Title: Specialization and Interdependence in Maryland: An Economics and Map Skills Lesson Recommended Grades: 3-4 Time Needed: 40 minutes Objectives: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to determine areas of specialization in Maryland and how it results in interdependence to help the Maryland economy. Materials: Maryland Giant State Traveling Map Yarn Appendix A: Pictures of: o Airport o Shipping Port o Cattle o Cows (Dairy) o Poultry o Fruit o Manufacturing o Tourism o Fishing o Mining o Business Centers List of clues Answer Key for economic activities on the map Preparation: Lay out the Maryland Giant State Traveling Map Print out the pictures and list of clues (may need to lay it down based on modifications needed for your lesson group) Rules: Shoes are not allowed on the map. Please have students remove shoes before walking on the map. No writing utensils on the map.
Directions: 1. Have the students take off their shoes and give them a few minutes to explore the map. Prior to stepping on the map, remind the students of the rules. Make sure to include that sliding is not allowed on the map. 2. Remind the students of the three regions of Maryland: Appalachian Mountain region, Piedmont Plateau, and Atlantic Coastal Plain region. Place yarn on the map to define these three regions. 3. Ask students: What physical features do you see in the Appalachian Mountain region (Answer- Mountains, Allegany Mountains, Deep Creek Lake, Potomac River)? What is the land like in this region (Mountainous, however it does have a few fertile valleys)? What physical features do you see in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region (Answers- Potomac River, Patuxent River, Monocacy River, Piedmont Plateau)? What is the land like in this region (Rolling hills & flat land)? What physical features do you see in the Atlantic Coastal Plain region (Answers- Potomac River, Patuxent River, Chesapeake Bay, Chincoteague Bay, Tangier Sound, Pocomoke Sound, Sassafras River, Chester River, Choptank River, Nanticoke River, Fishing Bay, Susquehanna River, and Delmarva Peninsula)? What is the land like in this region (low, flat land with fertile soil)? 4. Use the list of clues in Appendix B to help students determine where each of the economic activities are located. There is an answer key provided (Appendix C) 5. After all economic activities are placed on the map, have students stand on an economic activity to represent the person who does that job (Only 11 students- one for each economic activity). Start with Airports and ask students how the other jobs or economic activities are going to rely on each other in order to get their own job done. There is a sample in Appendix D. When a student explains which activity their job relies on, have the students connect to each other by holding a piece of the yarn. Eventually, this will create a web to show how each job relies on someone else. 6. While students are still holding onto the yarn, ask the rest of the students what they notice about the jobs in Maryland (that they all rely on each other to make money). Introduce the term of interdependence. Explain that interdependence is our web: Its people relying on others based on their specialization to help make money. 7. Fold up the map (or move students to a different location where pencils and paper can be used.) Using the written assessment in Appendix E, have students determine an example of specialization in Maryland. They will then use the example of specialization to determine how the job relies on another job to make money (interdependence).
Modifications: Instead of giving the clues to be a scavenger hunt as to where these places are specialized, place the picture cards on the map and have students discuss why it makes sense in that location based on the physical and human-made features nearby. Extensions: Students can work in smaller groups (instead of together as a class) to figure out step five (how specialization results in interdependence). Also, students can come up with more than one way a job connects to another job (create their own web, connecting as many jobs as they can). Tips: This lesson would be best taught after students are already familiar with the regions of Maryland. Standards: Standard 4.0 Economics Topic A. Scarcity and Economic Decision-Making Indicator 4. Describe regional economic specialization in Maryland and the ways people live and work Objective 2. Describe how specialization results in the interdependence of people Vocabulary: 1. Specialization- Each person specializes in one job 2. Interdependence- Each specialized job relies on another job to complete their job and live successfully 3. Cattle- Animals used for their meat 4. Manufacturing- Making goods/materials 5. Business Center- A place where services are provided Assessment: Using the written assessment in Appendix E, have students determine an example of specialization in Maryland. They will then use the example of specialization to determine how the job relies on another job to make money (interdependence).
