GEO-Poems and ECO-Poems Lesson adapted from Focus on Economics: Geography, National Council on Economic Education, 1996

Purpose ► To organize and present information ► To use creativity when developing the “poems” ► To demonstrate understanding about a place in a fun, but non-traditional way ► To identify differences between geographic and economic perspectives

GEO-Poems

► City or Country Name ► Four physical features describing the place ► Three cultural features ► Neighbor of or bordering…. ► Description of climate (temperature, precipitation, etc) in a season or year ► Home of three distinct items that the place character ► Three historical trends or events that have shaped this place ► Two issues or problems of the place. ► Country or region name

Morocco (Sample GEO-Poem) Morocco. Bounded by the Atlas Mountains, Mediterranean shore, encroaching deserts and a rugged Atlantic coast,

Her people speak Arabic, French, Spanish and the dialects of nomadic Berber herdsmen; most share a Sunni Muslim faith.

Algeria lies beyond the mountains; Mauritania challenger to her claim to the Western Sahara, is farther south; and Spain is within eyesight across the Strait of Gibraltar.

Coastal dwellers bask in her Mediterranean climate of warm winters and comfortable summers while others enjoy her hot arid deserts and snowcapped mountains.

Berbers, Arabs and Europeans, surrounded by traditional Islamic architecture, design and art, populate old and new cities – Marrakesh, Fez, Tangier, Rabat, Casablanca – each has a distinctive history and personality.

Shaped by centuries of struggle between invading Arab and resident Berber cultures; she has absorbed the languages, political, economic and social institutions of the Portuguese, Spanish and French traders and colonizers; while she has evolved into a constitutional monarchy, uniting church and state in the person of the King.

Large numbers of uneducated young men migrate to urban centers seeking non- existent jobs while educated young women already living there wrestle with conflicts between their modern ideas and Islam’s traditional roles for women. Morocco, Pearl of North Africa

Extending the lesson ► Draw a country or region outline of the place on colored paper, cut it out and mount the outline on a poster. ► Write the GEO-Poem on the outline of the country or region. ► Decorate the borders with small pictures, symbols or diagrams

ECO-Poems

► City or Country name ► Four abundant resources in this place ► Three economic activities ► Major trading partners ► Type of economy and/or government ► Home of three historic landmarks ► Three events or historical trends that have shaped this place ► Two economic issues or problems of current importance ► Country or region name

Boston (sample ECO-Poem) Boston. Renown for succulent lobsters, high tech companies, brilliant university students and world class medical care.

Tourism, finance and education are among our specialties. We import oil from OPEC, lend money to Latin America and sell razor blades worldwide.

Our markets obey rules of the Boston City Council, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the United States Congress.

Old and new merge in our landmarks – the John Hancock Tower, Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market, and the World Trade Center.

We were first with the Boston Latin School, the Boston Public Library and the Boston Marathon.

Like other American cities, we struggle to improve our schools and care for our homeless. Welcome to Boston, USA.

Extending the Lesson ► Draw a country or region outline of the place on colored paper, cut it out and mount the outline on a poster. ► Write the ECO-Poem on the outline of the country or region. ► Decorate the borders with small pictures, symbols or diagrams

Closing Questions ► How does a geographic perspective differ from an economic perspective?  Geographic focus on physical processes and systems shaping the earth’s surface.  Economic focus on resources used to produce goods and services that consumers want or need, and how those goods and services are distributed.

► What did you learn from writing the poems? ► How did this lesson improve your understanding of a new or different place? ► What was your favorite part of doing this activity? ► Would you like to visit one of the places depicted in the poems?

for additional information…. ► Sue Lynn Sasser, PhD ► President, Oklahoma Council on Economic Education ► 100 N. University Drive, Box 103 ► Edmond, OK ► ►