See the USA!
This project-based geography class will cover all regions of the U..S. and will feature natural, cultural and historic sites in each state. The culmination will be a “State Fair” where students share projects they created during the course.
Doug Smith
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(88)
What's included
8 live meetings
6 in-class hoursClass Experience
Each of the first seven sessions of the class will focus on a different region of the United States: 1) New England – Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut & Rhode Island 2) Mid-Atlantic – New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland & Virginia 3) Southeast – Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Puerto Rico & the U.S. Virgin Islands 4) Midwest – Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska & Kansas 5) Rocky Mountains – Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Utah & Idaho 6) Southwest – Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico & Arizona 7) West – Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Hawaii & U.S. Territories in the Pacific. For each state we will cover facts like when it became a state, the state capital, population, largest city, number of representatives in the U.S. House, state flag, and some of the notable people associated with that state. Slide presentations by the instructor will also focus on some of the unique places, geographic features, and historic events in each state. The instructor will share personal stories and highlights from his travels throughout the states and will facilitate discussion about each state with the students. During the course, each student will select a particular state to explore in more depth on their own and will compile information about that state. This project will be introduced briefly in Session #1 (with reminders in Sessions #2-4), and will be discussed in detail in Session #5. In the final session of the class (#8), students will display and share information about their state with their peers. Student displays can take the form of a poster, display board, diorama or some other physical product that they choose to create. Students may also choose to dress up as a notable figure from their state to highlight the achievements and contributions of that person.
Learning Goals
Students will learn about the geography, development and history of the United States. They will be able to identify key characteristics, similarities and differences of states and regions. Students will be able to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a designated state through the creation of a State Fair project.
Other Details
Supply List
Students should have a small dry erase board and dry erase marker. Students will also need some basic art supplies like crayons, colored pencils or markers, construction paper or poster board, etc. Students will get to choose the form of their final product(s), which will dictate what they need for materials.
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined May, 2020
4.9
88reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
For the first 22 years of my career, I worked in the field of transportation planning and traffic engineering. This work required a broad understanding of the historic, cultural, environmental, social and economic factors that influence the communities we live in today. Throughout that time, my wife and I have also been raising our six children, which has given me the opportunity to volunteer in various capacities with a number of youth-serving organizations. In 2017, I made the decision to switch careers and pursue teaching. I firmly believe that teachers are in a unique position to inspire youth, to encourage them to strive for deeper understanding of the issues that face our society, and to provide them with a sense of purpose for the things they do and the way they live their lives.
In 2019, I received a Masters degree in Secondary Education with a Pennsylvania state certification to teach 7-12 History & Social Studies. I currently work full-time as a social studies teacher for a company providing cyberschool services to various school districts across the country.
I love baseball, traveling, and the outdoors and have been to 48 of the 50 states (so far!) and over 100 National Parks and National Historic Sites. I am also very passionate about board games and believe that games are a tremendous way to develop social skills and critical thinking in kids. With my diverse background in engineering and education, you will most often find me teaching classes in history, social studies, math and science. I also like to teach "fun stuff" like baseball topics, board gaming, and outdoor camp cooking!
General Procedures & Expectations:
• Students should be prompt and respectful of others’ time. I will start classes at the scheduled time, even if all students are not present.
• If no students are in the classroom at the designated start time, I will wait 10 minutes before leaving the classroom. If there are unforeseen circumstances that keep a student from attending class, I will do my best to get them rescheduled to another section.
• I work very hard to keep classes within the designated timeframe, however, depending on the number of students and how inquisitive they are, we may run a few minutes over or under on time. I will provide a wrap up and verbal reminder at the end of our designated class period, so students who have other commitments can get going. If other students are still engaged with questions and/or discussion, I will make every effort to stay on-line for some additional time with them.Reviews
Live Group Class
$75
for 8 classes2x per week, 4 weeks
45 min
Completed by 2 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-14
3-12 learners per class
