Michelle Lynn Hofmann

WHERE o’ WHERE CAN MY PEN PAL BE FROM?

3rd grade

Friday, January 17, 1997, 11:00-12:00 PM

Performance Expectations:

Students will be able to utilize different global representations:
maps, gloves, & atlases, research different geography of
Mexico, incorporate climate, land uses, etc into a culminating
representation of the topography of Mexico, and familiarize themselves
with the political boundaries of Mexico.

Content Area: Geography, Weather, Math, Political Science, Economics

Strategy:

Use the internet and informational books provided by the teacher
and found within the school and community libraries to create
an intricate topographical representation of Mexico.

Materials Needed:

clay/other malleable medium

internet

atlases

topographic representations

relief maps

pins

marking flags

other media to create geographic features

string

Directions:

Introduction:

Preface this lesson with discussion on responsibility of working
with clay and around other materials. Each student will research
where their pen pal is from in relation to all of Mexico.

Development:

1. The students can divide into task groups where they will be
responsible for specific components of the map’s construction.

2. One group will work on constructing a political map of 31
states and one federal district. Another will create a legend
and key.

3. Captions about different landforms will be created by one
group.

4. Markers of major cities and attractions will be place upon
the topographic map.

5. Each student will pinpoint their pen pal’s hometown.

Closure:

Each child can present their findings to the class via a short
presentation about the population, landforms, ruins, etc. of their
pen pal’s city. They may either present verbally or in a written
or project form.

Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated based upon group cooperation, individual
reporting of findings, peer evaluations, and responsibility of
time and use of materials.

Adaptation:

Create a travel brochure highlighting each child’s pen pal and
discussing the surrounding city/area. Groups would be according
to similar pen pal locations. The students would focus upon the
geographic, historical, and cultural aspects of their areas.

References:

Michelle Lynn Hofmann