|
|
Regions are areas that are similar in one or more ways. Geographers categorize areas into regions based on one or more features, such as climate. They also recognize regions by more than one feature, such as landforms, language, history, and ways of making a living. The activities below are based on the theme of regions. Select the appropriate grade level for your child and try the activities!
Grade 1 : Who's on the Farm?
Grade 1 : Zone Your Home
Grade 2 : Show Your Landforms!
Grade 2 : Regions Nearby
Grade 3 : Map Political Regions
Grade 3 : Regional Roundup
Grade 4 : Wild Things in My State
Grade 4 : Climb Every Mountain!
Grade 5 : Be Politically Correct
Grade 5 : Inform the Public
Grade 6 : What Time Is It?
Grade 6 : Regions Change
Grade 1 : Who's on the Farm?
 |
Help your child make a map or a model of a farm showing animal regions the specific areas where different animals live on the farm. Regions are areas with common features. Geographers name regions based on physical and/or human features. Physical features are part of the natural environment and include location, landforms, natural resources, climate, and plant and animal life. One example would be the Alps Mountains region in Europe. Human features are made or developed by people and include political or government units, land use, religion, customs, or language. One example is Canada, a region described by political divisions called provinces. A region can be as small as a room in a home or as large as a continent, such as Australia.
Use the following steps as a guide:
- Talk about farms with your child. Recall a farm that your family may have visited. If you and your child choose to make a map, you can use drawing paper, poster board, crayons, colored pencils or pens to draw the map. Your child may wish to illustrate the animal regions on the map with pictures cut from magazines. If you and your child choose to make a model of a farm, you can use modeling clay, cardboard, blocks, boxes or other materials to build the farm. Be sure the model farm has regions where particular animals live. For example, pigs usually live in a pigsty or pigpen.
- Be sure to label each region. You and your child may choose to label the regions with signposts or animal stickers. You may choose to "populate" the regions with drawings, pictures cut from magazines, or with small animal figures from games or toys your child owns.
- When you and your child have finished, display the map or the model in your home for other family members, relatives, and friends to view.
Materials Needed:
- drawing paper or poster board or modeling clay, cardboard, blocks, or boxes
- crayons, colored pencils, pens, or markers
- animal stickers (optional)
- magazines, scissors, paste or glue, animal figures (optional)
|
back to top
Grade 1 : Zone Your Home
 |
Help your child make a map, or layout, of your home, showing the rooms as regions. Regions are areas that are alike in one or more ways. Regions can be based on physical features that are part of the natural environment, such hills, rivers, lakes, climate, and plant and animal life. One example would be the Alps Mountains region in Europe. Regions also can be based on human features made or developed by people, such as the kind of government, the language, and customs. One example is Canada, a region described by political divisions called provinces. A region can be as small as a room in a home or as large as a continent, such as Australia.
Use the following steps as a guide:
- Talk with your child about each room being a type of region a sleeping region, an eating region, a bathing region, a storage region, and so on. You can also point out that within each room there are regions. For example, your child's bedroom has regions sleeping region, toy or play region, book region, study region, clothing region.
- Help your child draw a map of your home, showing all the regions. Be sure to label the rooms/regions of your home on the map.
Materials Needed:
- large butcher paper or drawing paper
- crayons, colored pens, or pencils
|
back to top
Grade 2 : Show Your Landforms!
 |
Work with your child to make a landform map to show regions in your state. Landforms are the shapes of the land and include valleys, hills, islands, mountains, plains, rivers, lakes, and so on. Regions are special places that share common physical or human features. Physical features are part of the natural environment, such hills, rivers, lakes, climate, and plant and animal life. Human features, made or developed by people, include kinds of government, language, jobs, and customs. For example, places in mountains regions all have mountains. A forest region has shares the same kinds of plants and animal life.
Use the following steps as a guide to making your landform map:
- Help your child search encyclopedias, atlases, and the Internet to find a physical map showing the landforms of your state.
- On a large piece of wood, poster board or heavy cardboard, help your child draw an outline of your state.
- Have your child point out various landforms in your state. Then, work with your child to draw these on the map of your state.
- Use modeling clay or the salt/flour recipe below and help your child fill in the outline of the state. Be sure to include shapes of the landforms.
- When the map is dry, work with your child to paint the map, using different colored paints to show the different landforms.
- Help your child make a map key to explain the colors of the landforms.
Materials Needed:
- encyclopedias, reference books, or the Internet
- large piece of wood, poster board or heavy cardboard
- modeling clay or salt/flour mixture
- colored pens, pencils, or markers
- paints
Salt/Flour Recipe
2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
1 cup water
2 tsp. cream of tartar
Mix ingredients together and knead. The mixture may be stored in an airtight container.
|
back to top
Grade 2 : Regions Nearby
 |
Grab your keys, put on your walking shoes or grab the car keys, and walk or drive your child on a field trip to see the regions of your neighborhood or community. Regions are areas that share common physical or human features. Physical features are part of the natural environment, such hills, rivers, lakes, climate, and plant and animal life. Human features, made or developed by people, include kinds of government, language, jobs, and customs. For example, a shopping mall is a region because it has stores. Other regions you might find in your neighborhood or community include apartment complexes, industrial regions, and parks.
