NETS-S and Essential Standard Scenario

Grade/Subject NETS-S Standard 7th Grade Social Studies Standard 1: Creativity and Innovation Performance Indicator: b: create original works as a means of personal or group expression 7.G.2 Apply the tools of a geographer to understand modern societies and regions 7.G.2.2 Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools (i.e. GPS and GIS Software) to interpret and draw conclusions about social, economic, and environmental issues in modern societies and regions.

Essential Standard Lesson Scenario

The instructor will teach the students how to use a map, charts, and geographic data to identify distinguishable physical, religious, and environmental issues of the continent of Asia. The students will learn that Asia is the worlds most populated continent in the world. An estimated 4.3 billion people live with in its 51 countries. The two largest countries of Asia are China and India. These countries compose of 60 percent of the entire population of Asia. The students will learn that the tallest mountain in the world is located in between Nepal and China, Mt Everest. Mount Everest tallest peak is measured at 29, 035 ft. The longest river in Asia is the Yangtze River, it measures 3,915 miles long. The Yangtze River begins in Shanghai and flows to the city of Chongqing. The students will learn that the continent of Asia has a wide variety of languages spoken. In fact more than 600 languages are spoken in the country of Indonesia alone. However, the most spoken language of Asia is Mandarin, due to its high Chinese population. The students will learn how the origins of many worldly religions were formed in Asia. Christianity was formed in West Asia. Christianity is comprised of 3 major branches Catholic, Orthodox, and Protestant, making it the worlds largest religious group. Students will learn about the following environmental concerns of Asia: Overpopulation, Contaminated Water, and Air Pollution. Overpopulation in regions have attributed to an increase in its population being unemployed, uneducated, and undernourished. Water plants have become contaminated from high volumes of sewage and salt water intrusion. Air quality has been diminished due to its increase in motor vehicles and power plants factories. To demonstrate what they learned about the continent of Asia, the students will create a popplet mind-map of a specific country of Asia. Each mind map will describe the following: physical geography of that country (i.e. Mountains, Rivers), Religion of that country (i.e. Christianity, Judaism), and Environmental factors (Global Warming, Earthquakes). After mind maps are completed students will present them to their peers in class.