M/J World Geography and Digital Technologies   (#2103017)

Version for Academic Year:

Course Standards

General Course Information and Notes

General Notes

M/J World Geography - The social studies curriculum for this course consists of the following content area strands: World History, Geography, and Economics. The primary content for this course pertains to the usage of geographic concepts, tools, and skills to draw conclusions about physical and human patterns. Content should include, but not be limited to understanding world political regions in terms of location, physical characteristics, population and culture, historical change, economic activity, and land use. Students will be exposed to the multiple dynamics of geography including economics and world history. Students will study methods of historical inquiry and primary and secondary historical documents.

Mathematics Benchmark Guidance - Social Studies instruction should include opportunities for students to interpret and create representations of historical events and concepts using mathematical tables, charts, and graphs.

Digital Technologies - The digital curriculum required by Section 1003.4203 (3), Florida Statutes, has been integrated into this course. Listed below are the competencies that must be met to satisfy the requirements of (Section 1003.4203 (3), Florida Statutes):

Communications Technologies
01.0 Demonstrate proficiency locating information on the Internet.
01.01 Identify and describe web terminology.
01.02 Define Universal Resource Locators (URLs) and associated protocols (e.g., http, ftp, telnet, mailto).
01.03 Compare and contrast the types of Internet domains (e.g., .com, .org, .edu, .gov, .net, .mil).
01.04 Adhere to cyberethics, copyright laws, and regulatory control.
01.05 Describe the human element of Internet security, specifically social engineering techniques for obtaining private or identification information.
01.06 Demonstrate proficiency using search engines, including Boolean search strategies.
01.07 Demonstrate proficiency using various web tools (e.g., downloading of files, transfer of files, telnet, PDF, etc.).
01.08 Compare and contrast the roles of web servers and web browsers.

02.0 Demonstrate proficiency gathering and preparing textual, graphical, and image-based web content.
02.01 Characterize effective writing styles and conventions for the web.
02.02 Use word processing software to create effective written content for the web.
02.03 Use graphics software to create message-driven graphical content for use on a webpage.
02.04 Access and digitize graphics through various resources (e.g., scanner, digital cameras, on-line graphics, clipart, CD-ROMs).
02.05 Create and edit images using image or graphic design software.

03.0 Perform e-mail activities.
03.01 Describe e-mail capabilities and functions.
03.02 Identify components of an e-mail message.
03.03 Identify the components of an e-mail address.
03.04 Attach a file to an e-mail message.
03.05 Forward an e-mail message to one or more addressees.
03.06 Use an address book.
03.07 Reply to an e-mail message.
03.08 Use the Internet to perform e-mail activities.
03.09 Identify the appropriate use of e-mail and demonstrate related e-mail etiquette.

04.0 Use Web 2.0 or Internet-based collaborative technology (e.g., Wikis, Wimba, Moodle, Facebook) to facilitate a web development project.
04.01 Create and use a wiki or similar collaborative environment for communicating and sharing among web development project team members.
04.02 Create and use a social media page (e.g., Facebook, Wimba, Moodle) to share and publish web components (e.g., content, images, graphics, videos) for gauging visitor reaction and obtaining feedback.

Special Notes:

Additional content that may be contained in the NAEP Grade 8 Geography assessment includes:

  • regional patterns of function
  • geographic factors contributing to conflict and cooperation in a variety of settings

The NAEP frameworks for Geography may be accessed at http://www.nagb.org/content/nagb/assets/documents/publications/frameworks/gframework2010.pdf

Instructional Practices

Teaching from well-written, grade-level instructional materials enhances students' content area knowledge and also strengthens their ability to comprehend longer, complex reading passages on any topic for any reason. Using the following instructional practices also helps student learning:

1. Reading assignments from longer text passages as well as shorter ones when text is extremely complex.

2. Making close reading and rereading of texts central to lessons.

3. Asking high-level, text-specific questions and requiring high-level, complex tasks and assignments.

4. Requiring students to support answers with evidence from the text.

5. Providing extensive text-based research and writing opportunities (claims and evidence).

Literacy Standards in Social Studies
Secondary social studies courses include reading standards for literacy in history/social studies 6-12, and writing standards for literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects 6-12. This course also includes speaking and listening standards. For a complete list of standards required for this course click on the blue tile labeled course standards. You may also download the complete course including all required standards and notes sections using the export function located at the top of this page.

