4FN6 – Geography – United States Part 2: Central

How do FreeNode lessons work?

FreeNodes are instructor-led schooling lessons with a unique approach, granting you the freedom to independently teach using a personalized lesson plan. This autonomy enables you to tailor your lessons to suit students’ individual needs, learning styles, and interests.

To use a FreeNode, read the provided class outline & follow the formatting provided for each class. Make sure to touch on the Theocratic Connection in each class. Follow the outline closely so it is aligned with our main at-home curriculum.

How Do I Use the FreeNode?

Read this lesson plan before class to familiarize yourself with the ideas and concepts you’ll be teaching the students. You may print this page out if you need to use it as a reference point during live classes.

This lesson is a guide, but feel free to expand on the content or decrease/increase what you teach depending on the learning levels of the students in your class or the amount of time you have to cover the material.

Can I show videos in FN classes?

Yes, feel free to include additional material to supplement the class lesson material. Videos, Physical Objects, Games, Activities, etc. are okay to share in live classes.

Videos should have no advertisements or logos and should be viewed by you before showing them to the students to ensure no offensive or questionable content is included.

The video should make up only 1-3 minutes of the live class and should not take the place of instructor-led instruction. Videos should be supplementary only.

How do bookmarks work?

Bookmarks help you keep track of lessons you’re going to teach in future live classes. The bookmarks you see are for all your bookmarked lessons across all grades.

You can bookmark a lesson by visiting the lesson you want to bookmark and clicking the “bookmark” button in the bookmark section.

You can remove a single bookmark by visiting a lesson you’ve bookmarked and clicking the “bookmark” button again to unbookmark it.

You can clear all of your bookmarks by clicking the “clear all bookmarks” button. Be careful, this will erase all of your bookmarks.

Class Lesson Plan

Objectives:
Explore the geography and landscapes of the Central region of the United States.
Understand the significance of different regions and their climates.

Materials:
Whiteboard
Visual aids (map of the United States, images depicting landscapes and landmarks of various regions)

Introduction (2 minutes):

Display the map of the United States and briefly discuss its location and borders.
Explain the objectives of the lesson: to learn about the landscapes, climates, and cultural diversity of the Central Region in the USA.

Theocratic Connections:

Discuss significant theocratic events and the advancement of the good news in this region.

Activity 1 – Exploring Regions: West (13 minutes):

Explore the landscapes and climates of the Central region, including the flat prairies of the Midwest and the rugged mountains of the Rocky region.
Highlight the climate differences between southern and northern states, emphasizing hot, humid summers in the southern states like Texas and Louisiana and cold , snowy winters in the northern states like Minnesota and North Dakota.

Discuss the significance of Tornado Alley, including the states affected and the frequency of tornadoes in the region. On average, this region has more tornadoes than any other place in the world. In 2021, there were over 1,000 tornadoes in this area. Tornado Alley includes states like Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri.

Activity 2 – Natural Resources & Culture (13 minutes):

Highlight some of the natural resources found in Central USA, such as wheat and oil. Some people call Central USA the “bread basket” because many of the country’s wheat fields are located in these states. In 2021, about 363 million bushels of wheat were grown in Kansas, making it the state with the most wheat. This wheat is not just grown for US citizens, the United states is in the top 5 on the list of countries that produce wheat for the entire world. The oil and gas fields in Texas, North Dakota, and Oklahoma are some of the largest in the United States. Coal is mined in Wyoming and Montana, providing energy for the region.

Discuss the importance of water sources like the Mississippi River, one of the most iconic rivers in the United States. It flows for over 2,000 miles from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, it passes through 10 states, including Illinois, Missouri, and Louisiana. Over 18 million people get their water from the Mississippi River.

Mention that Central USA is the birthplace of cowboy culture. This region of the country is home to some of the most iconic images and symbols of American culture. The cowboy is perhaps the most well-known, and this image has been used in countless movies, TV shows, and songs over the years.

Conclusion (2 minutes):

Summarize the key points of the lesson, including the diversity of landscapes and climates in the Central United States region.
Reinforce the importance of understanding geographical features and their role in shaping local communities and cultures.
Encourage students to continue exploring the geography of the United States and its significance in the world.

Assessment:

Assess student understanding through participation in discussions, completion of reflection questions, and identification of key geographical features on the map. Evaluate students’ comprehension of key concepts, including states, territories, and regional diversity, through informal observation and discussion.