Massachusetts Geography Ideas

Overview: Richard A. Aieta promoted the idea that teachers could join forces to help put together a resource book to teach geography concepts and skills from a Massachusetts basis. Some of his ideas of what to include are listed below. Please add to it. What we are looking for is both student lessons and teacher resources to teach Mass geography.

Before this idea was completed, Dick Aieta tragically died. But the work of sharing ideas goes on, as he would have wanted. Send back your ideas online to the Mass. Studies Project.

• The "address" of Massachusetts, by neighbors, borders, regions
• A distances map between places
• A counties map
• Boston, water and the M.W.R.A.
• A map of Congressional Districts
• A cities and towns map
• Some exercises on map scale
• Map symbols Mass.
• The explanation for Southwick extending into Connecticut
• An explanation of the State Seal and Flag around the Five Themes
• A road map with exercises
• How to do a geographic profile of my community
• The origin of Gerrymandering using a map
• A topographic map of the State - by cross section, water bodies, maps, rivers, lakes, canals
• Resource maps, minerals, agriculture
• Climographs
• Recreation spots
• Precipitation patterns
• Charts to indicate climate seasonalities
• Native American groups - people of color. Geographic distribution.
• Selected case studies - of the Cape? Salem and the China Trade?
• Description and maps of historic places
• Maps on the growth of Boston
• Mass. and the Underground Railroad
• Mass. in history with accent on maps - Paul Revere's Ride, etc.
• Maine as part of Mass.
• Population change. Census data, cities.
• Mass Pike- what, when, number of cars per exit
• The Central Artery Tunnel Project
• Passages from literature that describe Mass.
• Boston and the Hub
• Sister cities around the world
• Employment graphs
• Shopping center locations
• Manufacturing data, what is produced where and why there?
• Map of airports, statistics, on flight in and out, from and to
• A bibliography, list of resources
• A map showing voting patterns
• A gazetteer
• Graph/map on religious affiliates
• A statistical comparison of Mass to New England, to the U.S.
• Famous Mass. native sons and daughters
• Selected cartoons about Mass.
• Words and music to the State song
• Water systems, river basins

  What did I leave out that you think should go into it? Should we publish a booklet or put it on a disk or both? I'll need help with this. Is there any piece of it that you would like to write? Full credit will be given to all authors. What we are looking for is both the data base and a series of questions, activities, and study guides. The audience is for students 4-12. I expect we will have lessons at different levels and that some lessons will be used with some students and not others.

  Sincerely,
  Dick Aieta

  The following are two geography exercises for Mass. Studies contributed by Dick Aieta. See also the climograph exercise contributed by the Massachusetts Geographic Alliance.
  

  MASSACHUSETTS GEOGRAPHY CARD GAME

  Either you or the students make a list of Massachusetts':

  • Physical Features (Cape Ann, Merrimack River, Connecticut Valley)
  • Cities/Towns (Springfield, New Bedford, Worcester)
  • Recreational Places/Events (Tanglewood, Great Woods, Boston Common)
  • Cultural Sites (Plymouth Plantation, Sturbridge, Lowell Mills)
  • Historic Spots/Events (Freedom Trail, Lexington,Concord, Bunker Hill, Deerfield)
  • Educational-Schools/Museums (MIT, B.C., Fine Arts, Higgins Armory)
  • Athletic Teams (Red Sox, Patriots, Bruins, Celtics)
  • Prominent People (Ted Kennedy, William Weld, Paul Revere)
  • Flora/Fauna (cranberries, lobster, clams, apples)
  • Economic Activities (computers, fishing, the Lottery)
  • Transportation Systems (128, 495, Mass Pike, the T)

  that give definition and character to Massachusetts.

  For each item, put it on one side of a 3x5 card. Have students select a card face down and at random they then attach it with tape to the back of another student. Careful not to let the receiving student see it although everyone else can. Students then mill about until they see other people's cards. The object of the activity is for the student to ask yes/no questions about their card -- Am I a place? Am I on or near the coast? Am I a person? Am I a place where my family might go?

  Once they get it correct, they put the card on their front and become helpers. Only people who guess their card can put it on their front and give hints to others who are stuck. Once the whole class has cards on their front have them use a desk map, sheet map or transparency map to locate the items. This exercise also works to introduce a unit or as a review before a test for any region under study.

  MASS. GEO POEM

  Line 1 City/Region name

  Line 2 Four physical features that describe this place

  Line 3 Three cultural features

  Line 4 Neighbor of/Bordering

  Line 5 Climate (temperature and precipitation) description in a season

  Line 6 Home of (3 items)

  Line 7 Three events that have shaped this place

  Line 8 Issues with, problems of _________ 2 items

  Line 9 Country Name