Use the following steps as a guide:
- On your walk, help your child identify regions in your neighborhood or community.
- Talk with your child about the features that each region has that makes it different from other places. On a notepad, jot down the key points in your talk.
- When you return home, use your notes to help your child make a chart showing the regions of your neighborhood or community. Label the features of each region.
Materials Needed:
|
back to top
Grade 3 : Map Political Regions
 |
Help your child make a map of the political regions, or countries, of South America. Regions are areas that are based on common physical or human features. Physical features are part of the natural environment and include location, landforms, natural resources, climate, and plant and animal life. One example is the Alps Mountain region in Europe. Human features are made or developed by people and include political or government units, land use, religion, customs, or language. One example is the former Soviet Union. A region can be as small as a neighborhood or as large as a continent, such as Australia. Also, regions can change over time.
Use the map of South America below and work with your child to label the countries on the map. Your child also could mark and label the capital city of each country. Then, help your child search encyclopedias, other reference books, and the Internet for information about what makes some regions different from other regions. For example, how are the governments different in each of these countries? Then, work with your child to add this information to the map in the form of a table.
Materials Needed:
- encyclopedias, other reference books, the Internet
- outline map of South America
- pencils or markers
|
back to top
Grade 3 : Regional Roundup
|
Put together a diorama, or model, of your community showing the regions, or districts, that make up the community. Regions are areas that share one or more physical and/or human features. Physical features are part of the natural environment and include location, landforms, natural resources, climate, and plant and animal life. One example is the Alps region in Europe. Human features are made or developed by people and include political or government units, land use, religion, customs, or language. One example is the former Soviet Union. A region can be as small as a neighborhood or as large as a continent, such as Australia. Also, regions can change over time. One example of a community region based on physical features is a forest preserve. Your community might have a business region, or district, which has the human feature of businesses.
Use the following steps as a guide:
- Obtain a community map and use it to research your community with your child. Help your child decide which regions make up your community.
- Help your child construct a diorama using a large box or heavy cardboard.
- Have your child highlight the regions within your community by coloring and labeling each one.
- When your diorama is complete, your child may wish to ask if it can be displayed in the local library.
Materials Needed:
- box or heavy cardboard
- map of local community
- paper and pencil
- crayon, colored pens, pencils, or markers
|
back to top
Grade 4 : Wild Things in My State
 |
Help your child learn which plants or animals are found in your state. You may want to use encyclopedias, the Internet, and other resources to obtain this information. Work with your child to make a collage of images and information about the plants or animals in your state. Your child can use drawings, photographs, or pictures cut from magazines to complete the collage. You may want to cut the piece of paper into the shape of your state. Then, glue the pictures of plants or animals onto it.
Materials Needed:
- pencils, crayons, colored pencils, or markers
- scissors
- glue
- butcher paper or construction paper
- magazines (optional)
- photographs (optional)
|
back to top
Grade 4 : Climb Every Mountain!
 |
Imagine that an international group to promote the sport of mountain climbing has hired you and your child. The group wants you to create a brochure that will entice people to climb mountains in the mountain regions of the world. Regions are areas that are based on shared physical or human features. Physical features are part of the natural environment and include location, landforms, natural resources, climate, and plant and animal life. One example is the Alps Mountains region in Europe. Human features are made or developed by people and include political or government units, land use, religion, customs, or language. One example is the former Soviet Union. A region can be as small as a neighborhood or as large as a continent, such as Australia.
Use the following steps as a guide to making your brochure:
- Help your child look in encyclopedias, other reference books, and the Internet to find information about mountain regions of the world.
- Work with your child and use the attached map or make a map showing the major mountain regions in the world.
- Help your child write a short statement about each mountain region. Include the following information: location, length and height of each mountain region, the name of the tallest mountain, and the plants and animal life of each region.
- Help your child draw or find pictures in magazines of mountain climbers to add to the brochure.
- Work with your child and add slogans and other catchy phrases to your brochure to persuade people to climb every mountain!
- Share your brochure with other family members and friends.
Materials Needed:
- encyclopedias and other reference materials about mountains
- construction paper
- map of the world
- pencils, markers, and crayons
- magazines (optional)
- scissors
- paste, glue, or tape
|
back to top
Grade 5 : Be Politically Correct
 |
Make a historical atlas with your child to show how the political regions of North America have changed over time. Regions are areas that are based on common physical or human features. Physical features are part of the natural environment and include location, landforms, natural resources, climate, and plant and animal life. One example is the Alps Mountain region in Europe. Human features are made or developed by people and include political or government units, land use, religion, customs, or language. One example is the former Soviet Union. A region can be as small as a neighborhood or as large as a continent, such as Australia. Also, regions can change over time.
