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Mapping Early America

Warm Up

Picture This: Early America

Take a look at the image on the screen (teacher will display an image of an early American map or a picture representing a diverse American landscape from the colonial era, e.g., a forest, a coastline, mountains).

What do you notice?


What colors do you see?


What shapes do you see?


What kind of land do you think this is?


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Lesson Plan

Mapping Early America

Students will identify and describe key geographical features of early America and understand how these features influenced colonial life, using visual and interactive learning methods.

Understanding the land helps us understand why people settled where they did and how they lived. This knowledge connects to how communities are shaped by their surroundings even today.

Audience

Middle School Students (Autistic, Limited Reading Skills)

Time

20 minutes

Approach

Visual learning, discussion, and an interactive matching activity.

Materials

Prep

Gather Materials & Review Content

10 minutes

Step 1

Warm-Up: Picture This (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Display an engaging image of an early American map or diverse landscape. Use the Picture This: Early America Warm Up to guide student observation.
  • Ask students to share what they see, focusing on colors, shapes, and types of land. Encourage verbal responses or pointing/gestures as appropriate.
  • Facilitate a brief discussion about how different types of land might impact people's lives (e.g., mountains are hard to travel, coasts are good for fishing).

Step 2

Introduction to Early American Geography (5 minutes)

5 minutes

  • Use the first few slides of the Mapping Early America Slide Deck to introduce the concept of diverse geography in early America.
  • Focus on key regions: Mountains, Forests, Coasts, Plains. Use clear, simple language and strong visuals.
  • Briefly explain how each type of land affected what people ate, how they traveled, and what jobs they might have had. Keep explanations concise and visual-based.

Step 3

Activity: Geography Match-Up (7 minutes)

7 minutes

  • Introduce the Geography Match-Up Activity. Explain that students will match pictures of geographical features with simple descriptions of how people lived there.
  • Guide students through the activity, providing support as needed. This can be done individually, in pairs, or as a whole class with the teacher displaying the cards.
  • Review the matches as a class, reinforcing the connection between geography and lifestyle.

Step 4

Wrap-Up: My American Region (3 minutes)

3 minutes

  • Distribute the My American Region Worksheet.
  • Ask students to draw or briefly describe one geographical feature they learned about and one way it affected early American life.
  • Collect worksheets as an exit ticket or for quick review.
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Slide Deck

Mapping Early America

How did the land shape lives?

Welcome students and introduce the topic: how the land in early America shaped people's lives. Keep language simple and engaging.

Many Kinds of Land

Early America had:

  • Mountains
  • Forests
  • Coasts (near the ocean)
  • Plains (flat, open land)

Display a simple, visually clear map of early America. Point out different regions (mountains, coast, forests, plains). Explain that America is a very big place with many different kinds of land.

Mountains: High and Hard

  • High land with peaks
  • Hard to travel
  • Often cold
  • People might hunt, gather

Show a clear image of mountains. Ask students what they see. Discuss that mountains are high and often have lots of trees. Talk about how it's hard to travel over mountains and cold there.

Forests: Lots of Trees

  • Many trees everywhere
  • Good for hunting animals
  • Wood for building houses
  • People hunted, farmed small areas

Show a clear image of a forest. Ask what they see. Discuss trees, animals. Explain that forests provided wood for homes and fires, and animals for food.

Coasts: Near the Ocean

  • Near big water (ocean)
  • Good for fishing
  • Boats for travel and trade
  • People fished, built towns

Show a clear image of a coastline or ocean. Ask what they see (water, boats). Discuss fishing, travel by boat, and trade near the ocean.

Plains: Flat and Open

  • Flat land, wide open
  • Good for farming crops
  • Lots of space for animals
  • People farmed, raised animals

Show a clear image of plains. Ask what they see (flat, open). Discuss farming and open space. Talk about how the soil is good for growing crops.

Land Shapes Life

Different lands meant different ways of living.

Now, let's match them up!

Recap that different lands led to different ways of life. Introduce the activity where they will match pictures to how people lived.

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Activity

Geography Match-Up: Land and Life

Instructions: Look at the pictures of different places in early America. Then look at the pictures or descriptions of how people lived. Draw a line to match the type of land to how people lived there!

Land Types (Teacher will display images of these or describe them simply):

  1. Mountains (Image: Rocky peaks, steep hills)
  2. Forests (Image: Dense trees, wild animals)
  3. Coasts (Image: Ocean, boats, fish)
  4. Plains (Image: Flat, open fields, farms)

How People Lived (Students match these to the land types):

  • Caught Fish & Used Boats (Image: Fishing net, boat)


  • Hunted Animals & Cut Wood (Image: Hunter in woods, log cabin)


  • Grew Food on Flat Land (Image: Farm with crops, farmer)


  • Lived in Valleys, Traveled Less (Image: Small village in valley, people walking on rocky path)


Bonus Question: Which kind of land do you like best? Why?











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Worksheet

My American Region

Name: _________________________

Instructions: Draw a picture or write a few words about one type of land you learned about today. Then, draw or write about one way people lived in that land.

My Land Type:

















How People Lived There:

















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Mapping Early America • Lenny Learning