March 1, 2018

Sr. Juan José Sedler

LTEC 330 – Dr. Jones
Moodle Assignment #4 Lesson Plan

Title: Geography of Guatemala

Grade level: 10th-11th grade World Geography and History

Prerequisite skills/knowledge:
 Previous use of MapMaker Interactive
 basic online researching skills,
 basic ability to read maps (legends and map type)

Goals: students will have knowledge of the physical geography of Guatemala.

Objectives:
Students will know the climate characteristics
Students will know locations and types of main landforms in Guatemala.
Students will understand that topography and relative location influence Guatemala’s
development and opportunity.

Standards:

 National Geography Standards

Geography Standard 8 - The characteristics and spatial distribution of ecosystems and

biomes on Earth's surface
a. Explain the geographic distribution of ecosystems

Geography Standard 15 - How physical systems affect human systems

1. Depending on the choice of human activities, the characteristics of the physical
environment can be viewed as both opportunities and constraints

 Michigan Department of Education GLECS:

Follows the National Geography Standards

 ISTE standards:
3 Knowledge Constructor - Students critically curate a variety of resources using digital
tools to construct knowledge, produce creative artifacts and make meaningful learning
experiences for themselves and others.
Materials/digital resources

Websites for Student research

 CIA World Factbook https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/

 World Culture Encyclopedia http://www.everyculture.com/
 Geography glossary (unnamed) http://geography.name/
 Encyclopedia Britannica https://www.britannica.com/

Video Clips

 Guatemala Today https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWEx_iU3po8

 10 Top Tourist Attractions in Guatemala
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7x77IcyYwA
 Guatemala's Geographic Challenge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dt8uBiL4LZg
 STRATFORvideo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZNjpcQLBx26W6lDWvpg7PQ
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZr2V_KRxOU

Moodle Activities

 Glossary
 Online text
 Quiz

Other

 Google Earth Pro

 MapMaker Interactive

Anticipatory set: Note to the student. Overview summery of where we have been in our study
of Central America and transition to our next country – Guatemala.

Procedure:

1) Topic #1 - Introduction to Guatemala. It is important to begin our study to gain a basic

background of the country’s history. This overview will be more specific than the overview
of Central America presented in previous lessons.

Assignment#1:
 a. Read the introduction to Guatemala in Moodle.
b. Add three geographic terms from your reading to the Glossary.

2) Topic #2 – Exploring the Physical Geography of Guatemala. Now that we have a little
historical background, we can immerse ourselves into the location and familiarize ourselves
with the landscape and climate. Without this knowledge, we will lack key understandings
and influences on the people who inhabit the region.

Assignment #2A: MapMaker Interactive

Go to Mapmaker Interactive at https://mapmaker.nationalgeographic.org/ to explore the
physical geography of Guatemala.
1. On the right hand side bar, set base map to desired look. I recommend “Terrain,”
“Streets,” or “Satellite.” (The default base map “NatGeo” will be too cluttered for
this exercise.)
2. Go to the “Layers” tab and click, “Add Layer.”
3. Browse through the categories and add the following layers
a. Political Boundaries
b. Climate Zones
c. Earthquakes
d. Volcanic Eruptions
e. Plate Tectonics
f. Precipitation and Rainfall
g. Surface Air Temperature (both summer and winter)
h. Surface Elevation
i. Land Cover
j. Human Footprint
4. Return to the main map. Your layers can be turned on/off or faded by moving the
slider on the layer tile. You can rearrange the tiles in the layers tab by drag-and-
drop. The top tile in your layers tab will be the top layer on your map. Place
“Political Boundaries” as your top layer.
a. REMEMBER: some layers do not display when zoomed in too closely. If
your layer will not display on the map, try zooming out.
5. Spend at least 30 minutes experimenting with your map layers by combining
them. What information about Guatemala’s physical geography does each layer,
or combination of layers, tell you?
a. REMEMBER: If you do not know what the map colors or symbols mean,
check the “Legend” tab!
b. REMEMBER: Use your home state or places you are familiar with as a
comparison when unsure what certain information means (e.g.
temperature, elevation, etc.)
c. REMEMBER: When combining two solid layers, fade the top layer so you
can “see through” it and be able to compare them.
 Assignment 2#B: Online text assignment
Write a summary of your findings regarding Guatemala’s physical geography. 500 words
minimum.

3) Assignment #3 – Take the Moodle Quiz

Short answer Question 1: How might the geography of Guatemala create difficulties or
be hazardous to the people living there?
Answer 1: Answers will vary.

Short Answer Question 2: How might the geography of Guatemala prove beneficial to
the people living there?

Answer 2: Answers will vary.

Special resources/assistance: N/A

Final product demonstrating students' learning: Moodle quiz

In your Moodle Assignment #4 lesson plan be sure to include the resources that you will include
in your moodle; for example,

 The URL to a youtube.com video that you will embed

 Rubric that you will use to assess student work
 Questions and answers to a Moodle quiz
 The URL to a website you might want your students to visit