Title

¿Qué lugar es?

Unit/Activity No.

Human Geography Unit 1/Activity 1

Geographic Topic

Physical geography, mapping skills

Language Topic

Geography, places

Language Function

Express location

Language Standard

1.1,   3.1

Geography Standard

1, 2, 4

I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION FOR TEACHERS

Teacher Instructions

Step 1. Before class prepare a handout and a transparency.

Step 2. Using the list provided, review vocabulary with the class.

Step 3. Place students into groups of two and distribute an activity sheet to each pair. Read over the directions.

Step 4. Place one of the provided maps onto the overhead and allow Estuidante A to guess the different locations that are being described by Estudiante B.

Step 5. Repeat this process reversing the roles of Estudiante A and B. Rotate the visuals to add variety.

Suggestions

Review or pre-teach geography vocabulary with students using maps of your state.

While Spanish vocabulary words (from the vocabulary list) are being read aloud; have students label blank maps of the state (printed on transparencies) with geographical features. Sentences should be modeled by using está/están plus prepositions.

Activity can be expanded to include use of hay. Provide models, e.g. Hay un río que pasa por la ciudad de Portland.

Change the place names to reflect your region

To make this a listening activity read short descriptions of geographic places while the students guess what place is being described.

Vocabulario útil 

la geografía

geography

el arroyo

stream

la bahía

bay

el bosque

forest

el cabo

point, cape

el campo

country(side)

el cañón

canyon

la catarata

waterfall

la colina

hill

la cordillera

mountain range

la costa

coast

el desierto

desert

la duna

dune

el lago

lake

el mar

sea

la montaña

mountain

el monte

mountain, butte

el océano

ocean

la playa

beach

el río

river

la selva

jungle

el valle

valley

la ciudad

city

Pequeño /a

small, little

grande (gran + noun)

big

el lugar

place

la autopista

highway

el camino

road

la carretera

freeway

la leyenda

legend/key

el mapa

map

el sendero

path

la ubicación

location

estar

to be (located)

al sur (de)

to the south (of)

al norte (de)

to the north (of)

al este (de)

to the east (of)

al oeste (de)

to the west (of)

lejos (de)

far (from)

cerca (de)

near (to)

entre

(in)between

al lado de

next to

alrededor (de)

around

fuera (de)

outside (of)

II. STUDENT ACTIVITY HANDOUTS

Handout 1
Your partner will describe the location of some cities or geographical features in your state. Try to guess each place.

MODELO

[Corvallis]
Esta ciudad está en el valle del Willamette. El río Willamette pasa por la ciudad. La ciudad está cerca de Albany pero está muy lejos de Ontario. Está al sur de Salem y al norte de Eugene. ¿Qué ciudad es?

Estudiante A:

1. el Lago Crater

2. Florence

3. el río Willamette

4. Portland

5. Medford

6. Hermiston

7. el río Snake

8. las montañas Steen

 

Estudiante B:

1. El Monte Hood

2. Woodburn

3. Brookings

4. La cordillera Cascade

5. Springfield

6. El “Cañón del Infierno” (Hell's Canyon)

7. Tillamook

8. Bend

 

III. VISUAL AID FOR TEACHERS

Transparency 1

 

 

Transparency 2

 

 

Transparency 3

 

IV. FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Have students compose trivia questions based on the content of this activity (e.g. ¿Cómo se llama el río que pasa por Springfield?).  Collect the classes questions, correct the language if necessary, then form students into teams. Have an emcee ask the questions and allow one representative of each team to answer. A correct answer gains one point. The team with the most points wins.