Geographic Alliance of Iowa

Putting Iowa in its place

Mystery Class Sites: Adapted from Journey North Mystery Class

This lesson was created by Jan Hill, Anne Hoeper, and Lori Stephens (Davenport Community School District) for students from sixth to eighth grade. This lesson plan allows students to understand the Earth's daily and seasonal cycles and how latitude, longitude, and photoperiod can help locate places on Earth.

Discipline/Subject

Physical Geography

Mathematics

Theme

Environmental

Landforms

Climate

Region

None specified

Five Themes of Geography

Location

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

4. The physical and human characteristics of places

6. How culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions

10. The characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics

Iowa Core Social Studies Standards

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

GE 2. Understand how geographic and human characteristics create culture and define regions