Geography Unit #1 Lesson 2 Locating Professional Sports Teams in the US

Read the Lesson Description Click <here> when ready The proliferation of professional sports teams in the United States and the jockeying for the “right” location, i.e. the newest stadium, the best tax benefits, the largest television audience, and even the opportunity for local fans to see a professional team in action, makes the geography of professional sports teams a never-ending attraction for both fans and students of geography. Students will utilize choropleth mapping skills to arrange the geographic data; they will analyze the map to determine the factors which impact the location of the various sports teams. Read the Lesson Description Click <here> when ready

Objective Question & Standard Lesson OQ – What factors impact the location of professional sports teams? Geography Standard 1 – Maps Benchmark -   Identify geographic patterns which emerge when collected data is mapped and analyze mapped patterns through the application of such common geographical principles as hierarchy, accessibility, diffusion and complementarity. Apply the analysis of mapped patterns to the solution of problems. Copy Objective Question in Notebook Read the Standard Click <here> when ready

Copy key term into notebook Click <here> when ready Key Terms Choropleth Map - a thematic map in which areas are shaded or patterned in proportion to the measurement of the statistical variable being displayed on the map, such as population density or per-capita income. Copy key term into notebook Click <here> when ready

Copy the Lesson Objective into Notebook Speculate on the geographical aspects of professional sports in the United States. Arrange geographic data in spatial form (create a choropleth map). Analyze spatial data for patterns of accessibility of professional sports by the major US Population centers. Copy the Lesson Objective into Notebook Click <here> when ready

Opener - Favorite Sports Teams Answer question in notebook What is your favorite team? Where is the team located? Have you attended a game of your favorite team? How far did you travel to get to that site? Do some cities have more than one professional team? Why? Label in notebook. Answer all questions in notebook Click <here> when ready

TASK 1: Handout #1 – Professional Sports teams in the US (2002) Pick up Handout #1. write heading in notebook and answer all questions Click <here> when ready Answer questions in notebook – Do you see any patterns with the information as it is arranged in this format? Why do some states have many teams and some states are not even listed?

TASK 2: Handout #2 – Professional Sports in the USA Look at the legend/key. What are the numbers for each segment? Select 5 colors – FILL IN THE BUBBLES Darkest color for the highest number Lightest color for the lowest number COLOR IN THE MAP BASED ON THE DATA FROM HANDOUT #1 PICK UP HANDOUT #2 COMPLETE THE STEPS FOR TASK 2 Click <here> when ready

COPY AND ANSWER QUESTIONS IN NOTEBOOK Think About It! Copy and Answer in notebook – Does this arrangement show patterns? What patters does the arrangement show? What conclusions can you draw from the patterns? COPY AND ANSWER QUESTIONS IN NOTEBOOK Click <here> when ready

TASK #3 - Proximity to other teams SELECT ONE PROFESSIONAL SPORTS TEAM FROM EACH OF THE TOP FOUR SPORTS – FOOTBALL, BASEBALL, BASKETBALL, HOCKEY Use an atlas or the internet to determine how many professional teams are located within 200 miles of each city that has a professional team in a particular sport For example – The Philadelphia Eagles – What other football teams are within a 200 mile radius COMPLETE TASK #3 IN NOTEBOOK Click <here> when ready

TASK #4 - Who has no sports teams? In your notebook, create a list of the states that do not have a professional sports team. Copy and Answer in notebook Do these states have anything in common COMPLETE TASK #4 IN NOTEBOOK Click <here> when ready

COMPLETE TASK #5 IN NOTEBOOK MAPS ARE ON NEXT TWO SLIDES TASK #5 - Comparison Compare your map of the Professional Sports Teams Map with the following 2 maps. USA at Night Geographic Map of the US Copy and Answer the following question in your notebook for BOTH maps. Do you see any correlation with the data on the maps? COMPLETE TASK #5 IN NOTEBOOK MAPS ARE ON NEXT TWO SLIDES Click <here> when ready

Map of USA at Night

Geographic Map of US

TASK #6 - Class Work Activity Complete – Constructed Response Assessment 3-2-1 Wrap-Up Activity PICK UP WORKSHEET AND TURN IN Click <here> when ready

COMPLETE ON BACK OF TASK #6 WORKSHEET Exit Ticket Why is a choropleth map a good vehicle for analyzing geographic data? COMPLETE ON BACK OF TASK #6 WORKSHEET Click <here> when ready

Homework Read Standard #1 and Answer questions

Extra Credit #1 Look at the list of Sports Teams. How man of the Professional Sports teams names are related to geography or history of a city or state. Make a list, explaining why they are related.

Extra Credit #2 Create a list of stadiums that have geographic or historic connections Example – Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio Rivers intersect at the stadium