Unit 4: Northeast and Southeast Regions of the United States 

Driving Question:

How have humans impacted their environment, bringing about change and development in the Northeast and Southeast regions?

Essential Questions:

• What brings about change?

• Why are consumers and producers important?

• What is cultural diversity?

Supporting Questions:

• How do the expanding metropolitan regions of the Northeast present opportunities, as well as challenges to human growth? 

• What are some advantages and disadvantages of early and present economic activities in the Northeast?

• How do producers and consumers use natural resources in the Southeast?

• To what extent does tourism contribute to economic growth in both regions?

• How can citizens protect the resources and environments of their communities? 

Prior Knowledge 

Measure students’ prior knowledge of the physical and human geography of the Northeast and Southeast regions by using the Pre-Learning Concept Checklist strategy and the provided Regions Concept Checklist. Invite students to share their perceptions and understandings with the class. What more would students want to learn and where could they find more information?  

Launch Task 

Review student prior understandings of natural resources using the presentation, What are Natural Resources, reinforcing the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources. Assist students to apply their knowledge by using the lesson How to Read a Resource Map, developed by National Geographic. Ask students to identify major resources, how they are used in everyday consumer items, and the location of significant supplies of each resource within the United States. What spatial patterns do students notice regarding the location of resources to major cities and transportation routes? 

Instructional Strategies 

• Suggested strategies for reinforcing the Social Studies Practices.

• Correlations to Social Studies Practices of the Oklahoma Academic Standards.

Objective Analysis and Instructional Resources 

Analysis for each grade-level's content standards and learning objectives is provided in a manner to support deep understanding of goals and expectations for the teacher and student. Following each Objective Analysis are links to Instructional Resources providing recommendations for lesson ideas, inquiry-based tasks, primary and secondary resources. 

Collaborative Engagement Ideas

• Night Lights
  An inquiry-based lesson developed by NASA, encourages students to analyze satellite imagery of the United States and draw conclusions regarding human settlement patterns. 

• Appalachia
  An Inquiry Design Model lesson from the C3 Teachers, challenges students to consider how art, music, and literature can reflect the geography and unique human features of a region.

• The Everglades
  An inquiry-based lesson from the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education, asks students to evaluate the natural and human causes for environmental changes. 

• The Atlantic Fall Line
  An inquiry lesson from the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education, invites students to examine human settlement patterns of major cities along the Atlantic coast. 

Following each Objective Analysis are links to Instructional Resources providing recommendations for lesson ideas, inquiry-based tasks, primary and secondary sources.  

Evidence of Learning: Formative Assessment Ideas

• Measure student understanding of renewable versus nonrenewable resources using a sample multiple-choice question related to a graphic organizer. Ask students to explain the depth of their knowledge regarding differences between these two types of resources. (Oklahoma Academic Standard 4.4.1) (

• Following student learning of the northeast region, using resources such as The Northeast Region: Climate and Resources, assess student understanding of the area’s climate and resources by creating illustrated postcards to friends about an imaginary visit. Encourage students to use detailed knowledge, such as sites they saw, clothing they wore for the climate, and souvenirs representative of the region's physical and human features. (Oklahoma Academic Standard 4.4.1) FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PROBE

• Assess student understanding of why and how humans modify their environment to meet economic needs, including the role of trade and transportation. Ask students to explain changes the Erie Canal brought to the Northeast region by composing a “Pros and Cons” chart, using their own knowledge and sources, such the Virtual Tour of the Erie Canal. Ask students to identify advantages of the canal to economic, industrial, and population growth versus impact on the physical environment. (Oklahoma Academic Standard 4.4.1, 4.4.3)

• Measure student understanding about the densely populated metropolitan regions of the Northeast, using resources such as Mid-Atlantic Life, New York City, and Urban Living, by challenging them to note their conclusions on a Five Themes of Geography organizer. (Oklahoma Academic Standard 4.3.2, 4.4.2) FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PROBE

• Assess student knowledge of the natural resources and human activities of the Northeast region, including how the environment supports economies. Ask students to demonstrate their understandings by noting conclusions on a Five Themes of Geography graphic organizer.  (Oklahoma Academic Standard 4.4.1, 4.4.2, 4.4.3)

• Assess student understanding of the importance of bayous to the Southeast region using the Chalk Talk strategy.  Ask students to examine a set of images and demonstrate their learning by responding to silent writing prompts. (Oklahoma Academic Standard 4.4.1)

• Assess student understanding of the impact of natural events such as hurricanes on the Southeast Region, using a videoclip When the Waves Swell. Ask students to compose a public service announcement poster, including a description of possible effects of hurricanes and a list of safety tips for storm preparation. (Oklahoma Academic Standard 4.2.4B)

• Assess student knowledge of trade and transportation networks by asking students to develop a Venn diagram comparing the role of ports in the Northeast and Southeast regions, using information from resources, such as Southeast Ports and USA Ports Map. (Oklahoma Academic Standard 4.4.2A)

• Measure student knowledge of the importance of coal mining in the Southeast, including both its effects on economic activities and the environment. Following student learning using resources such as Southeast Coal Mining, ask students to note conclusions on a basic Cause-Effect graphic organizer. (Oklahoma Academic Standard 4.4.2, 4.4.3) FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT PROBE 

Unit Closure Idea 

Invite students to explore the cultural traits of music and art, listening to the collection of Music of the Mississippi Delta, noting reactions with the Music From Across the Nation analysis guide, and viewing paintings from Music in Art. Encourage students to discover and share other examples of music from the Southeast region, including jazz, blues, and bluegrass. To extend the lesson, invite students to explore other cultural traits of the city of New Orleans.

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