Geographic Alliance of Iowa

Putting Iowa in its place

Urban/Suburban/Rural Communities

This lesson plan was created by Maegan Swick (Kingsley Elementary, Waterloo CSD) for students in the 3rd grade. In this lesson plan, students will use Google Earth as a tool to make assumptions and tell what they notice about a variety of communties in the United States.

Discipline/Subject

Human Geography

Computers/Technology

Theme

Population

Cartography/Maps

Region

Iowa

United States

North America

Five Themes of Geography

Location

Region

Iowa Core 21st Century Standards

ES 1. Communicate and work productively with others emphasizing collaboration and cultural awareness to produce quality work

ES 2. Adjust to various roles and responsibilities and understand the need to be flexible to change

National Geographic Standards

1. How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective

3. How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface

9. The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface

12. The processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement

Iowa Core Social Studies Standards

GE 1. Understand the use of geographic tools to locate and analyze information about people, places, and environments