Geographic location is an important concept to teach children. One lesson plan about location involves asking children to draw a map of the world, their country or their continent. The teacher will then collect the maps and the class will be presented with a model of the actual map of the world, country or continent. These lessons will continue all year long and culminate with the students doing the activity again at the end of the year. Hopefully, the students will have improved on their prior maps and will have a better idea of location.
Understanding how humans interact with their environment is one of the hardest geographic concepts for a young student to grasp. Teachers can present lessons about population -- what it is, how it affects the world and why it's higher or lower in some areas of the planet. Students can then pick a city, state or country and research the population statistics and trends of that location over time, learning if population has affected that area and if it has, what the reasons might be.
The concept of movement within the field of geography discusses how people migrate from place to place. This involves moving for purposes of work, immigration and other reasons for relocation. An informative lesson on ancestry and immigration can get students interested in this area of geographic study. Teachers present immigration policies, history and trends. Students then interview their own family members, neighbors or anyone who may have an interesting story about moving to or from one country to another; they then write reports and present them to the class.
Teaching students about places and what makes those places different and similar are the main goals of this geographic component. Climates, physical features and cultures are discussed. A fun and easy "place" lesson is to assign each student a place. The student is then responsible for making a brochure about her place and presenting it to the class. The brochure should include information about language and common phrases, culture, climate, physical layout and elevation above sea level.
Lesson plans about region can be micro-focused (focused on a local neighborhood) or macro-focused, meaning they are concerned with worldwide themes. Students may understand the concept of neighborhood easier than the concept of countries or provinces. Students can graph the neighborhoods they live in around their school. Making a color-coded map of the area can represent which area has the most students or least students living within that geographical area. Fun questions to ask about the regional map are, "Does one area have more male students or female students?" and "Does one area have more people whose favorite color is blue?"