English Language Development ELD Standards Special Notes Section:
Teachers are required to provide listening, speaking, reading and writing instruction that allows English language learners (ELL) to communicate information, ideas and concepts for academic success in the content area of Social Studies. For the given level of English language proficiency and with visual, graphic, or interactive support, students will interact with grade level words, expressions, sentences and discourse to process or produce language necessary for academic success. The ELD standard should specify a relevant content area concept or topic of study chosen by curriculum developers and teachers which maximizes an ELL’s need for communication and social skills. To access an ELL supporting document which delineates performance definitions and descriptors, please click on the following link: https://cpalmsmediaprod.blob.core.windows.net/uploads/docs/standards/eld/ss.pdf

Additional Instructional Resources:
A.V.E. for Success Collection is provided by the Florida Association of School Administrators: http://www.fasa.net/4DCGI/cms/review.html?Action=CMS_Document&DocID=139. Please be aware that these resources have not been reviewed by CPALMS and there may be a charge for the use of some of them in this collection.

General Information

Course Number: 2103017
Course Path:
Abbreviated Title: M/J WORLDGEO & DIGTECH
Course Length: Year (Y)
Course Attributes:
  • Class Size Core Required
Course Level: 2
Course Status: Course Approved
Grade Level(s): 6,7,8

Educator Certifications

One of these educator certification options is required to teach this course.

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this course.

Original Student Tutorials

Castles, Catapults and Data: Histograms Part 2:

Learn how to interpret histograms to analyze data, and help an inventor predict the range of a catapult in part 2 of this interactive tutorial series. More specifically, you'll learn to describe the shape and spread of data distributions.

Click HERE to open part 1.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Castles, Catapults and Data: Histograms Part 1:

Learn how to create a histogram to display continuous data from projectiles launched by a catapult in this interactive tutorial. 

This is part 1 in a 2-part series. Click HERE to open part 2.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Moving MADness:

Learn how to calculate and interpret the Mean Absolute Deviation (MAD) of data sets in this travel-themed, interactive statistics tutorial. 

Type: Original Student Tutorial

It's Raining....Cats and Dogs:

Learn how to make and interpret boxplots in this pet-themed, interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

What's for Lunch?:

Learn how arguments are formed with claims, reasons, and evidence. In this interactive tutorial, you'll read several short speeches from students hoping to be elected president of the Student Council. We'll trace the claim made by each student and the reasons and evidence they use to support it.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Where Have All the Scrub-Jays Gone?:

Investigate the limiting factors of a Florida ecosystem and describe how these limiting factors affect one native population-the Florida Scrub-Jay-with this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Yes or No to GMO?:

Learn what genetic engineering is and some of the applications of this technology. In this interactive tutorial, you’ll gain an understanding of some of the benefits and potential drawbacks of genetic engineering. Ultimately, you’ll be able to think critically about genetic engineering and write an argument describing your own perspective on its impacts.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Problem-Solving Tasks

Electoral College:

Students are given a context and a dotplot and are asked a number of questions regarding shape, center, and spread of the data.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Puppy Weights:

Using the information provided, create an appropriate graphical display and answer the questions regarding shape, center and variability.

Type: Problem-Solving Task

Student Center Activity

Edcite: Mathematics Grade 6:

Students can practice answering mathematics questions on a variety of topics. With an account, students can save their work and send it to their teacher when complete.

Type: Student Center Activity

Tutorials

Mean Absolute Deviation Example:

In this video, you will see two ways to find the Mean Absolute Deviation of a data set.

Type: Tutorial

Find a Missing Value Given the Mean:

This video shows how to find the value of a missing piece of data if you know the mean of the data set.

Type: Tutorial

Constructing a Box Plot:

This video demonstrates how to construct a box plot, formerly known as a box and whisker plot.

Type: Tutorial

Interpreting Box Plots:

Students will interpret data presented in a box plot.  

Type: Tutorial

Frequency tables and Dot Plots:

In this video, we organize data into frequency tables and dot plots (sometimes called line plots).

Type: Tutorial

Histograms:

Learn how to create histograms, which summarize data by sorting it into groups.

Type: Tutorial

Virtual Manipulatives

Box Plot:

In this activity, students use preset data or enter in their own data to be represented in a box plot. This activity allows students to explore single as well as side-by-side box plots of different data. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the Java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Advanced Data Grapher:

This is an online graphing utility that can be used to create box plots, bubble graphs, scatterplots, histograms, and stem-and-leaf plots.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Box Plotter:

Users select a data set or enter their own data to generate a box plot.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Histogram Tool:

This virtual manipulative histogram tool can aid in analyzing the distribution of a dataset. It has 6 preset datasets and a function to add your own data for analysis.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Histogram:

In this activity, students can create and view a histogram using existing data sets or original data entered. Students can adjust the interval size using a slider bar, and they can also adjust the other scales on the graph. This activity allows students to explore histograms as a way to represent data as well as the concepts of mean, standard deviation, and scale. This activity includes supplemental materials, including background information about the topics covered, a description of how to use the application, and exploration questions for use with the java applet.

Type: Virtual Manipulative

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this course.