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PLACE: TEACHING STRATEGIES

Overview

Main Ideas
Illinois is a state that is mainly level land with temperate cropland replacing mostly native prairie. Illinois has abundant natural resources, including outstanding soil, abundant and well-distributed fresh water resources, and much mineral wealth. Illinois is a prosperous, heavily populated state with a variety of cultural, racial, and religious groups from all over the world.

Connection with the Curriculum
These lessons could be taught in geography, government, history, sociology, economics, or general social studies classes.

Teaching Level
Grades 7-10.

Materials for Each Student

• a physical and political map of Illinois

• colored pencils

• a pencil

Objectives for Each Student
Lesson 1 -
The Physical Geography of Illinois.

• Locate and describe the four major physical regions of Illinois: the Great Lakes plains, the glacial till plains, the gulf coastal plains, and the driftless sections.

• Name and locate the mineral resources of Illinois — coal, petroleum, sand, gravel, clay, limestone, lead, zinc, and fluorite.

• Name, describe, and locate the two climates of Illinois: humid continental warm summer and humid subtropical.

• Learn that Illinois has abundant fresh water resources in several forms: lakes, streams, and ground water.

• Learn the names and locations of the three major river systems of Illinois: the Mississippi, the Illinois, and the Ohio, as well as the names and locations of the major tributaries of these rivers.

• Learn the names and locations of the major reservoirs in the state: Lake Clinton, Lake Shelbyville, Lake Carlyle, Rend Lake, Crab Orchard Lake, and Lake of Egypt.

• Learn that the natural vegetation of Illinois is 90% prairie and 10% forest.

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Each student should know that most of the forested area was concentrated in southern Illinois, that the forests are mixed deciduous ones, and that only 2% of the native prairies remain because of Illinois' extensive farmland.

• Gain awareness of the variety and types of wildlife in Illinois.

Lesson 2 -
Cultural Geography of Illinois.

• Learn the names, descriptions, and general locations of the major Indian tribes that once lived in Illinois.

• Learn that there is a great variety of those cultural groups that have moved to Illinois. Students should know the names of those cultural groups and approximately when they came.

• Learn the major agricultural products of Illinois: corn, soybeans, hogs, wheat, oats, hay, fruits, vegetables, dairy and beef cattle, poultry, potatoes, and sorghum.

• Learn that agriculture provides a slight portion (about 1%) of the state's annual income, that service businesses provide most of the income produced by the state (75%), and that manufacturing jobs provide the largest single source of income (20%).

• Learn basic statistical information about Illinois such as length, width, number of counties, ranking in land area and population, and per cent of urbanization.

• Learn the names, locations, and general categories of the major cities of Illinois. The five general categories are major metropolitan areas, major urban collar cities, mid-hinterland cities, regional cities, and university cities.

SUGGESTIONS FOR
TEACHING THE LESSON

Opening the Lessons
• Have students read the content portion of the chapter "Place."

• Assign the activities to the students. Students can do one or both activities in any order. Directions are provided for each activity for the students to read on their own or listen to the teacher's explanation.

• Make sure that students have the materials needed to do each lesson.

Developing the Lessons
• Allow students time to complete each lesson. The lessons may be done individually, in small groups, or as a whole class, whatever is most suitable for your students.

• Circulate through the room to check their work and answer questions while they work.

Concluding the Lessons
• Grade or check the correct answers to each activity.

• Review and summarize for students what they were to have learned.

Extending the Lessons
• Students could plan one-week trips throughout Illinois to see a variety of places that interest them.

• Students could predict future changes in Illinois based upon what they have learned about "place."

Assessing Student Learning
• Give a test or quiz.

• An alternative means of evaluation would be to have students write a report on Illinois using the information they have learned. Students would be provided with an outline or list of topics to be included in their report.


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Student Name _______________   Period ____   Score ____    Grade ____

The Physical Geography of Illinois

The Lithosphere - Physical Regions

Match each of the four physical regions of Illinois with their definitions.

