Geographic Alliance of Iowa

Putting Iowa in its place

Glass Factory Lab

This lesson plan was created by Scott Severson (Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School) for students in the 8th grade. In this lesson plan, students will learn about the properties of mixtures (physical changes), and then apply that knowledge to think critically about the economics and environmental responsibility of a factory in a community.

Discipline/Subject

Physical Geography

Economics

Science

Theme

Environmental

Hazards

Economic

Region

None specified

Five Themes of Geography

Location

Place

Human-Environment Interaction

National Geographic Standards

4. The physical and human characteristics of places

14. How human actions modify the physical environment

15. How physical systems affect human systems

16. The changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources

Iowa Core Social Studies Standards

EC 1. Understand the role of scarcity and economic trade-offs and how economic conditions impact people's lives

GE 4. Understand how physical processes and human actions modify the environment and how the environment affects humans