Georgia SS4G1

SS4G1 is a Georgia social studies standard. These are the elements under it.

• SS4G1.a

  Locate major physical features of the United States: the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Great Plains, the Continental Divide, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mississippi R...

• SS4G1.b

  Locate major man-made features of the United States: New York City, NY; Boston, MA; Philadelphia, PA; Washington, D.C.; Gettysburg, PA; and the Erie Canal.

01

What Students Need to Do

Students identify and label major physical features on a U.S. map, including plains, waterways, and the Continental Divide. They also locate Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Gettysburg, and the Erie Canal. They sort each feature as physical or human-made.

02

What Mastery Looks Like

Students accurately place the listed features on a blank U.S. map. They can use regional clues, nearby states, and other features to explain each location.

03

Common Misconceptions

Students may treat the Continental Divide as one point rather than a line through the West. They may confuse the Erie Canal with a natural river or place Washington, D.C., inside Washington State. Coastal plains are often mistaken for the coastline itself.

04

How to Assess It

Give students a blank U.S. map and ask them to label the Mississippi River, Great Lakes, Continental Divide, Erie Canal, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Have them circle physical features and box human-made features.

1. 01

   Build a floor map with yarn, colored paper, and city cards, then have students place each feature in its correct location.

2. 02

   Show the Mississippi River and Erie Canal, then ask students to explain how each formed and why people use it.

3. 03

   Run a map relay where students draw a feature card, place a sticky note on a wall map, and justify the location.

4. 04

   Plan a road trip from Boston to the Great Plains, adding stops at Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and the Mississippi River.

• SS5G1

  Locate important places in the United States.

• SS3G1

  Locate major topographical features on a physical map of the United States.