Geography Lesson

Goal:To encourage map study and to learn the names of major bodies of water forming the boundaries of the State of Illinois.

Materials:

• A wall map of the United States or a globe.
• Monteith, James. First Lessons in Geography: on the Plan of Object Teaching. New York:  A. S. Barnes and Company, 1872, pp.12-13, 46- 47. (Facsimile copies of the text are available at Pioneer Sholes School.)

Procedures:

• Call the attention of the class to the globe or map displayed.
• Ask each of the questions in Lessons VI and VII of Monteith's text.
• Permit the scholar to raise his hand, stand when called upon, and then to recite his response.
• Praise or correct as appropriate.
• Using the wall map or the map on page 46 of Monteith's text, have the scholars draw the map of Illinois on their slates or in their copybooks.
• Have scholars label all bodies of water forming Illinois boundaries.
• Add the Illinois and Fox Rivers and label.
• Place a star marking Springfield, the capital city.

Evaluation:

• Check for correct shape of the state
• Check for correct placement of the Mississippi, Ohio and Wabash Rivers
• Check for correct placement of the Illinois and Fox Rivers
• Check for placement of Springfield near middle of state.

Illinois Learning Standards 17.A.1b,17.A.2b, 17.C.1a, 17.C.2a

Continue to the science lesson.
Return to the Introduction.