NSS-G.K-12.2 PLACES AND REGIONS:

·         Understand the physical and human characteristics of places.
·         Understand that people create regions to interpret Earth's complexity.
·         Understand how culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places regions.

NSS-G.K-12.4 HUMAN SYSTEMS:

·         Understand the characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earth's surface.
·         Understand the characteristics, distribution, and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics.
·         Understand the patterns and networks of economic interdependence on Earth's surface.
·         Understand the processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement.
·         Understand how the forces of cooperation and conflict among people influence the division and control of Earth's surface.

NSS-G.K-12.5 ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY:

·         Understand how human actions modify the physical environment.
·         Understand how physical systems affect human systems.
·         Understand the changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution, and importance of resources. 

NSS-G.K-12.6 THE USES OF GEOGRAPHY 

·         Understand how to apply geography to interpret the past.
·         Understand how to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future.

Students will be able to:

• Identify several challenges created by history, geography, topography.
• Investigate one of the chosen challenges in the country of the student’s choice and identify the root causes of this challenge.
• Identify viable solutions to this challenge.
• Articulate these solutions in a formal presentation.

• internet
• text book and ancillary materials chosen by the teacher
• PowerPoint

• climate: the average and variations of weather in a region over long periods of time
• tropical: relating to the geographic region of the Earth where the sun reaches a point directly overhead, the Zenith, at least once during the solar year
• subtropical: relating to the zones of the Earth immediately north and south of the tropic zone, which is bounded by the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
• arid: lacking sufficient water or rainfall; dry
• Micro lending: the extension of very small loans (microloans) to the unemployed, to poor entrepreneurs, and to others living in poverty who are not considered bankable. These individuals lack collateral, steady employment  and a verifiable credit history and therefore cannot meet even the most minimal qualifications to gain access to traditional credit

1.  After the unit on the chosen continent, the students individually identify 5 challenges they see within an identified country on the continent of study.  Students then pair off, share their ideas, and reduce their two lists to one list of three challenges.  As a class the students compile these challenges on the board.

2.  The teacher presents the project to the students and explains that the students must first identify one challenge from the board and analyze it.  The students must then propose solutions.  Once the students have identified a solution and researched it, they will have to present this solution in both a presentation and in writing. The teacher demonstrates what is expected with a generic presentation. 

3. Students then pair off to identify and research the specific challenge they have chosen within their region.  They must identify the specific elements of the challenge using the textbook first.  They must present a process paper which must include information regarding: who, what, why, and how. 

4.  The students should utilize suggested websites (i.e., Design for the Other 90%) to intensify their research.  They should create note cards that include the necessary information and discuss any accompanying issues.  The students should be analyzing any issues identified.

5.  The students use the note cards and researched materials to write a three page paper which should identify and analyze the challenge and propose and support a designed solution which could address one of the following issues:  need for entrepreneurial start-up capital, micro-lending institutions, affordable and well designed money making equipment, products, affordable shelters, and education on networking for marketing and distribution. 

6.  The students must then present the challenge and solution in a formal setting.  Students in the audience use a critique and analysis sheet provided by the teacher as they watch the presentations.

The students will be assessed through their PowerPoint presentation, three-page paper, notes they took during the presentations, check of note cards created during research, and other assorted formative assessments during the process. 

• Students could research and develop a design for the proposed solution as well as a marketing plan for this design. 
• Students could design and establish a fund-raising event (within the school or community-at-large) in order to establish their own micro lending "institution", focused on "the other 90%".