Geography Scavenger HuntInternet Lesson PlanGrade level: 6-9

Teacher Activities

Goal:

To utilize Internet resources to locate and learn about a variety of geographicregions of the world.

Objective:

At the end of the unit, the participant will be able to:

• Locate and mark cities, countries and geographic features on a world map.• Use Internet research skills to locate information based on Internet clues

provided.• Explain the Hanalei Bay discovery and what was recovered.• Define an ecological border and its relationship to the toothfish.• List features of the country of Tasmania.• Identify the demographics of Panama.• Outline the history and cost of building the Panama Canal.• Explore and present information on the Himalayas and the highest peak in

the world.• Locate an Eastern European republic and calculate the distance to this

country.• Highlight features of the Island of Macquarie including location, inhabitants

and weather.• Summarize information about the volcano of Montserrat.

Duration:

Two weeks, one hour of on-line time each day.

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Instructional Strategy:

Divide the class into pairs or small groups of approximately 3-4 participantseach. Provide each group with a two-pocket folder. Distribute the activities in theleft pocket of each folder to encourage problem-solving strategies within thegroup.

Have students utilize the right hand pocket of the folder to record their strategies,take notes, and track project completion. Students should store information theyhave gathered or printed from the Internet in this pocket as well.

You may need to cover scavenger hunt strategies with students prior tobeginning the activities. Also provide additional resources for students such asmaps, globes and other geographic or demographic information. Encourageboth on-line and off-line research through reference material.

Prerequisite:

A short introduction to the Internet with information on access and addresses isrequired before participants go on-line. Ensure that students are familiar with theWeb browser they will be utilizing.

Assessment/Evaluation:

The activities in this unit will be evaluated on the basis of student participationand performance. Team folders will include information gathered in the processof completing the activities. Encourage cooperative learning, group process,problem-solving, competition and the use of the Internet as these activities arecompleted. Serve as facilitator and guide throughout the activities.

Other Related Activities:

• Join the on-line project "Where on the Globe is Roger" with other studentsat http://www.gsn.org/roger/project.html. Follow Roger Williams in his1982 Dodge truck as he drives around the world sending greetings andreports about the people and places he visits.

• Use CD-ROM software such as "Where in the World is Carmen SanDiego"and "World Book" to further explore regions of the world.

• Create your own geography scavenger hunt that will take your classmatesto new and different parts of the world.

• Design a hidden treasure map that takes others around your schoollooking for a treasure of some kind.

• Plan a trip around the world with 20 stops. Some questions to help youplan include: Where will you stop? What will you see at each stop? Whattype of transportation will get you from place to place? What kind of abudget would you need to complete this trip?

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• Use the Web site "City.net" at http://www.city.net/ to locate information andmaps on specific countries or "Geopedia" at http://www.geopedia.com/ tolearn about the demographics of specific countries.

• Learn about map making by visiting and exploring the Web site"Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make me a Map" athttp://loki.ur.utk.edu/ut2kids/maps/map.html.

• Teacher: Visit the IBM K-12 Home Page Teachers' Corner at http://www.solutions.ibm.com/k12/teacher/lp_text.html to find an Internetactivity on maps (June '96).

• Teacher: Have each student submit a geography quiz question based onsomething he/she learned on the Internet about a city, country or region ofthe world. Compile the questions into a Geography I.Q. test for the class.

Materials Needed by Teacher:

• Two-pocket folders• World map for each group

Teacher Notes:

Exploring the geographic location of people, places and events can be anexciting area of instruction. In addition to learning geography, students are alsoenhancing and honing their Internet research skills.

To make the journey even more exciting, the activities are in a scavenger huntformat - students are given a brief introduction, a Web site address andquestions to answer. Once they locate the place or event, they are to mark thelocation on their world map. Encourage students to create a legend for theirworld map.

This interactive, game-style approach to learning geography may be motivationalfor students as the learning is placed in their hands. They are responsible forhow much they get out of each activity. You may choose to further enhance thisactivity by placing time limits or actually timing students on their completion ofthe scavenger hunt. However you decide to manage the scavenger hunt,students will have fun doing these educational activities.

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Geography Scavenger HuntInternet Lesson PlanGrade level: 6-9

Teacher Activities

Activity #1: Lost at sea

Did you know that most of the world is covered by water? Think of all themysteries which lie beneath the seas and the answers these mysteries hold tomany unanswered questions! Explore one discovery by visiting "increase &diffusion: Hanalei Redux" at http://www.si.edu/i+d/redux.html.

