Indiana Social Studies 3.G.2
The Standard
Label a map of the Midwest, identifying states, major rivers, lakes, and the Great Lakes.
2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students locate and label Midwest states on a map. They also label major rivers, lakes, and all five Great Lakes.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can label the Midwest states without a word bank. They place the Mississippi, Missouri, and Ohio rivers correctly and can tell Lake Michigan from the state of Michigan.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may put Lake Michigan inside the state of Michigan or swap the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Some leave Lake Ontario off because it sits beyond the Midwest states.
How to Assess It
- Give students a blank map that includes the Midwest and all five Great Lakes. Ask them to label Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, Lake Winnebago, and the five Great Lakes.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs an outline map, blue yarn, and sticky notes to mark three major rivers and label the Great Lakes.
Show Chicago and St. Louis on a map. Ask, "Which waterway is near each city, and how could it help people travel?"
Play a partner map relay: students place state, river, and lake name cards, then check their choices against an atlas.
On a shipping map, trace a cargo route from Duluth to Chicago and label the lakes the ship crosses.
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Printable 3.G.2 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to 3.G.2, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 5.G.2
Use maps and globes to locate states, capitals, major cities, major rivers, the Great Lakes, and mountain ranges in the United States.
- 5.G.4
Use maps to describe the characteristics of climate regions of the United States.
- IS.3.2
Map and describe the physical regions of Indiana and identify major natural resources and land use regions.
- 3.G.3
Identify the local and regional communities, including Indiana and other Midwestern states, on maps using simple grid systems.
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