The third of three lessons on Pre-Columbia era with a focus on cultural landscapes. These reflect ideas and beliefs of a place’s inhabitants and include shelter, religious and government buildings, monuments, and more. Students develop and refine the skill of interpreting images to support hypotheses and uncover similarities and differences among the civilizations of the Americas. Key questions: How have different cultures shaped their cultural landscapes?; How does the cultural landscape provide evidence of human interaction with the environment?

This Story Map Journal centers on World War One. This was a conflict on a level never before seen on the planet. Initially, the conflict was largely a European affair until an impressive piece of spy work by the British intelligence community brought the USA into the conflict. Key Questions: How and why did the U.S. become involved in the Great War? How was the United States able to stay out of the war initially? What were the factors that led to the U.S. declaration of war? What were the logistics behind U.S. mobilization? How did the U.S. strategy differ from that of the Allies? How and when did the war end? Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.

Students examine images to determine how early humans used the environment. Students use skills of observe and identify details in images and then place them in eight categories: location, migration, physical geography, shelter, settlements, food acquisition, technological advancements, and social advancements. After learning characteristics of the Neolithic and Paleolithic eras, students determine whether or not images depict life in the Paleolithic or Neolithic Era. Students are challenged to make inferences and draw conclusions supported by evidence from the images. Key questions: How did early humans use the environment to meet their basic needs? How did hunter gatherer and agricultural societies differ in their use of the land?

This Story Map Journal focuses on westward expansion of the young United States during the 1800s by using online GIS technology and Library of Congress primary sources. Students will be able to: Visually identify the large territorial acquisitions of the continental United States. Demonstrate knowledge of how each territorial acquisition occurred. Key questions: How did the rapid expansion of the United States in the 1800s shape the United States today? Where and why did the United States expand during the 1800s? Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.

This story map develops a historical context for the Civil Rights Movement, including Jim Crow Laws, Pullman Railroad workers, Great Migration, and restrictive covenants. The second main focus of the story map is the Civil Rights Movement itself. Students explore several map tours that highlight people, events, and organizations instrumental in bringing about legislation for equal rights during the 1950s-1960s. The story map concludes with a brief exploration of current civil rights injustices in the Unites States including issues such as same-sex marriage, Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements. Key questions: How did the Civil Rights Movement change the United States? When did the Civil Rights Movement begin? Has it ended? What events characterized the Civil Rights Movement? What are the enduring influences and consequences of the Civil Rights Movement? Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.

This Story Map Journal examines U.S. global expansion. In the 21st century, the United States is defined as a world power for its economic and political influence. This status did not happen overnight, but was a step-by-step expansion that occurred across a century. During the 19th century the United States was motivated by Manifest Destiny to control land from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. However, the leaders of the young nation were not satisfied with staying within the continent. From the Monroe Doctrine forward, the US expanded its international political and economic influence while gaining numerous territories. Students will explore this movement of global expansion through a GIS Story Map and Library of Congress primary sources. Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.

This Story Map Journal has students analyzing the origins and destinations of immigrants during three main eras of U.S. immigration. Through analysis of migration flows, students will gain a better understanding of why people left their home countries when they did and consider why they settled where they did in the U.S. Finally, students will be asked to consider both history and current events to draft a plan for future U.S. immigration policy. Key questions: Where have immigrants settled in the United States and why? Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.What patterns of immigration and settlement are noticeable throughout history? How have Americans viewed immigrants over time? What push and pull factors have influenced migration to and within the U.S.? What should the U.S. do concerning immigration in the future?

This Story Map Journal has students exploring the causes, course, and results of the direct conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War. They will analyze documents, videos, photographs, drawings, and maps to understand the conflict, competition, compromises, and reactions of this worldwide event in an attempt to argue who is at fault and if the Cold War is even over. Major question: where and how did the United States and the Soviet Union find themselves in direct conflict in the years following World War II? Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.

The Progressive era is typically taught as through the lens that people shaped their world in response to the societal problems that came along with the eras of industrialization, urbanization and mass immigration to the United States.  This lesson is taught through the lens that geography also shaped reform.  Impacts of geography include the growth of Chicago due to its relative location as an intermediary between cattle drives and east coast cities, labor reform including building safety and the geography of buildings and fire exits, and conservative efforts such as the National Parks.  This lesson is not meant to teach the entirety of the Progressive era, but a few specific points that were impacted by geography. Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.

Summary report of a three-day event in which teachers participated in both classroom instruction and a field experience that focused on urban geography topics such as city models, resiliency in the midst of climate change and deindustrialization, climate justice, and 21st century urban renewal projects.

The Renaissance is known as a rebirth of culture that began on the Italian Peninsula. Many crusades had their points of departure from this region. The interaction with the Middle East resulted in increased trade and diffusion of ideas. Students identify the benefits of geographic location for the northern Italian city-states in terms of their local conditions (site) and the developing trade connections throughout Europe and the Middle East (situation). Key questions: How did land and sea routes connect people and places? How does location influence the ability to interact with the rest of the world?

Slides describing the site and situation of Southside VA as well as a discussion of the political, economic, and cultural evolution of the region from a geographical perspective.

Summary of three-day event centered on Southside Virginia that involved both classroom instruction and a field experience focused on curriculum topics such as regional cultural identity, sense of place, economic development models/approaches, and agritourism ; skills such as formal observation, data collection, landscape analysis, speculation and spatial analysis; and processes such as cultural diffusion, migration, deindustrialization, economic restructuring, and globalization. A field guide was developed by academy co-coordinator Shannon Castelo to provide teachers with materials and examples of teaching activities they can incorporate into their classroom instruction.

Summary of three-day event in which teachers participated in classroom instruction and field experiences that focused on regional cultural identity, folk cultures, language and dialects, economic development, mining and resource extraction, environmental determinism, possibilism, and human development indicators; skills such as formal observation, data collection, landscape analysis, speculation and spatial analysis; and processes such as cultural diffusion, migration, deindustrialization, economic restructuring, and globalization. Many links to resources.

Lecture notes on Southwest Virginia economic and human health. This region has high unemployement and is in transition from an economy centered on coal. There are a number of obstacles including remote location and decline of the coal industry in the United States.

World War II was a complex event with battles in Europe, Africa, and the Pacific. Wars are more than battles. During World War II, the military were supported by civilian sacrifices and the workers at home. Their combined challenged and countered Nazi aggression in Europe. This Story Map will examine how the United States contributed to the Allied victory in Europe during World War. Three major topics will be addressed:support for Europe before the U.S. declared war on on Japan and then Germany in 1941, support from the home front, and the human and historical significance of D-Day.? Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.

This Story Map Journal explores the issue of slavery from the early days of the republic through John Brown's raid at Harpers Ferry, a prelude to the war between the states. Key questions: Why was slavery not legitimately dealt with during the founding period of the nation? How did the cotton gin help change the economy, culture, and demographics of the country? What correlations can be made between slavery and cotton? What issues arose between the northern and southern states as new territories were acquired in the west? What role did John Brown play in the lead-up to civil war? Contains links to student materials and teacher materials for creating lesson plans.

Summary of three-day event for AP Human Geography teachers. Topics included sense of place, location, sequent occupancy, infrastructure development, eminent domain, ethnic identification, urban planning, technopoles; skills such as formal observation, data collection, landscape analysis, speculation and spatial analysis; and processes such as diffusion, urbanization, revitalization, acculturation, immigration, and integration.

Students will be able to describe Jamestown's relative location at different scales (local, state, regional). They analyze the patterns and effects of Virginia Indian and English colonist settlement between 1607 and 1634. GeoInquiries are short, standards-based inquiry activities for teaching map-based content found in commonly used textbooks.

Investigate the location and population of Virginia's counties, independent cities, towns, and census designed places. Explore the population of Virginia's counties, independent cites through time. Students will distinguish between a county, independent city, and town and describe how population in Virginia has changed over time. GeoInquiries are short, standards-based inquiry activities for teaching map-based content found in commonly used textbooks.