• Where is Hanalei Bay located? Mark and label this spot on your worldmap.

• What did divers discover in Hanalei Bay?• To whom did it belong?• In what year did it wreck?• List some of the artifacts recovered.

Activity #2: What a catch!

Have you ever heard of or seen a toothfish? Where in the world do they live andwhat's so special about them? Make the search for the toothfish your nextadventure on your world-wide scavenger hunt. Go to the Web site "LEARNZ97"at http://learnz.icair.iac.org.nz/learnz97/index.htm.

• What continent is home to the toothfish?• List three interesting facts about these fish.• What keeps the two species of toothfish apart?• Explain where this ecological barrier is located. Draw and label it on your

world map.

Activity #3: Tasmanian tour

The infamous Tasmanian Devil has become near and dear to many thanks tothe popular Bugs Bunny cartoons we've all seen. But where is the real home ofthe Tasmanian Devil? To learn more about this creature and its home, visit the

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Web site "The Interactive Tour of Tasmania" athttp://vcsun2.tamu.edu/~justin/tastour/.

• Where is Tasmania located? Find and mark it on your world map.• What is the capital of Tasmania?• Where else can a Tasmanian Devil be found besides Tasmania?• How did the Tasmanian Devil get its name?• What foods are produced in Tasmania? Why there?

Activity #4: Canal coverage

Can you locate the canal known as "an engineering marvel?" Panama, a LatinAmerican country, is home to the famous Panama Canal. But how much do youreally know about the history and creation of the canal? To learn more, visit theWeb site "Destination Panama" athttp://www.lonelyplanet.com.au/dest/cam/pan.htm.

• What are Panama's border countries? Locate and mark Panama on yourworld map.

• What is the population of this country?• What is the capital?• What languages are spoken in this country?• What type of government rules this country? What is an example of

another country which has a similar government?• What year was the canal built? Was this the first attempt at building a

canal?• How long is the canal?• How much did it cost to build?

Activity #5: Peak to peak

Although the terrain of the world varies, its many majestic mountain ranges standhigh above its other features. The Himalayas are the largest mountain range inthe world. See what else you can find out about these peaks by visiting"Shangri La Web Site" at http://aleph0.clarku.edu/rajs/Shangri_La.html.

• What are the seven countries this mountain range covers?• The highest peak in the world is part of this range. What are the three

names it is known by?• How high is this peak?• What is the latitude and longitude of this peak?• Who was the first to scale this peak?• Highlight or mark this area on your world map.

Activity #6: Exploring Eastern Europe

The names and borders of countries on the world map have changeddramatically over the past few years, especially in Eastern Europe. But do you

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know where in the world Moldova is? To learn more about this area of the world,visit the Web sites "Virtual Moldova" at http://www.info.polymtl.ca/Moldova and"The 1997 World Factbook" athttp://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/country-frame.html.

• Between which two countries does Moldova lie?• What is the capital of Moldova? Mark it on your world map.• On what continent is this republic located?• Using the Web site "How far is it? " at http://www.indo.com/distance/,

determine how far Moldova is from where you live.• How big is Moldova?• List three interesting facts about Moldova.

Activity #7: Cruising the islands

You've just won an all-expense paid trip to the island of Macquarie!Congratulations. Now the question is, when do you want to visit this exoticisland? Before making your decision, where in the world is Macquarie Island?Visit the Web site "Macquarie Island" athttp://www.antdiv.gov.au/aad/exop/sfo/macca/macca/macca.html to learn more.

• Off of which continent is this island located?• Using the latitude and longitude, find and mark Macquarie Island on your

world map. • What are the current weather conditions?• Based on what you've learned, what would be the best time of year to visit

this island?• What type of people or animals inhabit this island?• What is so special about this place?

Activity #8: Views of a volcano

It may be hard to believe but there are still active volcanoes erupting in the world.One is found in Montserrat. Stop off at the Web site "Soufriere Hills, Montserrat"athttp://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/current_volcs/montserrat/montserrat.htmlto learn more about the location and dangers the people of Montserrat areexperiencing. Imagine what your life would be like if you had a volcano in yourback yard!

• Where is Montserrat located? Locate and mark it on your world map.• What is the latitude and longitude of this country?• Where is the volcano located within the country? Locate and mark it on

your world map.• When did it begin erupting?• How is this volcano affecting life in Montserrat?

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