Unit 1: Louisiana's Physical and Cultural Geography Activity 2: Identifying Louisiana Geographic Features (GLEs: 2, 3)
CC: Provide the students with a map of the southern half of the United States, and have them draw a compass rose and locate the following: Louisiana Gulf of Mexico Sabine River, Pearl River, Mississippi River (and designated boundaries) 33 degrees north latitude Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi
A Louisiana outline map is available at: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/usa/states/louisiana/outline/map.GIF. Students will then locate the required points on this map. They may use text books or the websites below for the location of these items.
http://www.netstate.com/states/maps/la_maps.htm http://wwwlamap.doa.state.la.us/
Web Resources: Log in to World Book Online and search "Louisiana", select the "Louisiana" article, then select the "Louisiana Map". http://www.worldbookonline.com/wb/Home This article and its subsections will be used in multiple Units and Activities.
CC: Provide the students with various maps of Louisiana for inclusion in a portfolio and have them identify the following: Waterways: Mississippi River, Red River, Atchafalaya River, Sabine River, Pearl River, Calcasieu River, Ouachita River, Vermilion River, Lake Pontchartrain, Toledo Bend, Lake Maurepas, Lake Calcasieu, Bayou Teche, Bayou Lafourche, Intracoastal Waterway.
Land regions: Using a legend (e.g., color code), students should represent the major land regions of Louisiana (i.e., Mississippi Floodplain, Terraces, Marshes, Red River Valley, Hills region,
Unique features and regions: Using a legend, identify locations such as Mt. Driskill, Dolet Hills, Nacogdoches Wold / Kisatchie Wold, Kisatchie National Forest, Chalk Hills, Salts Domes (Five Islands), cheniers, delta, barrier islands, spillways and basins, oxbow lakes (e.g., Cane River, False River) and other pertinent features such as state parks, Florida Parishes, Acadiana, and CENLA (e.g., Louisiana Department of Tourism, Cultural Regions).
http://www.enlou.com/places/water.htm The official State of Louisiana website will contain a large amount of the information required to identify the above items. http://www.louisiana.gov/wps/portal/ The Louisiana Map web site will allow students to locate most of the information required. It will require the viewing of several different maps. http://wwwlamap.doa.louisiana.gov/
CC: Expanded Activity: Provide students (individual or small group) with a road map of Louisiana (e.g., atlas, foldable), which illustrates various major transportation routes (e.g., I-49, U.S. 190, LA Hwy. 1). Offer several scenarios (one per student or small group) involving a starting point (e.g., Lake Charles) and a destination (Monroe or Poverty Point [Epps]). Challenge students to find the most feasible route (i.e., time, distance) between the two locations. The students are to write the "best" directions in a narrative format denoting cardinal and intermediate directions, distance between relevant points (using scale), landmarks (communities, points of interest, highway numbers), but omit naming the final destination (students are not to share any information with other groups). After every individual or small group has completed its task, have each individual or small group provide their directions to another group (include starting point, but omit destination). Allow the students to trace the route via the directions given (written or oral) and conclude as to what the final destination may be.
List: A fully zoomable Louisiana road map is available at: http://www.dotd.state.la.us/maps/2004_Official_Louisiana_Highway_Map.PDF. Students should type their directions and landmarks into MS Word documents. |
