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Program
1. Have students indicate predominant land use and land cover on the Americas Mega Map.
Project the Major Crops of the Americas/Food and Forests map for students, and have students identify the general areas of grassland, forest, cropland, wetland, desert, and tundra in the Americas. Students should decide how best to group categories from the map key in order to show these general areas on the Americas Mega Map. Have students create a Land Use/Land Cover key for the large map. When indicating these land use areas on the large map, students may choose to color in areas entirely, or fill larger spaces with crosshatching or diagonal lines to indicate a certain land use type. Provide them with enough time to indicate predominant land use and land cover on the Americas Mega Map.
2. Have students indicate major food crops on the Americas Mega Map.
Have students select food crops from the Major Crops of the Americas/Food and Forests map and create a Major Crops key for the Mega Map. Encourage students to reuse symbols they like and create new symbols when needed. Then have students create symbols for each crop using colored construction paper or drawing paper and crayons or markers. Ask students to tape the symbols showing where different crops are grown on the Americas Mega Map.
3. Have a whole-class discussion about patterns between land use, land cover, and where food crops are grown.
Lead students in a discussion about any patterns they see, or relationships between land use and land cover and where food crops are grown. Ask: Do you see the same crop growing in different countries? Are there any similarities in land cover where the same crops are grown?
Extending the Learning
This map activity can be extended to illustrate energy and mineral resources and use, import and export patterns in the Americas, and renewable versus nonrenewable resources. Discuss with students other potential topics to cover with this mapping activity and sources they can use to research the necessary information.
Subjects & Disciplines
- Geography
Learning Objectives
Students will:
- identify the location of different land use and land cover designations on a map of the Americas
- identify the location of major crops on a map of the Americas
- discuss patterns and relationships between land use, land cover, and major crops in the Americas
Teaching Approach
- Learning-for-use
Teaching Methods
- Discussions
- Hands-on learning
Skills Summary
This activity targets the following skills:
- 21st Century Themes
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Critical Thinking Skills
- Analyzing
- Understanding
- Geographic Skills
Connections to National Standards, Principles, and Practices
National Geography Standards
- Standard 1: How to use maps and other geographic representations, geospatial technologies, and spatial thinking to understand and communicate information
- Standard 3: How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface
What You’ll Need
Materials You Provide
- Colored pencils
- Construction paper
- Crayons
- Drawing paper
- Markers
- Scissors
- Transparent tape
Required Technology
- Internet Access: Required
- Tech Setup: 1 computer per classroom, Projector
- Plug-Ins: Flash
Physical Space
- Classroom
Grouping
- Large-group instruction
Other Notes
Before starting this activity, assemble the Americas Mega Map.
Background Information
Geographers use maps to convey information to others. You can display physical, political or cultural information, or use maps to illustrate specific themes and topics. Maps are useful in helping to see patterns or relationships between layers of information.
Prior Knowledge
- None
Recommended Prior Activities
- None
Vocabulary
physical material at the very top surface of the Earth, such as grass.
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Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger
In 2015 the United Nations General Assembly adopted 17 sustainable development goals designed to transform our world by 2030. The second goal is to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. This initiative strives to help us rethink our global food infrastructure, from how we grow and harvest food to how we consume it. With a growing global population, we will need to implement innovative, sustainable practices to ensure equitable food access and eliminate fears of going hungry. Use these resources in your classroom to teach your students about sustainable agriculture and tactics that could potentially end world hunger.
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Staple Food Crops of the World
Our MapMaker Interactive layers show how many tons of cassava, maize, plantains, potatoes, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sweet potatoes, wheat, and yams were produced per country as an average from 2010 to 2012.
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Crops
Made up of a wide variety of plants grown for consumption or for profit, crops can be used for food, to feed livestock, for textiles and paper, for decoration, or for fuel.
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Crops
A crop is a plant or plant product that can be grown and harvested for profit or subsistence. By use, crops fall into six categories: food crops, feed crops, fiber crops, oil crops, ornamental crops, and industrial crops.
-
Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger
In 2015 the United Nations General Assembly adopted 17 sustainable development goals designed to transform our world by 2030. The second goal is to end hunger, achieve food security, improve nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture. This initiative strives to help us rethink our global food infrastructure, from how we grow and harvest food to how we consume it. With a growing global population, we will need to implement innovative, sustainable practices to ensure equitable food access and eliminate fears of going hungry. Use these resources in your classroom to teach your students about sustainable agriculture and tactics that could potentially end world hunger.
-
Staple Food Crops of the World
Our MapMaker Interactive layers show how many tons of cassava, maize, plantains, potatoes, rice, sorghum, soybeans, sweet potatoes, wheat, and yams were produced per country as an average from 2010 to 2012.
-
Crops
Made up of a wide variety of plants grown for consumption or for profit, crops can be used for food, to feed livestock, for textiles and paper, for decoration, or for fuel.
-
Crops
A crop is a plant or plant product that can be grown and harvested for profit or subsistence. By use, crops fall into six categories: food crops, feed crops, fiber crops, oil crops, ornamental crops, and industrial crops.