A Big Rig Tour of the Southwest
Essential Question: How have geography and history shaped life in the Southwest?
Overview
In this lesson, students take a “big rig tour” of the Southwest region of the United States. In the Preview activity, a Geography Challenge introduces students to the Southwest. In a Writing for Understanding activity, groups of three students sit in big rigs, listen to a tour guide, and view nine images of places in the Southwest. The trucks stop at three sites, where students learn key concepts and facts about the region through interactive experiences. In a Reading Further activity, students act as newspaper reporters writing about the Battle of the Alamo. The writing activity serves as the Processing assignment for the chapter.
Objectives
Social Studies
• Trace the path of a tour through the Southwest on a map of the region.
• Analyze the design of the Hoover Dam.
• Identify the challenges faced by people along the U.S.-Mexico border.
• Reenact and describe the land rush in Oklahoma.
Language Arts
• Gather information from an audio tour. (listening)
• Synthesize information into letter form. (writing)
• Write a newspaper article. (writing)
Social Studies Vocabulary mesa, desert, adapt, aqueduct, dam, canyon, cave, cavern, border, mission, rebellion, capital
Essential Question: How have geography and history shaped life in the Southwest?
Overview
In this lesson, students take a “big rig tour” of the Southwest region of the United States. In the Preview activity, a Geography Challenge introduces students to the Southwest. In a Writing for Understanding activity, groups of three students sit in big rigs, listen to a tour guide, and view nine images of places in the Southwest. The trucks stop at three sites, where students learn key concepts and facts about the region through interactive experiences. In a Reading Further activity, students act as newspaper reporters writing about the Battle of the Alamo. The writing activity serves as the Processing assignment for the chapter.
Objectives
Social Studies
• Trace the path of a tour through the Southwest on a map of the region.
• Analyze the design of the Hoover Dam.
• Identify the challenges faced by people along the U.S.-Mexico border.
• Reenact and describe the land rush in Oklahoma.
Language Arts
• Gather information from an audio tour. (listening)
• Synthesize information into letter form. (writing)
• Write a newspaper article. (writing)
Social Studies Vocabulary mesa, desert, adapt, aqueduct, dam, canyon, cave, cavern, border, mission, rebellion, capital