Submitted by Jonathan Voss
Objectives:
Content:
Students will:
- identify the regions of Russia;
- identify prominent geographical features in each region;
- identify on a map of Russia where various geographical features are located.
Cultural:
Students will:
- begin to develop an understanding of the difference between American and Russian culture by examining their geographical differences.
Language: Content Obligatory
Students will:
- identify the location of geographical regions using the present tense of the verb "находится" and directions (north, south, east, west) and vocabulary such as Russia, Siberia, Arctic, Ural, Pacific, Atlantic;
- use "есть" to identify geographical features with terms like mountains, rivers, plains, oceans, desert, sea, forest, tundra, taiga;
- use prepositions "в/на" and the Prepositional Case to identify locations with phrases like "The Volga River is in the west;"
- demonstrate understanding of what/where questions ("Где тайга?", "Что это?").
Language: Content Compatible
Students will:
- use "как, тоже, Америка," and state names to express whether a particular geographical feature is similar to that found in the US, and particularly in specific regions (north, south, east, west);
- use the structure "Мне (не) нравится" in the present tense to state which types of landscapes and climates they prefer.
Learning Strategies / Social and Skills Development:
Students will:
- use maps to identify geographical features;
- work cooperatively to collect information.
Time Frame:
5 periods of 50 minutes
Materials Needed:
Maps, vocabulary lists (attached)
Description of Assessment (Performance Project):
Pre-task
Activity 1a: Discuss American Geography
Divide students into groups of 3-4. These groups can be made their permanent home group, or "команда". Give each group a map of the US, and assign them a region. Ask them to describe the geography of the region, the basic economic resources, and how the two may be related. Introduce basic vocabulary: север, юг, восток, запад, география, экономика, климат.During-task
Activity 1b: Vocabulary Building
Divide students into groups of 3-4. Give each group two maps of Russia: one in Russian and one in English. Compare the highlighted words from the Russian map to the same features on the English map and complete the vocabulary organizer.
Activity 1c: Map Questions
Divide students into pairs. Using a blank map of Russia, have students ask each other the following questions:Что это? – Это Сибирь.
Где Сибирь? -- Вот она, на севере, (юге, востоке, западе).
Тебе нравится Сибирь? – Да, очень.
Activity 1d: Region comparison
Return to home groups. Assign each group a region of Russia, and have them identify which features are most prominent in their region, and where those features might be found in America.Европейская равнина: степь, тайга, чернозем, реки, леса, Атлантический, Балтийское
Западная Сибирь: тайга, тундра, реки, Урал, Северный Лёдовитый океан
Централбная Сибирь: горы, тундра, реки, ресурсы, Аральское море, пустыня
Дальний восток: горы, тундра, Тихий океан, ресурсы
Have each group present the class with information on its region, including comparison to American geography. All students can then complete a graphic organizer comparing regions by geographical features.
Post-task
Activity 1e: Fly-swatter Game
Divide the board into two sections, and students into two teams. Pick 10 vocabulary words and have each team write the words on their section of the board. Give each team a fly-swatter, and have them line up about 5 steps from the board, so that one person from each team is ready to run to the board with their fly-swatter. Call out a word. The student who is first to hit the correct written word on their side of the board scores a point for the team. Bonus if they can say what it means in English. If not, the other team can steal. Return the fly-swatters to the next pair, and go again.
Assessment:
Formative assessment: graphic organizers completed, participation in group work.