1. Unit One: Lesson Ten

2.  To study a place geographers ask questions about the place and try to find answers.  Geographers explore where a place is located by studying maps.  Geographers explore what a place is like by studying the natural and human characteristics of the place.  Geographers study how people have used the environment of a place by exploring its natural resources.  Geographers explore how people have changed the environment of the place and how they have adapted to the environment.  Geographers explore how a place is connected to other places by studying how people, goods and ideas move in and out of the place.  Geographers explore how a place can be divided into regions and to what regions the place belongs.

3.  As preparation for this lesson have students gather together the Word Cards, Big Idea Cards, graphic organizers and other resources they have collected in their Michigan studies journal from previous lessons of this unit.  In addition, you may want students to review any textbook sections they have used in this unit such as the pages from Meet Michigan listed in the Student Resources.

4.  Where is Michigan located?  What are important natural (physical) characteristics of Michigan?  What are important human characteristics of Michigan?  What are important natural resources of Michigan?  How have people changed the environment of Michigan?  How have people adapted to the environment of Michigan?  How and why do goods move into and out of Michigan?  How can Michigan be divided into regions?  To what regions of the United States does Michigan belong?

5.  In small groups you will design a presentation which describes the geography of Michigan by answering the questions on the list.  The presentation could be a poster display, brochure, dramatization, newscast, or PowerPoint presentation.  You should begin to plan your presentation by completing the chart together.

8.  What were some of the commonalities regarding how various groups answered the questions about the geography of Michigan?  What were some of the differences?  Which of the questions was hardest to answer?  Which of the questions was easiest to answer?  If you were to study the geography of another state could you use the same questions? Why or why not?