_ 1. Great Lakes Plains

_ 2. Glacial Till Plains

_ 3. The Gulf Coastal

_ 4. The Driftless Sections

A. hilly places that glaciers never covered

B. fertile plains formerly covered by a lake

C. part of the enormous Plains plains region stretching to the Gulf of Mexico

D. flat, fertile plains formerly covered by glaciers

Color each of the physical regions of Illinois the following colors on the physical features map of Illinois.

Great Lakes Plains

Glacial Till Plains

Gulf Coastal Plains

The Driftless Sections (4 of them)

- yellow

- brown

- light green

- dark green

Mineral Resources

Illinois has several mineral resources. Match the minerals of Illinois with their uses.

_ 1. coal

_ 2. oil

_ 3. sand, gravel, and clay

_ 4. limestone

_ 5. lead

_ 6. zinc

_ 7. fluorite

A. used in construction of roads and buildings

B. used in batteries and to galvanize steel

C. used to make aluminum, steel, hydrofluoric acid, lenses,and prisms

D. used to make fuels, lubricants, and plastics

E. used in batteries, gasoline, paints, and dyes

F. used in construction and to produce steel

G. used as fuel to produce electricity and as an ingredient to make steel

Label the physical features map of Illinois as follows:

Circles label with a "C" for coal
Triangles mark with an "O" for oil
Squares mark with a "B" for building materials
Diamonds are already labeled with "Z" for zinc,
"L" for lead, and "F" for fluorite

The Atmosphere - Climates of Illinois
Trace the dashed line running across the southern part of the state in red. It separates the two climates of Illinois — the humid continental warm summer climate and the humid subtropical climate. Now write the name of each climate next to its description below.

  1. __________________. This climate has four seasons, but temperatures are usually either cool, warm, or hot. Precipitation is fairly high and there is not much snow.

  2. __________________. This climate has four seasons, moderate precipitation, and a big temperature range between winter and summer.

The Hydrosphere - Rivers, Lakes, and Reservoirs
Use an atlas and colored pencils to do the following things on your Illinois Physical Map.

  1. Trace the Illinois River and all its main tributaries shown on the map in green. Now label the Illinois River on the map as well as each of the tributaries with their names.

  2. Trace the Mississippi River and its tributaries in blue, and label all of them.

  3. Trace the Ohio River and all of its tributaries in orange, and label all of them.

Lakes and Reservoirs
Besides Lake Michigan, Illinois has a few large, natural lakes. Manmade lakes are called reservoirs. They are used for flood control, electricity, recreation, and as fresh water supplies in Illinois. Label the following lakes and reservoirs on the map. They have all been drawn in for you.

Lake Michigan

Lake Clinton (reservoir)

Lake Shelbyville (reservoir)

Lake Carlyle (reservoir)

Rend Lake (reservoir)

Crab Orchard Lake (reservoir)

Lake of Egypt (reservoir)

The Biosphere - The Plants and Animals of Illinois
Fill in the missing letters to each term below which is found in Illinois.

1. P _ a _ r _ e - the natural vegetation that once covered 90% of Illinois.

2. m_x_d    d_c_d_o_s - the type of forests most common to Illinois.

What are these wildlife found in Illinois?

Animals

3. _q_i_r_l

4. r_c_o_n

5. _p_o_s_m

6. r_b_i_

7. _o_

8. g_o_n_ h_g

9 . _u_k_a_

10. b_a_e_

Birds

11. _u_k

12. g_e_e

13. _h_a_a_t

14. q_a_l

15. _a_d_n_l

Fish

16. b_s_

17. _e_c_

18. b_u_g_l_

19. _r_p_i_

20. s_n_i_h

21._a_p

22. c_t_i_h

23. _i_e

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Student Name _______________  Period ____  Score ____  Grade _____

The Cultural Geography of Illinois

The Indians of Illinois
Before there were Europeans and other ethnic groups from all over the world in Illinois, there were the Indians. Illinois is named after the Illiniwek Indians. The name means "the men" or "superior men." French fur trappers called them the Illinois. Although powerful, they were defeated by other tribes, particularly the Iroquois. Very few lived by 1800.

