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Place |
__ What are the unique human made and natural characteristics of the region? __ What are the advantages or disadvantages for human habitation? |
| Three of the fastest growing forms of cheap and clean energy are solar , wind, geothermal. Read how they all work from the California Energy Commission. | |
| So you understand energy and how it’s made. But maybe you still need to understand how and where people use it every day? Check out this interactive site! | |
| Choose geographical region: BAY AREA | |
| Do you have a question about volcanoes, earthquakes, mountains, rocks, maps, ground water, lakes, or rivers? | |
Location |
__ Where is the region? |
| Satellites using latitude and longitude can pinpoint anywhere from space. If you’re at all curious how amazing these machines are, use this program. I tried to locate my school, but it is difficult. Try using the advanced features to find a specific place. | |
| One of the most noted mapping companies around. | |
| You’re flying from one point to the other in your region or in the nation and you have no clue how far it is. If there’s no map handy, use this reference tool! | |
| How does it work? So I used the Terra Server (above) and found my area, but how can any one point on the Earth be identified with invisible lines? | |
Check out the HRW World Atlas (this link is to the USA only). Each region has a different location and topography. Hey...what does "topography" mean? Look it up in the online geography dictionary! |
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Movement |
__ What physical movement has helped form this region? __ How has geography affected interaction between this region and other regions? |
| This simple animations shows the date and size of the United States as it grew. Click here for a printable color map with much more detail. | |
| I don’t know what the general climate is for a state, but you can find yours here! If this isn’t helpful enough, ask Weather.com. Oh wait, you need historical data? Use the Climate Diagnostics Center's climate maps dating back to 1895! | |
| How does geography influence where people live? Find out here with landform maps of all fifty states. | |
| You’ve won a vacation in your favorite biome. How are you going to survive? With the research and help of a Botanist, Meteorologist, Zoologist, Cartographer, Environmentalist, Sociologist you will. (made for 6th graders) | |
| Research and create a play covering the lives of immigrants to the United States. | |
| Create a scrapbook using pictures, journal entries, letters, artifacts, inspection papers, currency, identification, etc...to represent your family immigrating to the United States. | |
| Be part of a panel interviewed about coming to the United States. Dress in clothing of the day as you answer questions about your journey. You will be asked to discuss the problems and joys of moving into new territory, what items you were able to carry, hardships encountered, health problems, reasons for going, how you were received by the people who were there, and your opinions about the problems people today might encounter when they move into a new country. | |
| What is a flag and why are they all so different? Take a minute to design your own flag while you research others. | |
You have been assigned the task of creating a proposal for a new colony. This work is to be very comprehensive because an error on your part may cost the lives of many colonists. (copied from intro) |
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Human
Interaction with Environment |
__ How have people past and present interacted with the environment? __ How do people adapt to change and depend on this region? |
| Learn about the Iroquois, their homes, village, and the people. | |
| "Your task will be to work in groups of four to create your own unique Declaration of Independence reflecting your feelings. Your finished declaration will be presented to the principal in the form of a printed document--much like the actual Declaration of Independence." (copied from intro) | |
| You are Paul Revere and the British are coming. Answer questions about historical America and the Revolution in order to beat the British to Lexington & Concord! | |
| "It's September 17, 1787, the final draft of the United States Constitution has just been sent to congress and will now be sent to the states to be ratified. Your job as an employee of your home state newspaper (pick one of the states existing in 1787*) is to provide news to the public about the important event that has just taken place. You must communicate this information to your readers! It's a big job! How do you do it?" (copied from intro) | |
| What would it have been like to live in the colonial days? Find out through these Web sites and activities. | |
"The Virginia Assembly has just been formed in Jamestown, and the Assembly members want to celebrate by creating a time capsule. The time capsule will hold ten items that represent life in the Jamestown settlement. Your job as a Committee is to create a time capsule to present to the Virginia Assembly for approval. To choose the items for your time capsule, you will use information about the Jamestown settlement from the World Wide Web. You will need to persuade your group members and the class that your items belong in the time capsule." (copied from intro) |
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Another great activity is the Jamestown online simulation game. Work through choices to see if your colony can survive! The Colonial Williamsburg site is a bit more complex, although it has some interesting information! |
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| The colony has disappeared! Form a band of historians and figure out what happened. Present your findings to a group and be prepared for questions! | |
| Take a virtual field trip through Plymouth Plantation, the recreation of the original village, and work on a scavenger hunt as you learn. | |
| Research the real events and prepare a mock trial from the transcripts of George Burroughs. | |
| This great site tells you all about commercial fishing of most ocean creatures you’ll find in your local grocery store. For more on the cold water lobster check out Hatch to Catch. | |
Cranberry Harvest  |
One of the famous products from the northeast is cranberries. Go on a virtual tour of a cranberry bog harvest. Not enough visuals? There’s a whole slew of cranberry farming pictures available here. |
Maple Syrup |
Is maple syrup really made from maple trees? I have maple trees in my backyard, how can I make some homemade maple syrup? |
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Part
of an Independent Learning Project for Cambridge
College |
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Backgrounds
from Absolute Background
Textures Archive
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Updated:
April 22, 2004
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*All
graphics were created by author, unless otherwise noted.
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