Students are introduced to the physical geography of South Asia. They read about and look at maps of the region. Then they create their own maps to depict several aspects of the region. Finally, they consider two specific regions in the area—Kashmir and Punjab.
Students read an introduction to the South Asia region, including examples of large and small countries within it, and review the lesson objectives. They view an image of Kathmandu, Nepal, then respond to a word cloud prompt by sharing words that come to mind when they think of South Asia.
Teacher MovesPresent the overview and objectives of the experience. Facilitate a brief discussion of students’ word cloud responses, clarifying that regional labels like South Asia, Southeast Asia, and Southwest Asia are general descriptors rather than official boundaries, and noting that some countries (such as Afghanistan) are sometimes included in South Asia.
Students use South Asia: Geography to read about the region’s political overview and examine a population map, then post observations about what they notice on a collaborative wall. They then switch to the physical map, read the “Physical” section while exploring the interactive map, and answer multiple-choice questions about topographical regions and major rivers. Next, they read the “Environmental” section, view the land use map, and answer additional questions about land use and the wet monsoon.
Teacher MovesGuide students to notice the very large population of South Asia and prompt them to identify cities in the densest population areas (such as Calcutta, Patna, and Dhaka). After students work with the physical and environmental information, lead a brief wrap-up discussion about what they have learned regarding South Asia’s varied physical geography and invite predictions about how these variations might affect people’s lives.
Students select one South Asian country (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, or Maldives) to focus on. Using Resource Watch, they explore map layers such as official languages, rice yield trends, and one additional layer of their choice, reading layer information as needed. They take a screenshot of their chosen layer, upload it to the drawing tool, and add a title to their map. Students then review classmates’ maps to compare patterns across countries and post to a collaborative wall describing similarities and differences they notice.
Teacher MovesEncourage a range of country choices so that multiple countries are represented, assigning countries if necessary. Provide technical support for taking and uploading screenshots on classroom devices. After students share their maps, facilitate discussion that helps them compare languages, rice production, and other trends among the countries, and prompt them to generate additional geographic questions they might investigate.
Students open a regional map of South Asia, select one of the two marked locations, and read information about that area. They write a brief paragraph on the collaborative wall describing the area’s basic physical geography and religious groups, clearly indicating whether they chose Kashmir or Punjab. Then they read at least two classmates’ posts about the other area and respond to each with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesClarify background information about Punjab as an alluvial plain with five rivers and varied concentrations of Sikhs, Muslims, and Hindus, and about Kashmir as a region with fertile valleys and mountainous areas and a majority Muslim population with a significant Hindu minority. Use student posts and replies to deepen understanding of how physical geography and religious distribution vary within South Asia.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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