Scope and sequence · History & Geography
Grade 1 Geography: Maps and Journeys
A year of first maps and real journeys, from a picture of the neighborhood drawn from above and a needle compass floating on a leaf to the Rocky Mountains, the water that runs to the sea, the hot lands and the cold lands, the animals’ homelands on every continent, and the explorers who went where feet alone could not go: Leif Erikson’s longship, Columbus’s three small ships, Lewis and Clark’s canoes and the covered wagons on the plains.
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What to cover
32 of 36 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Map Symbols and Keys
- MUST COVER 1.1 What a Map Is ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Symbols · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 The Map Key · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 A Map of My Neighborhood · unit test
Unit 2: North, South, East and West
- MUST COVER 2.1 The Compass Rose ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Sunrise and Sunset · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 A Magnet That Points North ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Giving Directions · unit test
Unit 3: The Shape of the Land
- MUST COVER 3.1 Mountains, Hills and Plateaus ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Plains and Prairies · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Deserts · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Coasts, Bays and Beaches · unit test
Unit 4: The Water Cycle
- MUST COVER 4.1 Water Goes Up ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Clouds and Rain · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Rivers Run to the Sea ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Springs and Wells · unit test
Unit 5: Hot, Cold and In-Between
- MUST COVER 5.1 The Equator ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 The Polar Lands · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Places with Four Seasons · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 High and Cold · unit test
Unit 6: My State and My Country
- MUST COVER 6.1 My State ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 The United States · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Neighbors: Canada and Mexico · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Symbols of the Nation · unit test
Unit 7: Animals and Their Homelands
- MUST COVER 7.1 Africa’s Grasslands ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Asia’s Bamboo Forests and Mountains · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 The Americas · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Australia and Antarctica · unit test
Unit 8: Explorers by Land and Sea
- MUST COVER 8.1 Leif Erikson Sails West ★ ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Columbus Crosses the Ocean ★ ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Lewis and Clark Go West ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Covered Wagons ⚙ · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Map Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Compass Walk
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Symbol Match
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Pirate Map
- OPTIONAL 9.4 Globe Spin Game
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 36-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 What a Map Is: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Symbols: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 The Map Key: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 A Map of My Neighborhood: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 The Compass Rose: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Sunrise and Sunset: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 A Magnet That Points North: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Giving Directions: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Mountains, Hills and Plateaus: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Plains and Prairies: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Deserts: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Coasts, Bays and Beaches: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Water Goes Up: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Clouds and Rain: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Rivers Run to the Sea: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 Springs and Wells: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 17 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 The Equator: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 The Polar Lands: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Places with Four Seasons: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 High and Cold: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 My State: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 The United States: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Neighbors: Canada and Mexico: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Symbols of the Nation: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Africa’s Grasslands: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Asia’s Bamboo Forests and Mountains: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 The Americas: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Australia and Antarctica: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Leif Erikson Sails West: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Columbus Crosses the Ocean: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Lewis and Clark Go West: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 Covered Wagons: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 9.1 Compass Walk: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.1 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 34 | Session 1: Lesson 9.2 Symbol Match: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.2 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 35 | Session 1: Lesson 9.3 Pirate Map: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.3 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook | ||
| Wk 36 | Session 1: Lesson 9.4 Globe Spin Game: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.4 project, worked examples, practice and map notebook Session 3: Unit 9 review and unit project |
Grading: Projects (effort, following the steps and telling what was made) 35%, Map notebook (one dated page a lesson, with a title and labels or a key) 25%, Unit reviews (asked aloud) 15%, Unit projects 25%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69. Below 60: look at the map again together and redo the review or project with help.