Scope and sequence · History & Geography
Grade 8 Geography: Rivers, Ports and Straits
A year of true stories about where cities and trade begin, from the fords of Oxford and Frankfurt and the fall-line mills of Richmond to the flooding Nile, the mud banks of Venice, Malcom McLean’s first container ship, the narrow seas of Gibraltar and Malacca, the locks of Panama and the satellites of GPS, each one taken apart to see why the place mattered and then tried at the kitchen table with string, bottles, blocks and a map notebook, ending with a study of the student’s own city.
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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: Why Cities Stand Where They Do
- MUST COVER 1.1 The Ford and the Bridge ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 The Confluence · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 The Fall Line · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 The Hill and the Harbor · unit test
Unit 2: The River Civilizations
- MUST COVER 2.1 The Nile: The Gift of the River ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 The Tigris and Euphrates: Canals, Cities and Abraham’s Ur · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 The Indus: Mohenjo-daro’s Planned Streets · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 The Yellow River: China’s Sorrow and Yu the Great · unit test
Unit 3: Great Port Cities, Old and New
- MUST COVER 3.1 Venice: A Republic Built on Mud Banks and Trade ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Amsterdam and the Dutch Golden Age · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 London and the Thames: Docks for an Empire · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 New York: A Deep Harbor and the Erie Canal ⚙ · unit test
Unit 4: Modern Ports and the Container
- MUST COVER 4.1 Rotterdam: Europe’s Gateway on the Rhine ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Singapore and Hong Kong: Ports at the Crossroads of Asia · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Malcom McLean’s Box ★ ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 A Day at a Container Port ⚙ · unit test
Unit 5: Straits and Choke Points
- MUST COVER 5.1 What Is a Strait? ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Gibraltar and the Bosporus · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Malacca and Hormuz · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 The English Channel · unit test
Unit 6: Canals Through Continents
- MUST COVER 6.1 The Grand Canal of China ★ ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 The Suez Canal ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 The Panama Canal ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 The St. Lawrence Seaway ⚙ · unit test
Unit 7: Map Skills for Real Life
- MUST COVER 7.1 Bearings and the Compass ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Orienteering · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 GPS: How Satellites Tell a Phone Where It Is ★ ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 GIS: Maps in Layers ⚙ · unit test
Unit 8: Capstone: The Geography of My City
- MUST COVER 8.1 Site and Situation of My City ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Roads, Rails and Rivers ⚙ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Old Maps and New · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Presenting My City · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Map Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Orienteering Race
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Port Tycoon
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Old Map Detective
- OPTIONAL 9.4 GIS Treasure Hunt
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 The Ford and the Bridge: 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 The Confluence: 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 Fall Line: 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 The Hill and the Harbor: 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 Nile: The Gift of the River: 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 The Tigris and Euphrates: Canals, Cities and Abraham’s Ur: 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 The Indus: Mohenjo-daro’s Planned Streets: 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 The Yellow River: China’s Sorrow and Yu the Great: 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 Venice: A Republic Built on Mud Banks and Trade: 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 Amsterdam and the Dutch Golden Age: 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 London and the Thames: Docks for an Empire: 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 New York: A Deep Harbor and the Erie Canal: 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 Rotterdam: Europe’s Gateway on the Rhine: 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 Singapore and Hong Kong: Ports at the Crossroads of Asia: 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 Malcom McLean’s Box: 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 A Day at a Container Port: 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 What Is a Strait?: 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 Gibraltar and the Bosporus: 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 Malacca and Hormuz: 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 The English Channel: 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 The Grand Canal of China: 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 Suez Canal: 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 The Panama Canal: 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 The St. Lawrence Seaway: 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 Bearings and the Compass: 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 Orienteering: 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 GPS: How Satellites Tell a Phone Where It Is: 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 GIS: Maps in Layers: 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 Site and Situation of My City: 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 Roads, Rails and Rivers: 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 Old Maps and New: 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 Presenting My City: 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 Orienteering Race: 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 Port Tycoon: 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 Old Map Detective: 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 GIS Treasure Hunt: 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, careful measuring and the improve-it step) 30%, Map notebook (titled, dated maps with north arrow, scale and key; practice checked) 20%, Unit reviews 20%, Unit projects, including the capstone city study 30%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69. Below 60: redo the project or review with help.