Locating Physical and Man-made Features in the U.S.

You are a geographer working for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. You need to travel across the country to learn more about the characteristics and significance of the physical and man-made features in the United States. You will work in a team of six geographers. Each team will be assigned one physical feature and one man-made feature to become experts on. You will create a brochure to share what you have learned about the features you have visited. There are specific areas that you will need to research in order to understand the features you have visited and how they have impacted American life.

The physical features you may visit: the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Great Plains, the Continental Divide, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi River, and the Great Lakes.

The man-made features you may visit: New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, D.C.; Gettysburg, PA; and the Erie Canal.

Each geographer in your team will become an expert in two areas of research.

The research areas for physical features are: 1) physical landscape and soil, 2) water, rivers, and oceans, 3) plant and animal life,  4) climate and environment. 5) atmosphere, and 6) historical significance.

The research areas for man-made features are:  1) population and culture  2) settlements,  3) transportation and human migration, 4) recreational activities, 5) economic activities, and 6) historical events and significance.

In addition to your brochure, each geographer will also create a piece of artwork that symbolizes or represents one of their assigned features. This can be a drawing, painting, sculpture, diorama (model), or anything else that relates to your assigned features. Be creative! 

Each team of geographers will design a presentation board which will include: your brochure, each piece of artwork, and pictures with captions describing the features and areas that each geographer reasearched.