The Illiniwek Indians were actually several tribes that had formed a confederation or alliance. They did this to trade with each other and to protect each other from other tribes. Some of these tribes were the Peoria, Kaskaskia, Cahokia, Maroa, Tamaroa, Michigamea, and Moingwena. All except the Moingwena are labeled on the map.

Write the word Illini in all capital letters on the map in the general area where these tribes lived, and then lightly color this part of the map one color. Have the color fade away to nothing at the edges of the Illiniwek territory because Indians did not often have specific boundaries for their territory and because boundaries changed frequently when tribes fought each other.

At various times between 1630 and 1800 many other Indian tribes lived in Illinois. Here is a list of the major ones. Label them on the map on the lines provided. The numbers on the map match the numbers and names of the tribes below.

  1. The Iroquois. They were a large and powerful eastern invader that sided with the British. The Illiniwek were friends of the French. The Iroquois attacked many other tribes and forced them to move to new places.

  2. The Miami. They were pushed through northern Illinois by the Iroquois, and some settled as far north as southern Wisconsin.

  3. The Potawatomi. First they came from southern Michigan and settled along the land near southern Lake Michigan. Then they pushed into central Illinois during the 1700s and fought the Illiniwek.

  4. The Sauk (or Sac). Pushed into Illinois by the Iroquois, they settled in southern Wisconsin and then returned to Illinois in the 1700s in the northwest part of the state.

  5. The Fox. They followed the same route as the Sauk.

  6. The Winnebago. They lived in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

  7. The Mascouten. The Iroquois pushed them from southern Michigan into northern, eastern, and southern Illinois.

  8. The Kickapoo. Also pushed from southern Michigan by the Iroquois, they settled in central Illinois.

  9. The Piankeshaw. The Kickapoos were part of this tribe that settled in southeast Illinois.

  10. The Sioux. Some moved to southern Illinois, but most were kept out by the Illiniwek Confederation. The Sioux were fierce fighters from the Great Plains. Probably the reason the Illiniwek eventually lost all of their land to other tribes was because they were gradually weakened by the Sioux to the west and the Iroquois to the east.

  11. The Shawnee. They moved into southern Illinois from southern Indiana and Kentucky.

Worldwide Immigration to Illinois
Listed below are the main cultural groups that have come to live in Illinois. They are listed in the order that they arrived. Match the the cultures with their descriptions.

_ 1. French

_ 2. Eastern Americans

_ 3. Other Europeans (Irish, Germans, Poles, Bohemians, Ukrainians, Italians, European Jews)

_ 4. African Americans

_ 5. Orientals (Chinese, Koreans, Filipinos)

_ 6. Latinos (Mexicans, Puerto Ricans)

_ 7. Recent Arrivals (Arabs, Southeast Asians, Indians)

A. came after the Civil War for freedom and jobs

B. settled here after French were defeated by the British in 1763

C. came from the 1950s until the present looking for jobs

D. came from 1960s to the present to escape political and economic hardships

E. came to trade with Indians for furs

F. came from the 1820s to the 1920s for jobs and to escape political and religious oppression

G. came for jobs in small but steady numbers since the 1800s and continue today

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Agriculture in Illinois
Fill in the missing letters of each crop or livestock described below that is produced in Illinois.

  1. c_ _ _ — a grain which is the state's number 1 crop

  2. s_ _ _ _ _ _ _ — Illinois is the world's leading producer of this "miracle bean" that has many, many uses

  3. h_ _ _ — raised on corn, they produce much meat quickly

  4. w_ _ _ _ — a basic grain from which most bread is made

  5. o_ _ _ — another common grain eaten by people and livestock

  6. h_ _ — grasses of various kinds used as cattle feed

  7. f_ _ _ _ _ — a variety of sweet and juicy deciduous food

  8. v_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ — variety of plants rich in vitamins and minerals

  9. d_ _ _ _ c_ _ _ _ _ — milk, cheese, butter, and other products come from them

  10. b_ _ _ c_ _ _ _ _ — livestock breeds raised for meat

  11. p_ _ _ _ _ _ — eggs and meat come from them

  12. p_ _ _ _ _ _ _ —a tuber that is high in carbohydrates and is eaten in a variety of ways

  13. s_ _ _ _ _ _ — similar to corn, but shorter and used mostly for cattle feed

Cities of Illinois
On the cultural map of Illinois draw the symbol of each city category where the city is located and then label it with its number in the following lists. Write the number of each city inside its symbol on the map. Use a political map of Illinois to find the cities.

