World laminated maps or atlases and island handouts or transparencies

Transcription

1 Island Lesson plan Goal: Objectives: To teach students about islands Students will be able to: Describe what an island is. Locate the world s 20 largest islands. Describe some of the characteristics of four different kinds of islands. Describe some of the advantages and disadvantages of being an island. Materials: Standard: World laminated maps or atlases and island handouts or transparencies Student will be able to describe, compare and explain the locations and characteristics of places, cultures, and settlements. Learning Activities: Introduction: Ask for the definition of what an island is. (A body of land surrounded by water, as opposed to a peninsula.) Help students expand the definition by adding the size limits. (Less than continental size, above water at all times, large enough to support life.) Transparency 1. Explain that there are four different kinds of islands, with different characteristics and causes, and typical locations. Continental islands are islands which are part of the continent shelf, and of the same geologic composition as the continent, but separated from the mainland by water, either through rifts, erosion, subsidence, or a rise in sea level. Continental islands include most of the world s largest islands, they tend to be relatively stable, and close to the continent. Madagascar is an example. Oceanic islands are island which rise from the ocean floor often through volcanic action. Hawaii is an example. Coral islands are island formed in shallow water by the activities of coral, a living thing. Coral filters seawater for its food, and leaves behind a limestone shell when it dies. Coral can grow in clear, typically warm water within about 20 feet of the surface where sunlight can penetrate. The Florida Keys are examples. Barrier Islands are islands which are formed by deposition, either from rivers or ocean currents. Barrier Islands are often parallel to the coast, made of sand or silt, and are relatively unstable. The San Padre Islands in Texas are an example.

2 Laminated Map Activity: Present the list of the world s 20 largest islands (Transparency 2) (Note: Honshu is the large island in Japan, and Luzon is the northernmost Philippine island, and Mindanao is the southernmost.) Tell students to work in groups and underline the names of the 20 islands. After most of the groups have finished ask if there are islands not yet found by some groups, and have other groups describe their relative location. Brainstorming Activity: (Transparency 3) Brainstorm some additional characteristics of islands, especially as they might be different from continents. Climate. More influenced by the ocean, which means more moderate temperature, but not always wet. Consequences of being surrounded by water. Separated from other land which can serve as a barrier, leading to: Safety (as in Great Britain), Isolation (as in New Zealand, or for than matter, Ellis Island) Cultural distinctiveness (as in Ireland), Biological diversity (as in the Galapagos Islands). Transportation and location. Some islands can be useful as a transportation stop because of their isolated location (Hawaii). Being an island can sometimes be a location advantage (as in Manhattan), but it is often a transportation disadvantage (as in Isle Royale). Economics. Island economics, especially on small islands, are often fairly narrowly based, and linked with the island s strategic location (Guam) or its unique physical or cultural characteristics (Jamaica). Tourism is often a major economic activity. Group Activity: (Transparency 4) Have students work in groups to outline possible answers to the following: Describe the location and characteristics of an island familiar to students, state why it is considered an island, and what kind of island it is. Describe two advantages and two disadvantages it has (or has had in the past) because it is an island.

3 Island A body of land of less than continental size, surrounded by water. Usually large enough to support life Be above sea level at all times. 4 kinds of islands, each developed by a different process. Continental Oceanic Coral Barrier Activities Identify the largest islands. Identify examples of each kind of island, and generalize about where they are.

4 LOCATE THE WORLD=S 20 LARGEST ISLANDS Cuba Victoria Ellesmere Baffin Greenland Newfoundland Iceland Great Britain Ireland Madagascar Sumatra Java Borneo Celebes New Guinea North Island, NZ South Island, NZ Mindanao Luzon Honshu

5 Climate. Consequences of being surrounded by a water barrier Transportation and location Economics

6 Assessment: Describe the location and characteristics of Island, state why it is considered an island, and what kind of island it is. Describe two advantages and two disadvantages it has (or has had in the past) because it is an island.

7 Goal: To teach students about islands Objectives:Students will be able to: Describe what an island is. Locate the world s 20 largest islands. Describe some of the characteristics of four different kinds of islands. Describe some of the advantages and disadvantages of being an island.