Beyond Borders
Exploring European Physical and Cultural Landscapes in Grades 6-8
The overall theme of this teacher-tested unit is using maps to understand borders and their impacts in Europe. The materials will help your middle school students to use maps to think about how borders intersect physical and human geographical features, and how those intersections can lead to cooperation and/or conflict. The educator resources provided in the unit include maps, multimedia, and case studies that will enable students to develop skills in map analysis and apply that analysis to specific situations. Other parts of the unit will invite you and your students to explore similar cases in Europe and your own community.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/unit/beyond-borders/
European Borders Through History
How have European political borders changed over time?
Students compare maps of European borders at three points in history: after World War I, after World War II, and the 2011 European Union (EU) countries. Students look for political borders that have changed and others that have remained the same, and compare those to what they know about cultural and physical geography in Europe and in their own state or local area.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/lesson/european-borders-through-history/
More Physical Geography and Borders
What are some additional examples of physical features creating barriers that impact country borders? How do they affect borders?
Students research four additional examples of physical geography and borders. They explore how mountains, oceans, and islands create physical barriers that affect the country borders in Europe.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/lesson/more-physical-geography-and-borders/
Languages and Religions of the United Kingdom and Ireland
In the island countries of the United Kingdom and Ireland, why did the borders develop in a way that splits one island into two countries, while the other island is unified?
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/lesson/languages-and-religions-united-kingdom-and-ireland/
Beyond Borders
Exploring European Physical and Cultural Landscapes in Grades 6-8
The overall theme of this teacher-tested unit is using maps to understand borders and their impacts in Europe. The materials will help your middle school students to use maps to think about how borders intersect physical and human geographical features, and how those intersections can lead to cooperation and/or conflict. The educator resources provided in the unit include maps, multimedia, and case studies that will enable students to develop skills in map analysis and apply that analysis to specific situations. Other parts of the unit will invite you and your students to explore similar cases in Europe and your own community.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/unit/beyond-borders/
Touring a French City:
Students make buildings unique to the French culture and are assessed on cultural understanding, based on their explanation of what made their building uniquely French.
www.learner.org/libraries/tfl/french/neuman/profile.html
www.learner.org/libraries/tfl/french/neuman/profile.html
300 - Thermopylae and Rise of an Empire - Preface
AwesomeStories.com is free, non-commercial educational web site for educators (as the basis for lesson plans) and students. Stories link to organized primary and secondary source materials found principally at U.S. and other worldwide national archives, museums, libraries, universities, news organizations and government websites. The purpose of the site (including its eight separate, stand-alone channels) is to take visitors on a virtual guided tour of relevant on-line source materials.
www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/300-Thermopylae-and-Rise-of-an-Empire
www.awesomestories.com/asset/view/300-Thermopylae-and-Rise-of-an-Empire
Middle Ages- Western Europe: Feudalism, Crusades, Black Death.
- Summarize how European kingdoms developed in the early Middle Ages and realize the importance of a nation's close relationship with the pope.Describe the power of the Roman Catholic Church throughout society as well as its construction of grand Gothic-style cathedrals.Tell how Jewish people endured medieval anti-Antisemitism. Identify the Crusades and how they effected medieval Europe. Describe the social and economic consequences of the growth of towns and the Black Death. Discuss the development of nation-states in Europe. Medieval European society was shaped by disease, warfare, and class structure.
- www.socialstudiescms.com/middle-ages-in-western-europe
Stations of the Renaissance
Students will be placed into groups each being assigned a topic: Political, Economic, Religious. Great Introduction Lesson.
www.saisd.net/admin/curric/sstudies/resources/teacher_zone/Hands_On/WorldHist/pdf/ho_wh_renaissance.pdf
www.saisd.net/admin/curric/sstudies/resources/teacher_zone/Hands_On/WorldHist/pdf/ho_wh_renaissance.pdf