World Geography: Central Western Europe

Introduction

Central Western Europe

The seven countries included in Central Western Europe includes France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Austria. In this unit we will will discussing a basic history of these countries, the different economic regions in each, and the types of culture they posses.

We will break this unit up into four different sections. France will be the first section and will include three sub-sections: "History and Geography of France", "Economic Regions of France", and "French Culture Today". Germany will be our second section and it will also include three subsections: "Early German History: Roman Rule to Franco-Prussian War", "Modern German History: WWI to the Fall of the Berlin Wall", and "Physical and Economical Geography of Germany". The Benelux Countries will be the third section and will include two sections: "Use of Land in the Netherlands" and "Cultural Tensions in Belgium/ Luxembourg Culture". Austrian and Switzerland will be the fourth and final section of this unit and will include two sections: "History, Culture, and Economy in Switzerland" and "Austrian History and Economy".

Task

Direction: Please read the question and select the best answer for each question.

1. In which region of France is Paris located?

A. Eastern France

B. Northern France

C. Southern France

D. Southwestern France

2. Which group of people gave France its name?

A. Franks

B. Gauls

C. Romans

D. Turks

3. On which body of water is France’s most important port located?

A. Atlantic Ocean

B. Black Sea

C. Mediterranean Sea

D. Rhine River

4. In what year was the French Academy founded?

A. 1535

B. 1610

C. 1635

D. 1710

5. What war did the Protestant Reformation cause in Germany?

A. Franco-Prussian War

B. Thirty Years War

C. World War I

D. World War II

6. In what year were East and West Germany reunited after years of separation?

A. 1960

B. 1970

C. 1980

D. 1990

7. What is the capital city of Germany?

A. Berlin

B. Hamburg

C. Paris

D. Rostock

8. Which of these is not true about Germany today?

A. Germany is not a member of the European Union.

B. Germany ranks fifth globally in terms of economy.

C. Germany is the leading industrial nation in Europe.

D. Germany is the leading member of the European Union.

9. Which nation listed below is not part of the Benelux countries?

A. Belgium

B. Luxembourg

C. The Netherlands

D. Switzerland

10. Which term refers to an embankment of earth and rock to hold back water?

A. Dike

B. Hill

C. Mound

D. Polder

11. How much of the Netherlands is below sea level?

A. 1/4

B. 1/3

C. 1/2

D. 2/3

12. Which language is not spoken in Luxembourg?

A. English

B. French

C. German

D. Luxembourgish

13. How many cantons is Switzerland made up of today?

A. 13

B. 20

C. 26

D. 32

14. In what year did the Austria-Hungarian Empire fall?

A. 1914

B. 1918

C. 1920

D. 1928

15. What city in Austria is still a popular tourist spot despite its decrease in population?

A. Berlin

B. Paris

C. Hamburg

D. Vienna

Process

In this unit there will be a total of ten lectures that will include all the information that will be needed to succeed. The first factor that went into the process of making the outline for this unit was the Mississippi Standards for Social Studies. Each lecture will have its own material of course, but they will also, for the most part, follow the same general outline. This outline process is listed below.

1. Mississippi Standards of Social Studies (https://www.mdek12.org/sites/default/files/Offices/Secondary%20Ed/Social%20Studies/final_2018_mississippi_ccr_social_studies_standards.pdf)

2. When the class begins the students will be asked to complete a writing assignment that will be posted on the board. Except for the first day the unit is taught, the writing assignment will be related to the previous lesson and will need to be completed within the first five minutes of class.

3. After completing the writing assignment the lesson for the day will begin. Throughout the unit there will be a couple of different teaching strategies that will be used. These strategies include slide presentation, problem solving group work, writing for understanding, and visual discovery. This will be the main part of the lesson.

4. Over the course of the unit there will be several lessons that include various videos and images that will help emphasize what is being taught. Below is a list of those videos and the lectures they will be included in.

Lesson One: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEZqarUnVpo
Lesson Two: https://about-france.com/regions.htm
Lesson Four: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B18zwAVO4q0
Lesson Five: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vO-_HXO7HwY
Lesson Seven: https://www.thoughtco.com/polders-and-dikes-of-the-netherlands-1435535
Lesson Nine: https://ww1.habsburger.net/en/media/josef-engelhart-vienna-1918-painting

Evaluation

Criterion	5	4	3	2	1
Student responses to pre-class writing assignments.
Student achievement on performance task.
Student performance in group projects.
Student responses to interactive lectures.

Conclusion

At the end of this unit, students will write down what their favorite part of this unit was and write two or three sentence response to why. I encourage the students to ask any questions they may have on the topics covered or not covered in this unit. I will also ask the students to give responses on how well they thought the material presented and if needed what corrections could be made.

As a teacher I hope I have presented the material in a way that has allowed the students to succeed at the highest level possible. I will also say that the student responses to the material will be read over thoroughly and will be added to the new and upcoming topics and material.