A Crop Duster Tour of the Midwest
Essential Question: Why do we call the Midwest “America’s Heartland”?
Overview
Students tour the Midwest region of the United States. In the Preview, a Geography Challenge introduces students to the Midwest. In a Writing for Understanding activity, students listen to a tour guide and view images of the Midwest. Through interactive experiences, students learn key concepts and facts about the region. Then students use their notes to write a letter about their excursions in the Midwest. In Reading Further, students learn what life was like in one Midwestern city—Detroit, Michigan—during World War II. The writing activity serves as the Processing assignment for this chapter.
Objectives
Social Studies
• Describe the major physical and human features of the Midwest.
• Apply map skills to locate nine important sites in the Midwest.
• Use a map of the region to trace the route of a tour through the Midwest.
• Categorize key elements of the economy, geography, transportation, history, and people of the Midwest over time.
• Write about Detroit during World War II from one of two points of view.
Language Arts
• Gather information from an audio tour. (listening)
• Synthesize information into letter form. (writing)
Social Studies Vocabulary frontier, prairie, fertile, livestock, feedlot, meatpacking, reservation, assembly line, transportation hub
Essential Question: Why do we call the Midwest “America’s Heartland”?
Overview
Students tour the Midwest region of the United States. In the Preview, a Geography Challenge introduces students to the Midwest. In a Writing for Understanding activity, students listen to a tour guide and view images of the Midwest. Through interactive experiences, students learn key concepts and facts about the region. Then students use their notes to write a letter about their excursions in the Midwest. In Reading Further, students learn what life was like in one Midwestern city—Detroit, Michigan—during World War II. The writing activity serves as the Processing assignment for this chapter.
Objectives
Social Studies
• Describe the major physical and human features of the Midwest.
• Apply map skills to locate nine important sites in the Midwest.
• Use a map of the region to trace the route of a tour through the Midwest.
• Categorize key elements of the economy, geography, transportation, history, and people of the Midwest over time.
• Write about Detroit during World War II from one of two points of view.
Language Arts
• Gather information from an audio tour. (listening)
• Synthesize information into letter form. (writing)
Social Studies Vocabulary frontier, prairie, fertile, livestock, feedlot, meatpacking, reservation, assembly line, transportation hub