The major cities have been grouped into five different categories. Here are the five categories, their definitions, their symbols, and the cities in each category.

A Major Metropolitan Areas. These are the largest cities and their suburbs.They serve the needs of the people in large urban and rural areas surrounding the metropolitan area. The region served by a city is called its hinterland.

1.Chicago 2. St. Louis (in Missouri, but affects Illinois)

Major Urban Collar Cities. These are not suburbs of major metropolitan areas, but will surround them in the not-too-distant vicinity.

3. Waukegan

4. Evanston

5. Elgin

6. Aurora

7. Joliet

8. Kankakee

9. Alton

10. Granite City

11. Cahokia

12. Collinsville

13. Belleville

14. Edwardsville

Mid-Hinterland Cities. These cities lie about halfway between the two major metropolitan areas and serve the needs of the people at the edges of the two major hinterlands.

14. Peoria

15. Springfield

16. Decatur

17. Bloomington

18. Champaign

Regional Cities. These cities serve small sections of the state not located between Chicago and St. Louis. Some are mid-hinterland cities between Chicago and other large cities other than St. Louis.

19. Rockford

20. Quincy

21. Danville

22. The Quad Cities (Moline, Rock Island, and Davenport, (Iowa), and Bettendorf, (Iowa)) - They form one big urban area

University Cities. These cities have large state universities in them and serve as regional education centers throughout the state.

23. DeKalb - Northern Illinois University

24. Macomb - Western Illinois University

25. Normal - Illinois State University

26. Urbana - University of Illinois

27. Charleston - Eastern Illinois University

28. Carbondale - Southern Illinois University

Illinois Statistics
Match the numbers on the left with the statements on the right. Do the best you can. Do not worry about guessing incorrectly. You will be surprised by some of the correct answers when you find them out.

1. 102

2. 24

3. 212

4. 10

5. 1

6. 80

7. 378

8. 75

9. 20

A. width of state at its widest part

B. per cent of state income from agriculture

C. rank of state in land area among all states

D. within top __of most populated U.S. states

E. per cent of state income from service jobs

F. length of state at its longest part

G. per cent of state income from manufacturing

H. number of counties in Illinois

I. percent of people who live in urban areas

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Key - The Physical Geography of Illinois

The Lithosphere

1. B
2. D
3. C
4. A

The Biosphere

1. prairie
2. mixed deciduous

Mineral Resources

1. G
2. D
3. A
4. F
5. E
6. B
7. C

The Atmosphere

1. Humid Subtropical
2. Humid Continental Warm Summer

Animals

3. squirrel
4. raccoon
5. oppossum
6. rabbit
7. fox
8. ground hog
9. muskrat
10. beaver

Birds

11. duck
12. geese
13. pheasant
14. quail
15. cardinal

Fish

16. bass
17. perch
18. bluegill
19. crappie
20. sunfish
21. carp
22. catfish
23. pike

Key - The Cultural Geography of Illinois

Worldwide Immigration to Illinois

1. E
2. B
3. F
4. A
5. G
6. C
7. D

Agriculture in Illinois

1. corn
2.soybeans
3. hogs
4. wheat
5. oats
6. hay
7. fruits
8. vegetables
9. dairy cattle
10. beef cattle
11. poultry
12. potatoes
13. sorghum

Illinois Statistics

1. H
2. C
3. A
4. D
5. B
6. I
7. F
8. E
9. G

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PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY MAP OF ILLINOIS

Fig. 1 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY MAP OF ILLINOIS

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CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY MAP OF ILLINOIS

Fig. 2 CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY MAP OF ILLINOIS

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