Pre-Assessment for Differentiation with
Middle Eastern Map Skills
Pre Assessment with blank Middle Eastern map for political and physical labeling. Graded on correct answers and divided into groups based on learning needs
The Geography Club Group: the 12 students who have some knowledge about the topic as shown in their score, but need to develop higher order thinking skills.
The Indiana Jones Group: the 5 students who answered most, including the most difficult, of the pre-assessment questions correctly
The World Atlas Group : 
The Marco Polo Group: the 5 students who appear to have limited knowledge about the topic
The Magellan Group: 3 are struggling with language and are at different reading levels
Cartographer Group: 2 students who have little to no comprehension of the the topic and need to be tested further for special needs
Physical vs. Political Maps
I will meet with these students and discuss the difference between physical and political maps. We will go over local features of physical and political maps that they are familiar with to make the connections.
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List of Nations and Physical Features
They will start fresh with a new blank map.
These students will look up the list of nations and features in Google Classroom and prepare to label them on a physical map and a separate political map using Google Maps to locate their places on the maps. I will tell them to work in groups of 3 to talk about what they find and talk about what is next to each other on the maps. I want there to be discussion about it so they are talking and listening to their peers about the nations and features of the maps.
Once labeled, I will ask them to color code the features and nations on the map and I will ask them to color each nation a different color with colored pencils.
Teacher help: I will walk around as they are working to help answer any questions that they might have.
Physical vs. Political Maps
I will show examples of a physical map and a political map and explain how we will make 2 maps that represent the Middle East, one physical and one political. I will ask them to point to physical features on a map and outline the nations on a political map with their fingers.
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List of Nations and Physical Features
I will give this group a list of the physical features and a list of the nations to locate on the map printed out and in the Google Classroom on a Chromebook.
I will give them each an atlas opened to the pages that show each nation and feature.
After we talk about the different physical features and nations, I will give them a new Middle Eastern Map.
Teacher help: I will spend more time with this group helping them to label each map starting with the physical map going over the oceans and rivers. I will help them color code the physical features with colored pencils. I will show them how we outline the countries and shade them in lightly to show the names of the nations.
With the Marco Polo group I will make sure they understand all the elements that we are labeling on the maps.
With the Magellan Group I will help them read the list and go talk about the different countries and features. We will read the lists together and out loud.
With the Cartographer Group, I will guide them more on what to color and label with the maps using a world Atlas as a reference.
Physical vs. Political Maps
I will ask this group to go over the difference between physical and political maps and specifically why the political maps in the Middle East are significant after WWII.
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List of Nations and Physical Features
I will give them new blank Middle Eastern maps.
This group will label a physical map and a political map with the list of nations and features from the Google Classroom assignment.
Teacher help: I will not check in on them to see if they have questions and see if they can do it on their own, almost like an open notebook group test. They will probably use Google to search for maps. Sometimes maps are different and it can be tricky matching up the nations and features.
I will ask them to include major cities with the countries.
I will ask this group to do a combination map too including both physical and political features.
I will ask them to color their maps to show distinction with colored pencils.
The Indiana Jones Group (5)
I will let this group use a geography app with National Geographic to quiz each other on the physical features and the nations as well as the main cities using ipads.
The Geography Club (12)
For more review, I will let them play the Stack the Countries app on ipads and review the country flashcards in their group with each other.
The Cartographers Group (10)
We will play the Stack the Countries app on the overhead with everyone sitting in a semicircle. After we have gone through it a couple of times, I will let them play it on their own on ipads helping them when they need help.