The overall theme of this teacher-tested unit is using maps to understand borders and their impacts in Europe. The materials will help your middle school students to use maps to think about how borders intersect physical and human geographical features, and how those intersections can lead to cooperation and/or conflict. The educator resources provided in the unit include maps, multimedia, and case studies that will enable students to develop skills in map analysis and apply that analysis to specific situations. Other parts of the unit will invite you and your students to explore similar cases in Europe and your own community.
This unit was originally developed for the National Teacher Leadership Academy (NTLA) 2008 Summer Geography Institute.
Students think about regions and borders by determining where they would place borders in an artificial continent, based on a set of physical and cultural features of the area.
Students gather their ideas about the land and peoples of Europe. They map and create lists of things they know about Europe and generate questions they have about the land and peoples of Europe.
Students are introduced to the physical geography of Europe and delineate major drainage basins in Europe.
Students examine a case study of how physical features can interact with country borders to cause conflict. In this case, two countries agreed to work together to build a series of dams on the Danube River, but problems kept the project from being completed, and the conflict continues over 40 years later.
Students research four additional examples of physical geography and borders. They explore how mountains, oceans, and islands create physical barriers that affect the country borders in Europe.
Students are introduced to the major language and religious groups of Europe. They explore how those groups align with and/or cross country borders.
Students explore how language and religion have affected the borders in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
Students research four additional examples of human geography and borders. They explore how language, culture, and religious differences affect country borders in Europe.
Students compare maps of European borders at three points in history: after World War I, after World War II, and the 2011 European Union (EU) countries. Students look for political borders that have changed and others that have remained the same, and compare those to what they know about cultural and physical geography in Europe and in their own state or local area.
Students reflect on changes in their own understanding of Europe by repeating some activities from the beginning of the unit, reviewing their previous questions and answers, and reflecting on what they have learned over the course of the unit.
the art and science of cultivating land for growing crops (farming) or raising livestock (ranching).
independence.
the ratio of the total number of live births to the total population in a given time and area.
land covered by evergreen trees in cool, northern latitudes. Also called taiga.
artificial waterway.
large settlement with a high population density.
all weather conditions for a given location over a period of time.
spreading of a species into a new habitat or ecosystem, and establishing a healthy population there.
symbol indicating the cardinal directions (N, S, E, W).
a disagreement or fight, usually over ideas or procedures.
international organization based in Strasbourg, Germany, established "to promote democracy and protect human rights and the rule of law in Europe."
geographic territory with a distinct name, flag, population, boundaries, and government.
human imprint on the physical environment.
learned behavior of people, including their languages, belief systems, social structures, institutions, and material goods.
structure built across a river or other waterway to control the flow of water.
area of land that receives no more than 25 centimeters (10 inches) of precipitation a year.
distinct variation of a language, usually marked by accents and grammar.
in the direction of a flow, toward its end.
an entire river system or an area drained by a river and its tributaries. Also called a watershed.
system of production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services.
conditions that surround and influence an organism or community.
having to do with characteristics of a group of people linked by shared culture, language, national origin, or other marker.
people sharing genetic characteristics, culture, language, religion or history.
identity in a group sharing genetic characteristics, culture, language, religion, or history.
sixth-largest continent and the western part of the Eurasian landmass, usually defined as stretching westward from the Ural mountains.
association of European nations promoting free trade, ease of transportation, and cultural and political links.
zone extending 200 nautical miles off a country's coast. A country has the right to explore and exploit the living and nonliving things in its EEZ.
to use or take advantage of for profit.
able to speak, write, and understand a language.
ecosystem filled with trees and underbrush.
water that is not salty.
system or order of a nation, state, or other political unit.
environment where an organism lives throughout the year or for shorter periods of time.
plateau or elevated region of land.
the movement of people from one place to another.
usable energy generated by moving water converted to electricity.
process of moving to a new country or region with the intention of staying and living there.
large area of land.
set of sounds, gestures, or symbols that allows people to communicate.
