Georgia SS5G1.a

Social Studies5th GradeGeographic Understandings

The Standard

Locate important man-made places; include the Chisholm Trail; Pittsburgh, PA; Kitty Hawk, NC; Pearl Harbor, HI; Montgomery, AL.; and Chicago, IL.

Georgia Standards of Excellence for Social Studies · Locate important places in the United States.

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use a U.S. map to mark five cities or sites and trace the Chisholm Trail from Texas toward Kansas. They match each location with its state and region.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students accurately mark Pittsburgh, Kitty Hawk, Pearl Harbor, Montgomery, and Chicago on a blank map. They trace the Chisholm Trail north through Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas.
Common Misconceptions: Students may place Pittsburgh near Philadelphia or Chicago in the center of Illinois. They may treat Pearl Harbor as a state or draw the Chisholm Trail east to west.
How to Assess It: Give students a blank U.S. map. Ask them to label the five locations and trace the Chisholm Trail without using notes.

Lesson moves

Place labeled pins on a large floor map, then use yarn to trace the Chisholm Trail from Texas through Oklahoma to Kansas.
Write which location would be hardest to find without state borders, then explain what geographic clues would help.
Play a partner map game where one student reads a state or region clue and the other points to the correct location.
Use an online route planner to compare travel routes from your school to Chicago, Montgomery, Pittsburgh, Kitty Hawk, and Pearl Harbor.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to SS5G1.a, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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