WORLD GEOGRAPHY (Elective)


(Social Studies: U.S. Studies Cluster)

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This integrated, collaboratively taught Social Studies Content class will provide all students an opportunity to study world geography and the five themes of geography so they will know about, understand, better appreciate, their world and their role in preserving it. By satisfying requirements of this study, all students will become more informed, skilled, productive, employable, and socially responsible citizens.

SWRSD OUTCOMES

Outcome 2: Students understand, accept and appreciate their own language and culture and the cultures of others.
Outcome 4: Students learn and understand their rights and responsibilities and work together as members of a democratic society.
Outcome 5: Students demonstrate honesty, respect, concern, and caring for themselves, their environment, and others.
Outcome 6: Students use a variety of ways to think and to reason when solving problems and making thoughtful decisions.
COURSE OUTLINE

CONTENT (Essential course facts, concepts, and basic skills; assessed with teacher -made tests and rubrics )

Major Units of Study
A. Introductory Unit
Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard A: Geography
(A student should be able to make and use maps, globes, and graphs to gather, analyze, and report spatial information.)
Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
B. Location and North America

Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard A: Geography
(A student should be able to make and use maps, globes, and graphs to gather, analyze, and report spatial information.)

Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to

C. Physical Place and South America

Alaska Content Standards: Standard B: Geography
(A student should be able to utilize, analyze, and explain information about the human and physical features of places and regions.)

Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to

D. Human Place and Southern and East Asia

Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard B: Geography
(A student should be able to utilize, analyze, and explain information about the human and physical features of places and regions.)

Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
E. Region and Europe

Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard D: Geography
(A student should understand and be able to interpret spatial characteristics of human systems, including migration, movement, interactions of cultures, economic activities, settlement patterns and political units in the state, nation, and world.)
Alaska Content Standard F: Geography
 (A student should be able to use geography to understand the world by interpreting the past, knowing, the present, and preparing for the future.)

Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
F. Human/Environment Interaction and Africa

Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard E: Geography
(A student should understand and be able to evaluate how humans and physical environments interact.)

Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
G. Movement and Western Asia

Alaska Content Standard(s): Standard E: Geography
(A student should understand and be able to interpret spatial characteristics of human systems, including migration, movement, interactions of cultures, economic activities, settlement patterns and political units in the state, nation, and world.)
 Alaska Content Standard F: Geography
 (A student should be able to use geography to understand the world by interpreting the past, knowing, the present, and preparing for the future.)

Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
SKILLS (Essential processes or skills, universally taught by all teachers in all courses; assessed with teacher -made rubrics and/or tests )
Major Categories of Skills

A. Cross-curricular and/or Integrative Skills

Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
1. effectively communicate (listen, observe, read, write, discuss, present, explain, persuade, defend)
3. use a variety of higher order thinking skills (hypothesizing, estimating, analyzing, classifying, synthesizing, evaluating,inferring, generalizing) to solve common day-to-day problems
Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
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C. Life and/or Employability Skills
Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to
respect and treat others equally, from the perspective of the needs and rights of all people
D. Cultural Relevance:



Alaska Content Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools: Student Standards A-E
Key Elements: Student will know about, understand, and demonstrate the ability to

INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS


A. Community Resources Related to Course
Each individual and/or team of instructors, with the help of long time staff, students, parents and other concerned community members should cooperatively compile and periodically update a list of village elders, parents, local government leaders, business persons, and other concerned, active members of the community willing to share their wealth of experiences, knowledge and skills. If available, specific examples should be included now.

 B. Major Internet Web Site Addresses Related to Course (a tiny sample)
Or, use one of the many Internet search options to directly access a branch, cabinet department, office, agency, or bureau of the Federal Government or specific information and materials related to a particular topic. What works for the Federal Government also works for the State of Alaska. For example:

Information not available at this time

C. Media Center: Southwest Region School District
 Contact Roz Goodman, the Southwest Region Media Specialist, for help. She has lists of materials related to specific subject areas and will help you find Internet resources or other materials
D. Itinerant Travel Kits and/or Permanent Core Skills Instructors' Materials
Information not available at this time


Information not available at this time

Information not available at this time

Information not available at this time




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(Assessment Guidelines and Grading still "under construction" and awaiting additional in-put)

Teacher-made tests of content units will be required: pre-tests, quizzes, Unit Tests, Final Exams

Processes/Skills will be assessed Rubrics, checklists, et.al.

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(The Following Still Needs Input, Thought, and Work)

ASSESSMENT GUIDELINES AND GRADING
The primary goal of this class is to give all students an opportunity to gain essential new knowledge, comprehension, and skills. To determine if all students are actually attaining this goal, regular, in-progress assessment of student progress will be part of daily in-progress activities and final student projects.

CONTENT KNOWLEDGE TESTS
Minimum Requirements : At the very least, course Content will be regularly assessed with traditional
Teacher-made Tests (multiple choice, completion, true/false, matching, short essay).
Suggestions:
CRITERION-REFERENCED TESTS (CRT's)
 STUDENT PERFORMANCE RUBRICS
EXTRA CREDIT WORK
In order to encourage students to pursue high level performances and quality products, all students who have completed required work, including any expected revisions, should be given an opportunity and encouraged to do Extra Credit work that might increase the depth and/or breadth of their understanding.
GRADING
All students will be held accountable for meeting the minimum requirements of all courses and will earn grades based on their ability to demonstrate the acquisition of basic content knowledge and comprehension, and their ability to apply specific essential skills to produce quality finished products. Final Grades in all courses will follow on a traditional "A", "B", "C", "D", "F", "I", system.
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