Appendix A: Pictures for the Map Alliance Created State Giant Traveling Map Lesson
Appendix A: Pictures for the Map Continued All images were taken from openclipart.org
Appendix B: List of Clues Alliance Created State Giant Traveling Map Lesson 1. This activity must be done in the mountains because you have to take the materials out of the mountain. You can find it on Backbone Mountain and in the Allegany Mountains (Mining). 2. This activity involves sending and receiving goods in and out of Maryland. You can find it east of the airport (Shipping Port). 3. This activity involves farming certain types of animals. It involves milking the animal and using the milk to create a type of product that should be on your plate/in your cup at each meal! You can find it both south and east of Hagerstown, north of Towson, and south of the Sassafras River (Dairy farming). 4. This activity also includes farming, however it is specifically the growing of edible organisms, which could be found on farms or orchards. You can find it just north of deep creek lake, northeast of Frederick, west of Salisbury, and east of Kent Island (Fruit Farming). 5. This activity involves catching an animal. You can find it in the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean (Fishing). 6. This activity can be found inside large cities. It involves making deals in order to make money (Business Centers in Rockville, Bethesda, Baltimore, Columbia, and Essex). 7. This activity deals with bringing people in from other areas. They spend lots of money, which is great for the state of Maryland! You can find it in Ocean City, Baltimore, and Deep Creek Lake (Tourism). 8. This activity deals with making new materials. It is usually done in factories and can be found in Salisbury, Baltimore, Bowie, and Frederick (Manufacturing). 9. This business involves transportation in the air. You can find it just south of Baltimore (but north of Columbia) (Airports). 10. This activity also involves farming, specifically using the meat from animals to produce food and other goods. You can find it located in the northeastern most point of Maryland, west of Ocean City near the Bay, and east of Cumberland (Cattle Farming). 11. This final activity involves the raising of turkey, chickens, and eggs for the purpose of eating the products. You can find it west of Hagerstown in the skinniest part of the state, throughout the Piedmont Plateau where it touches the Pennsylvania border, and in the Atlantic Coastal Plain along Route 50 from the Chesapeake Bay to Salisbury (Poultry).
Appendix C: Answer Key for Map Alliance Created State Giant Traveling Map Lesson Key: 1- Mining 2- Shipping Port 3- Dairy Farms 4- Fruit Farms Gray Fish- Fishing Chicken- Poultry Farming Orange buildings- Business Centers Brown animals- Cattle Farming Green People- Tourism Factory- Manufacturing Blue airplane- Airport
Appendix D: Possible Interdependence Links 1. Airports: Airports rely on tourists to make money. These tourists will use their airports to travel to Maryland. At this point, the student representing the airport will pass the yarn to the student representing tourism. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 2. Tourism: Tourists rely on Poultry Farming, as they are the people who can help supply the food the eat while they are in Maryland. At this point, the student representing tourism will pass the yarn to the student representing Poultry Farming. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 3. Poultry Farming: Poultry farmers rely on fisherman. In Maryland, a way to catch crabs is to use parts of chicken as bait. The fisherman will buy their bait from the poultry farmers. At this point, the student representing Poultry Farmers will pass the yarn to the student representing fisherman. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 4. Fisherman: Fisherman rely on Fruit Farmers to make money. Fruit Farmers can buy the fish that the fisherman catches. Then, the fruit farmers will use the fish as fertilizer before planting their seeds to grow their fruit. At this point, the student representing the fisherman will pass the yarn to the student representing fruit farming. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 5. Fruit Farming: Fruit Farmers rely on manufacturing plants to make money. Some companies like to buy fruits and vegetables and turn them into other products, like jellies or jams. At this point, the student representing the Fruit Farmer will pass the yarn to the student representing manufacturing. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 6. Manufacturing: Manufacturers rely on dairy farmers to make money. Dairy farmers will buy machines that manufacturers make in order to help milk their cows in a faster, more efficient way. At this point, the student representing the manufacturing will pass the yarn to the student representing dairy farmers. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 7. Dairy Farmers: Dairy farmers rely on shipping ports to make money. Shipping ports will buy the milk and other products that the dairy farmers produce, then ship them to other states so that people in other states can also enjoy the products. At this point, the student representing the dairy farmers will pass the yarn to the student representing shipping ports. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 8. Shipping Ports: Shipping ports rely on business centers to make money. Business Centers will purchase the products that the shipping ports send. At this point, the student representing the shipping ports will pass the yarn to the student representing business centers. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 9. Business Centers: Business Centers rely on cattle farming to make money. Cattle farmers can pay a business to test or even advertise their meat. At this point, the
student representing the business centers will pass the yarn to the student representing cattle farmers. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 10. Cattle Farmers: Cattle Farmers rely on miners to make money. Miners spend all day inside the mine, working. Most miners bring their lunch to work as, usually, there aren t many restaurants nearby to stop and get lunch. Miners can buy meat from the cattle farmers to make food like steak or burgers. At this point, the student representing the cattle farmers will pass the yarn to the student representing mining. Both students will still hold onto their piece of yarn. 11. Miners: Miners rely on the airport to make money. Miners pull precious rocks and minerals from the ground that gets turned into other products. One important item mined in Maryland is coal. Miners will sell their coal to help make important items. One important thing that coal is used for is to make electricity. Airports need electricity to run, so they can make almost everything move smoothly in the airports, including the computers, x-ray machines, etc. At this point, have the student represent mining pass the yarn back to the student representing airports. All students on the map should now have a piece of yarn in their hands.
Appendix E: Assessment for Lesson