Introduction to Unit

Abstract

The Students
This unit is intended for a diverse class of 10th grade geography students. It should be appropriate for any group of American students in their mid-teens. Most of the students have spent plenty of time on the Internet, both in school and in their personal lives. I assume I will encounter. The class includes some English Language Learners, as well as other students who struggle with basic literacy.

The Designer
I am 28-year-old graduate student working towards my Secondary Social Studies certification at Hamline University in Saint Paul, Minnesota. I am the son of a high school Social Studies teacher and a technical school administrator. I have lived in South Dakota, Massachusetts, Japan, and Minnesota, and thus have a first-hand understanding of Push and Pull Factors.

Impact 1: Online Map & Internet Skills
I believe that online maps will eclipse paper maps in societal importance soon, if they have not already. As such, I believe that teaching students how to interact with maps online will make them better students, workers, and citizens in the world they will inhabit.

Impact 2: Community Building
As an introduction to my semester-long geography class, this unit is an essential opportunity for community building. The major projects in this unit are intended to build basic geographical knowledge and skill, but they are also designed to create a community of humble and motivated learners out of my students. Efforts will also be made to extend this community beyond classroom walls by involving parents and sharing student work. If I succeed in building a community during these first weeks of the year, the rest of the semester will be easier for me and more useful for the students.

Impact 3: Understanding a Diverse Society and a Shrinking World
My students live in a world that is more connected than ever before. Raindrops that fall halfway around the world cause water to lap at their front doors. The workforce they will enter will lack true borders; they will be required to interact with people in and from disparate parts of the world. A good Geography class should provide them with the tools they will need to obtain, discuss, and use information about other places and cultures. This unit will lay the foundation for those competencies.