Activity/Project Title: Scavenger Hunt: North Americas Physical Features

Subject Area: Social Studies/Geography

Grade Level: 2nd

Lesson Length/Number of Sessions: 2 one-hour lessons

Content (Concept/Understanding or Skill/Ability): Using a map (Google
Earth)
to locate important physical features and countries of North America
Prerequisites: Introduction to Google Earth (creating placemarks, paths,
and using the ruler), the basics of Google Search
Google Earth Tutorials
http://earth.google.com/intl/en/userguide/v4/tutorials/index.html
State Standards addressed: History/Social Science 2.2 Students demonstrate
map
skills by describing the absolute and relative locations of people, places, and
environments. 2. Label from memory a simple map of the North American
continent,
including the countries, oceans, Great Lakes, major rivers, and mountain ranges.
Identify
the essential map elements: title, legend, directional indicator, scale, and date.
NETS*S (National Educational Technology Standards*Students):
2a, 2d, 3b, 3d, 4b
Instructional Goals & Objectives:
Demonstrate map reading skills by being able to locate various places on Google
Earth.
Construct placemarks and paths to indicate important physical features of N.A.
Label placemarks with factual information.
Measure distances from one countrys border to anothers; i.e. the distance from the
northern border of Panama to the southern border of the United States (as the crow
flies).
Name 7 of the countries of North America

Description of Activity/Procedure (Introduction Direct Instruction

Guided Practice/Check for Understanding Independent Practice
Closure):
Show a video of one of North Americas physical features or a country. Discuss.
Review with the children creating placemarks, paths, and using the ruler.
Pick one of North Americas physical features and create a placemark with info.
Create a path with the Add Path tool.
Measure distance from one feature or country to another using the Ruler tool.
Assign one physical feature and one country to each student group for them to
placemark (location and information).
Have each student group measure distances. Either tell them what to measure or
let them decide.
Student groups report back to the class and share what they have learned.
Materials/Equipment Needed:
Computers with Internet access and Google Earth downloaded.
Laptop connected to a projector for either in class demos or computer lab demos.
Video Links:
Rocky Mountains, CO
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=Rocky
%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#hl=en&q=
Rocky%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&sitesearch=&start=30
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=Rocky
%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#hl=en&q=
Rocky%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&sitesearch=&start=50
Rocky Mountains, Canada
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=Rocky
%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#hl=en&q=
Rocky%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv&sitesearch=&start=30
Great Lakes
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=Rocky
%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#q=
Great%20Lakes&hl=en&sitesearch=
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=Rocky
%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#q=
Great%20Lakes&hl=en&sitesearch=
Costa Rica
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=Rocky
%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#q=
Costa%20Rica&hl=en&sitesearch=
Panama
http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=Rocky
%20Mountains&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wv#q=
Panama&hl=en&sitesearch=

Assessment/Evaluation:
Ability to comfortably use Google Earth and its tools (placemark and ruler)
Accuracy of placemarks (location)
Quality of the information/facts found to describe the physical features
Presentation to class
Follow-up Activities/Next Steps/Future Lessons:
Create a Google Docs Presentation. Each student group will do a different physical
feature and a different country (exclude the United States and Canada).
Contributor:
Donna Axelson
Cupertino, CA
Additional Resources:
Scavenger Hunt
North Americas Physical Features

Create placemarks in Google Earth for some of North Americas physical features. Include some interesting facts
in the placemark.
Using the Google Earth Ruler tool, measure the distances between various of the countries and some of the
physical features.
Countries
Canada
United States
Mexico
Central America
Belize
Guatemala
Honduras
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panama
Caribbean Sea
Cuba
Jamaica
Puerto Rico
Haiti
Dominican Republic
Other islands
Water Features
Pacific Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
Caribbean Sea
Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of California
Hudson Bay
Bering Sea
Panama Canal
Great Lakes (HOMES)
Great Salt Lake
Lake Managua
Lake Winnipeg
St. Lawrence River
Mississippi River
Rio Grande
Colorado River
Physical Features
Alaska Range (Mt. McKinley)

Rocky Mountains (US & Canada)

Sierra Madres (Mexico and Central
America)
Great Plains (US & Canada)
Sonoran Desert (U.S. & Mexico)
Mojave Desert

Placemarks for the Rocky Mts., Mississippi River, & the Great Lakes are
visible.

Measure the distance from the northern border of Panama to the southern
border of the United States (as the crow flies).