2.5 Geography Shapes Communities

Second Grade - Second Social Studies - 2.5 Geography Shapes Communities

From EngageNY

Geography and natural resources shape where and how urban, suburban, and rural communities develop and how they sustain themselves.

2.5a Urban, suburban, and rural communities can be located on maps, and the geographic characteristics of these communities can be described using symbols, map legends, and geographic vocabulary.

• Students will locate their communities on maps and/or globes.
• Students will examine how land within a community is used and classify land use as "residential" (used for housing), "industrial" (used to make things), "commercial" (used to provide services), and "recreational" (where people play or do sports).
• Students will create maps including maps that represent their classroom, school, or community, and maps that illustrate places in stories.

2.5b The location of physical features and natural resources often affects where people settle and may affect how those people sustain themselves.

• Students will compare how different communities in their state or nation have developed and explain how physical features of the community affect the people living there.

2.5c Humans modify the environment of their communities through housing, transportation systems, schools, marketplaces, and recreation areas.

• Students will explore how humans have positively and negatively impacted the environment of their community though such features as roads, highways, buildings, bridges, shopping malls, railroads, and parks.
• Students will describe the means people create for moving people, goods, and ideas in their communities.

2.5d The location and place of physical features and man-made structures can be described using symbols and specific geography vocabulary.

• Students will use a compass rose to identify cardinal (North, South, East, West) and intermediate (Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, Northwest) directions on maps and in their community.
• Students will locate the equator, northern and southern hemispheres, and poles on a globe.
• Students will use maps and legends to identify major physical features such as mountains, rivers, lakes, and oceans of the local community, New York, and the nation.