NY Social Studies 2.5b

Social Studies2nd GradeKey Idea 2.5

The Standard

The location of physical features and natural resources often affects where people settle and may affect how those people sustain themselves.

New York State K–12 Social Studies Framework

Geography and natural resources shape where and how urban, suburban, and rural communities develop and how they sustain themselves.

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students compare maps and images of two communities. They explain how land, water, climate, and natural resources influence where people live and how they meet their needs.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can identify physical features in each community and describe a clear difference. The student uses evidence to explain why people settled or work there.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think people settle anywhere without considering water, land, or resources. They may confuse physical features, such as rivers, with human-made features, such as roads.
How to Assess It: Show maps of a river town and a mountain town. Ask, “Where might more people settle, and how would the physical features affect their work?”

Lesson moves

Build two model communities with clay landforms and blue paper rivers, then place homes and workplaces where they make sense.
Compare photos of a farming town and a coastal town, then write: “People live here because...”
Match physical feature cards with community cards, then explain each match to a partner before keeping the pair.
Use a local map to find water, flat land, or forests, then predict how one feature affects nearby homes or jobs.

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