|
Overview:
This lesson asks students to consider the concept of boundaries between places—in this case, places where they are welcome versus places where they are unwelcome. Students will describe the boundaries they are familiar with in their daily lives, such as places in their towns or homes where they are not allowed to go, and will discuss how they feel when they are told not to go somewhere. They will map their town and label the places that are off-limits to them. Students will conclude by writing paragraphs or drawing pictures of places they would like to visit some day.
Connections to the Curriculum:
Geography, social studies
Connections to the National Geography Standards:
Standard 13: "How forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface"
Time:
One to two hours
Materials Required:
- Computer with Internet access
- Writing and drawing materials
Objectives:
Students will
- discuss the concept of boundaries, and describe boundaries they are familiar with;
- draw a map of their town, and label the places that they are not allowed to visit or don't like to visit;
- discuss how they react when they are told not to go someplace; and
- write paragraphs or draw pictures describing the places they would like to visit someday but that they can't go now (such as vacation destinations that are out of their reach, a fancy restaurant their parents won't take them to now, or a PG-rated movie).
Geographic Skills:
Organizing Geographic Information
Answering Geographic Questions
Analyzing Geographic Information
S u g g e s t e d P r o c e d u r e
Opening:
Ask students if there are any places where they are not allowed to go. Perhaps their parents don't let them into certain closets in the house, or maybe they are not allowed to go to a certain arcade or amusement park on their own. How do they feel about these restrictions?
Explain that everyone is subject to some boundaries that are relatively strict; women aren't allowed into the men's room and vice versa, and there are some places where no one is allowed to go unless they work for the government or for a particular company. There are other places where kids are not welcome but adults are, or where kids can go only if they don't bring their skateboards or bicycles. Some boundaries are less restrictive, of course, like the boundaries between your state and the neighboring state.
Development:
Have students draw maps of their town, showing some of the most significant landmarks and public places. You can help them with this activity by drawing the town on the board and asking students to contribute ideas about the landmarks that should go on the map.
Have students use light colored pencils or crayons to shade over the places in the town where they are unwelcome or where they are nott allowed to go on their own. For younger students, do this part as a class on the board, placing Xs or shading with colored chalk the places where kids are not particularly welcome. For older kids, have them use different colored pencils or crayons to represent places that are completely forbidden to them and places where they don't feel comfortable but are still allowed to go.
Closing:
Ask students whether they like to explore. Would they like to explore their town? What do they do when an adult tells them not to enter a room or go someplace outside? Do they become more curious, or do they become afraid of that place? Might their attitude toward that place depend on certain factors, such as who is telling them not to go there and whether they think it is a safe place? What are some things they can do if they become curious about a place but know they're not supposed to go there (e.g., ask questions about the place or use their imaginations as to what that place would be like)? Discuss students' responses as a class, referring to the town map when appropriate.
Suggested Student Assessment:
Introduce students to the concept of national boundaries by pointing out the boundary of the United States and Canada on a map. If students live in the United States, have them think of words to describe what it might be like in Canada; if they live in Canada, have them do the opposite and think about what it might be like in the United States. If you are not teaching in either of these countries, have students discuss what it might be like in neighboring countries. They can use clues from the map, from their own travel experiences, or from their own conceptions of these countries.
Extending the Lesson:
Have students write paragraphs or draw pictures entitled "The Places I'll Go Someday." They should describe themselves going to one or more of the places that are currently closed to them but that they think they will visit when they are older.
Related Links:
| 
Check out:
