The+Nile+River

The Nile River: A Journey from Source to Mouth

Lesson Overview:
In this unit, students learn about the physical features and the human activity that affects river systems as they flow across the surface of the earth. Students will examine photographs of important features along the Nile River that show how the river changes as in its journey from source to mouth. They will use longitude and latitude coordinates to plot features on a map of the Nile and annotate the map to explain how those features reflect the changes in the river.

Preview:
Strategy: I See/ It Means Use transparency 19A and Interactive Notebook Preview 19. Follow directions outlined in Geography Alive Lesson Book 2. Preview 19, ask students to generate 5 questions they have about the Nile River, instead of 2. Allow time for students to work independently, then pair them up to share questions and revise. As a whole group ask students to share questions. Record questions. I use a laptop and projector so students can see the questions on the board. You can also write questions on the board. As homework, have the students revise and add two additional questions in red pen. Encourage the students to come up with thoughtful questions, provide stickers or tickets for questions that are really insightful. The following day add any new questions to the list. After all classes have complete the preview, generate a question splash bulletin board.

Introduction of Chapter 19:
Project photograph of mosaic on page 286, explain and discuss the concept "a picture is worth a thousand words". Ask students to generate a short story about the photograph. Have student share story with a partner. Randomly pick a few students to read their stories, then discuss what the Nile River provided for early civilizations. Introduce the idea that scholars refered to Egypt as the "gift of the Nile". As a Do Now, later in the week, I will ask the students to write a short paragraph about this concept and I will use it as a quiz grade.

Have students read 19.1 and 19.2 taking 2 column notes. Revise and edit. Assign geoterms and interactive notebook. Students will write a definition of the content vocabulary in their own words. They will draw a detailed picture and write a sentence using the content vocabulary word. The sentence must convey to the reader the significance or importance of the term.

Preparation for the skill based activity:
Students may use the maps on pages 142-145 Interactive Notebook, however, I choose to make photocopies of each page and tape along map together for this activity. It is a lot of preparation and time, but the results are worth the effort.

Social Studies Skill Builder Activity:
Jigsaw Reading: Students will be placed into 10 groups. Assign at least 2 "stations" to be read the night before the activity. Students will take two column notes on the reading. In class the following day, students "visit" the "station" that they were assigned. The will complete guided questions, plot the physical feature on their map and draw a detailed colorful picture of the location. Use the following documents to help guide students. Helpful Hints to complete activity:
 * Students must read about each physical feature before doing the in class activity each night.
 * This activity will take approximately one week to complete.
 * Students will work in groups each day answering questions, labeling and coloring their maps.
 * Notebook should be organized before unit is started. Have students dedicate 1 sheet of lined notebook paper, front and back for each physical feature. Have them count out at least 10 pages of lined paper. On the front of each page, they will title the page with the name of the physical feature and complete 2 column notes on the assigned reading from the textbook. The back of the lined page will be titled with the assigned station #. Students will complete the class activity on this side of the page. This will help students to keep their notes about the Nile River in order acording to the flow of the river.
 * On the last day, collect notebooks for a notebook grade. I find that students have difficulty answering the question, "How does the flow of the river change." I will revise and edit notes with the class as a group using the document reader. After revising and discussing answers to 2 to 3 physical features, ask for volunteers to read their answers to the flow question. I will then revisit the "flow" question providing comparisions from one location to the next. Have students revise and share their new answers with the class about how the flow changes from one location to the next.
 * Homework: Students will write one paragraph comparing and contrasting the flow and resources that the Nile provides at given locations. ( I assign the first 5 stations and ask the students to provide examples from 3 of these locations.) When the students have a specific location to compare, it yields better writing results. The next night, I assign the same question, but ask for examples from stations 6 through 10.

Quiz Grade:

 * Complete map, labeled, colored.
 * Qwizdom: multiple choice question focusing on content vocabulary and main ideas.
 * Do Now: Students will write a short paragraph answering the following question. Why is Egypt refered to as "the gift of the Nile"?

Wrap- Up Activity:
Create a human Nile River chain from Lake Victoria all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. I clear a large area in the center of my classroom and label the white board the Mediterranean Sea. I place 2 desks at the farthest point from the white board and ask for two tall volunteers to stand on the desks and represent the elevated areas of Lake Victoria and Lake Tana. With student help, we choose the remaining physical features along the Nile and place students in the correct order. Students will hold the "place cards" that represent each physical feature. Once completed, I will ask each student to tell something about the physical feature they represent starting at the source. It is an "ah ha" moment when you hear some student say..."oh I get it.... "it flows north because of elevation"!!!! Yeah...they got it!

Unit Assessment:

 * Geography Alive unit test
 * Essential Question: Students will write a 5 paragraph essay explaining how rivers change as they flow across the Earth's surface.

Bulletin Board:
Place complete maps on a bulletin board. Also take pictures of the students in the human Nile River chain. Make 8x10 enlargements of the students. They will love it!