibit, Rail Traffic Controller, students will locate the countries of origin for items imported to specific countries in Europe. Students will record the information they have found on a map and use symbols to customize the map and link countries that have economic interdependence. Students will conclude by working in pairs to create legends for their maps. Students may also choose to research the imports and exports of another country and add this data to their maps.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, art
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 11: "The patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface"
Time:
Two hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Xpeditions outline maps of Europe, one for each student
- Writing materials
- Colored pencils or crayons
- Rubber stamps or stickers (optional)
Objectives:
Students will
- read the Rail Traffic Controller exhibit and map the progress of imported items;
- create symbols for imported items;
- customize a map by creating unique lines to represent trade networks;
- create a legend for a map created by another classmate; and
- research economic information about another country and record the data.
Geographic Skills:
Acquiring Geographic Information
Organizing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Introduce students to Xpedition Hall's Rail Traffic Controller exhibit by explaining that they are taking a virtual trip through Europe. Instead of searching for momentos or souvenirs that represent the country, on this trip, they will be looking for imports—items brought in from other countries.
Distribute a blank Xpeditions outline map of Europe to each student. Ask students to shade in each country mentioned, as they click through the Rail Traffic Controller and read the text. Remind students that the country that sends the goods, the exporter, is just as important as the importer in this process.
Development:
Ask students to create a line from the country, or countries, of origin for each of the products mentioned:
- Iron
- Tires
- Potatoes
- Wood
- Olives
[Note: The line for each product should be distinct from the other four lines. For example, one line could be dotted, one straight, one bold and dark, etc.]
Closing:
Finish the project by drawing a symbol for each product, such as a tree for wood. Remind students that clarity is more important than creativity on this activity. While the artwork does not have to be perfect, the symbols should be obvious to others. Students can also use stickers or rubber stamps if they are available.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Have students trade maps with a peer, after writing their initials on their own map. Each student will create a legend for the map that his or her peer created. Students will be assessed based on the clarity of the legend they created, and the ease with which their classmate was able to create a legend on their map. Remind students that clear symbols make for good legends.
Extending the Lesson:
Based on a favorite place or the heritage of the students in the class, have the class research a particular country's major imports and exports. From where are goods imported, and to where are goods exported? Mark these locations on your map. Students may need to download a map of a continent other than Europe at the Xpeditions atlas.
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