Land Use In California
 
California Environments 
   Patti Lenahan                           Indian Springs School                                Grade 2 
Introduction
Standards 
Objectives
Activities
Assessment 
Results
Resources
 
Introduction
 .
Subject: Social Science
Topic: California Environments
Grade Level: Second
Land Use In California 

California is a diverse state, with a variety of land forms.  These range from the majestic Sierra Nevada Mountains, to the urban metropolis of such areas as Los Angeles and San Francisco. The midpoint of these extremes is the suburban refuge to which the majority of the populace retreat. 
This unit is designed to acquaint students with the various land uses of the state, and how they affect employment and lifestyles.

Standards Addressed
     Social Science Grade Two 
2.2 Students demonstrate map skills by describing the absolute and relative locations of people, places, and environments.
      4. Compare and contrast basic land use in urban, suburban, and rural environments in California. 
 
  

  • Instructional Objectives

    • The student will use a variety of materials to research the three California Environments of rural, suburban, and urban, for the purpose of learning about land use. 

    1.  Color, cut, and paste with scissors, glue, paper, and crayons. 
    2.  Label a poster with the headings of Rural, Suburban, and Urban, and categorize pictures correctly under the appropriate label. 
    3.  Interview an adult to acquire information about that individual's upbringing, and how the physical environment influenced his/her lifestyles. 
    4.  Summerarize information collected from an interview, to write a report which describes how life choices were influenced by the physical environment.Use a computer word processor to write the finished copy of  the story. 
    5.  Illustrate the story with computer software such as KID WORKS, or illustrate the story with traditional mediums such as paint, chalk, or crayons. 
    6.  Create a replica of a community using a creative mode such as a diorama, 3-D salt/flour sculpture, cereal boxes, or other medium. 
    7.  Use the computer to access a web link. 
     
      


    Student Activities

    Introductory Activity
    Pre-test  -  Page 17 
    Instruct students to cut out the pictures and heading words, Rural, Suburban and Urban.  Ask them to place the pictures under the correct heading. 
    When students finish this task, go over the test, identifying the three environments.  Use a large classroom map of California to discuss the various land types.  Allow children to relate experiences which they have had, travelling or living in different parts of California. 
    Discuss the differences of land types and how these differences influence someone's lifestyle choices for work and recreation. Visit the web site: California Images, together as a class. 

    Poster
    Each student will create a poster from magazine photographs, with three columns, Rural, Suburban and Urban. Monitor this activity to check for understanding. 

    Display the posters in the classroom during the course of this study.

    Enabling Activity
    Interview an Adult
    Students are to log on the the Internet site listed on the Materials Page.   They may print out the questions to use for their interviews. They need to ask at least five of these  questions in their interview. 

    The purpose of this interview is a tool by which the students can relate with a family member (or other acquainted adult), and hear a first hand account of how that adult made life choices based on the area in which they were raised. 
     

    Culminating Activity
    Create a replica of a Rural, Suburban, or Urban community.
    Results/Assessment
    Student Data
     
     
    Web Resources & Supplementary Materials

    Introductory Activity - Pre-Test Page 17 
    Enabling Activity - Internet Site 
    Culminating Activity - Check Out My Power Point Presentation
     

    School Name Indian Springs School
    School Location Big Bend, CA
    Patti Lenahan:plenahan@shastalink.k12.ca.us
    Last Revised: 5/20/01