Day 3:
On Day 3, we focus on further applying what the students have learned about how the world is divided to project.

Using Student Resource 4.1 of Unit 2, we review the guiding question, “What makes a place a place?” I encourage students to recall the five themes of geography because we will be using them for our project, which is a 30-second PowerPoint presentation that describes the theme of “place.” For this project, the students will focus on Brooklyn. After reviewing the project handout, the students understand the expectations, instructions, and guidelines for the project.

For the duration of the class time on Day 3 activity, the students work in teams to research the different characteristics of Brooklyn. They use various web sites to search for facts on demography, tourist sites, statistics, etc. They then use Microsoft Word to organize and assemble their research in a way so that they can eventually access it for the PowerPoint presentation.

Collaboration and communication is central to this activity. The students had to consistently and effectively communicate with each other in order to stay on track with this initial part of the project. They have to make sure that all five themes are being researched as well as make sure that each team member is being held accountable for her/his part of the research activity. Through this part of the lesson, the students are able to develop their computer skills, their communication skills, and their organizational skills.