Use the following steps as a guide to making your historical atlas:
- Help your child look in history books, historical atlases, and other references to compare and contrast political maps of North America in 1700, 1800, 1900, and 2000.
- Work with your child make maps for the historical atlas to show how the political regions of North America have changed over time. Be sure to include a cover design for the atlas.
- Review the atlas with your child and talk about what caused the political regions of North America to change.
Materials Needed:
- history books, historical atlases, and other references with political maps of North America
- pencil, colored pens, or pencils
- outline map of North America
|
back to top
Grade 5 : Inform the Public
 |
Help your child create an infomercial to attract people to move to a specific region of the United States. Regions name areas that share one or more physical and/or human features. Physical features, such as landforms, climate, natural resources, or plant or animal life, are part of the natural environment and can describe regions. For example, some southwestern states form a desert region. Human features are those made by people. They include land use, jobs, transportation systems, or outdoor activities, and can also describe regions. Geographers often organize the United States into regions, such as the Pacific States, Mountain States, the Southwest, the Plains States, the Midwest or the Great Lakes States, the Southeast, and the Northeast, based on physical and human features.
Use the following ideas as guidelines for making your infomercial:
- Work with your child to choose a region of the United States for your infomercial perhaps the one in which you live!
- With your child, look in encyclopedias, other books, and on the Internet for information about the physical and human features in the region. Help your child choose features to emphasize in your infomercial.
- Help your child look in magazines or on the Internet to find visuals, such as photographs or maps to use in the infomercial. Then help your child write a script for the infomercial.
- Tape-record or videotape your childÍs infomercial. Share your infomercial with family members or friends!
Materials Needed:
- research books, encyclopedias, or the Internet
- paper and pencil
- a map of the region
- photographs of various features of the region
- tape recorder or video recorder (optional)
|
back to top
Grade 6 : What Time Is It?
 |
Help your child create and play the time-zone game, "What Time Is It?" Regions describe areas on Earth that share one or more physical and/or human features. Physical features are part of the natural environment and describe a region. These features include location, landforms, natural resources, climate, and plant and animal life. Human features are made or developed by people and also describe a region. Some examples include political or government units, land use, religion, customs, or language. Time zones are regions based on both physical and human features. Time zones are based on location and on the rotation of the Earth, which are physical features. Since people have drawn the lines to make the time zones, they are also based on a human feature.
Use the following steps as a guide in making your game:
- Help your child make a time-zone map of the world. You can find this kind of map in an atlas, encyclopedia, or other reference book. Use different colors to stand for different time zones. Work with your child to label the continents and several important cities, including your town or city. Then make several copies of the map for the game players.
- Help your child write questions for the game based on the time-zone map. Be sure to include the answer with each question. For example, "What time is it in New York City if it is 8:00 A.M. in London?" (3:00 A.M.) "What time is it in Chicago if you phone someone there from Rome at 10:45 P.M.?" (3:45 P.M.) "What time would you watch a television program at your house if it is scheduled for broadcast at 11:30 A.M. Eastern Standard Time?" (Answer depends on your location.)
- To play the game: have one person act as moderator and ask the questions. Ask each player in turn a question. A player receives one point for each correct answer. If a player answers incorrectly, ask the next player the same question until the correct answer is given. The player with the most points at the end of the game is the winner.
Materials Needed:
- time-zone map of the world copied from an atlas, encyclopedia, or other reference book
- pencil, colored pencils, markers
- written questions for the game
|
back to top
Grade 6 : Regions Change
 |
Help your child create two maps of one of the rain forests in South America, Asia, or Africa to show how a region changes. Regions are areas that are based on common physical or human features. Physical features are part of the natural environment and include location, landforms, natural resources, climate, and plant and animal life. One example is the Alps Mountain region in Europe. Human features are made or developed by people and include political or government units, land use, religion, customs, or language. One example is the former Soviet Union. A region can be as small as a neighborhood or as large as a continent, such as Australia. Also, regions can change over time.
Work with your child to find information about the changes in the extent of the rain forest. You can use the resources of your local library or "surf the Internet" to find information. Help your child make two maps one showing the extent of the rain forest 25 years ago and one showing the extent of the rain forest today. When you and your child have finished, compare and contrast the two maps. Talk with your child about the reasons for the changes in this region.
You might want to compare and contrast other maps showing changes in regions. Here are some suggestions:
- political maps of Eastern Europe in 1980 and today
- political maps of Africa in 1914 and today
- political maps of the world in 1940 and today
- maps of desert regions in 1975 and today
- maps of forest regions in North America in 1600 and today
- maps of animal habitats in 1950 and today
Materials Needed:
- atlases, encyclopedias, other references, or the Internet
- outline maps of South America, Asia, or Africa
- pens, pencils, colored pens, or pencils
|
back to top
|