group of languages descended from a common ancestral language.
explanation of symbols and abbreviations used on a map, also known as a key.
slow-flowing river ecosystem usually found in lower altitudes.
symbolic representation of selected characteristics of a place, usually drawn on a flat surface.
landmass that forms as tectonic plates interact with each other.
series or chain of mountains that are close together.
a material that humans take from the natural environment to survive, to satisfy their needs, or to trade with others.
person who moves from place to place, without a fixed home.
something that is learned from watching and measuring an object or pattern.
naturally occurring geographic characteristics.
imaginary line separating one political unit, such as a country or state, from another.
total number of people or organisms in a particular area.
any area on Earth with one or more common characteristics. Regions are the basic units of geography.
a system of spiritual or supernatural belief.
available supply of materials, goods, or services. Resources can be natural or human.
base level for measuring elevations. Sea level is determined by measurements taken over a 19-year cycle.
increase in the average reach of the ocean. The current sea level rise is 1.8 millimeters (.07 inch) per year.
nation or national government.
political unit in a nation, such as the United States, Mexico, or Australia.
buying, selling, or exchanging of goods and services.
movement of people or goods from one place to another.
cold, treeless region in Arctic and Antarctic climates.
international organization that works for peace, security and cooperation.
toward an elevated part of a flow of fluid, or place where the fluid passed earlier.
all the plant life of a specific place.
(1914-1918) armed conflict between the Allies (led by the United States, the United Kingdom, and France) and the Central Powers (led by Germany and Austria-Hungary). Also called the Great War.
(1939-1945) armed conflict between the Allies (represented by the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union) and the Axis (represented by Germany, Italy, and Japan.)
-
Learn at Home: Grades 6-12
Fostering curiosity and a passion for lifelong learning, this curated collection of activities can be adapted for students in grades 6-12 in a remote learning environment. Explore the planet through interactives and short lessons or take a deeper dive into a subject area with a complete unit.
-
Political Boundaries
A political boundary is an imaginary line separating one political unit, such as a country or state, from another. Sometimes these align with a natural geographic feature like a river to form a border or barrier between nations. Occasionally, two countries may contest where a particular border is drawn. These disputes might arise due to a natural resource both groups want, like in the case of Sudan and South Sudan, or in an attempt to gain more political power, as in the case of Pakistan and India in the Kashmir region. Use these resources to explore more about political boundaries.
-
Political Borders
Students think about regions and borders by determining where they would place borders in an artificial continent, based on a set of physical and cultural features of the area.
-
More Physical Geography and Borders
Students research four additional examples of physical geography and borders. They explore how mountains, oceans, and islands create physical barriers that affect the country borders in Europe.
-
Comparing Political Borders
Students compare their border selections based on physical and cultural features. They discuss other factors that could impact where borders are established.
-
Learn at Home: Grades 6-12
Fostering curiosity and a passion for lifelong learning, this curated collection of activities can be adapted for students in grades 6-12 in a remote learning environment. Explore the planet through interactives and short lessons or take a deeper dive into a subject area with a complete unit.
-
Political Boundaries
A political boundary is an imaginary line separating one political unit, such as a country or state, from another. Sometimes these align with a natural geographic feature like a river to form a border or barrier between nations. Occasionally, two countries may contest where a particular border is drawn. These disputes might arise due to a natural resource both groups want, like in the case of Sudan and South Sudan, or in an attempt to gain more political power, as in the case of Pakistan and India in the Kashmir region. Use these resources to explore more about political boundaries.
-
Political Borders
Students think about regions and borders by determining where they would place borders in an artificial continent, based on a set of physical and cultural features of the area.
-
More Physical Geography and Borders
Students research four additional examples of physical geography and borders. They explore how mountains, oceans, and islands create physical barriers that affect the country borders in Europe.
-
Comparing Political Borders
Students compare their border selections based on physical and cultural features. They discuss other factors that could impact where borders are established.