If you had to pick three or four categories to sort these images into, what would these categories be?  Which picture would go into each category?

Study the image for two minutes.  What do you notice first?  What is your overall impression?

How is this the same as your life in the United States? 

Pick an image that makes you think of a new idea or question.  Jot these thoughts and questions down.  Make note of what you want to research further.

Where is the US in the World?  What countries/oceans lie to its North, South, East and West? 

Compare two of the maps of the United States.  If you place the maps next to each other, what do you notice?

*look for two maps next to each other

Using a blank map of United States, create a new map that brings together all the information you have gathered from other centers and maps of the United States, with labels and sketches.

Invent your own way to learn from, take notes on, and grow ideas about the US using these materials.

Read a section of text.  Find the main idea and the supporting details.

Study the text features, such as side bars, the glossary or pictures and graphics.  What can you learn? 

Think about what you know or what you think may be true about the United States.  Read a text.  Did any information surprise you?  Was there anything about the US that was different from what you expected.

Watch the video and look for the main idea and supporting details.  Is there more than one main idea?

As you watch the video, jot new thinking you have about the US.

As you watch, think about what else you have learned about the US in the other centers or in your own research.  What connections can you make?  How is the information in the video related to the information you have already learned?

Choose one set of statistics to look at more closely.  What does this data tell you?  What does this data make you think?

How can you put this data in order (biggest to smallest, most to least)?

What can we learn about life in the US from these statistics?  What are some ideas that you are growing (inferences) about US culture, geography or the people who live here?

What category of notes would these statistics fit into?  Find one, or make a new one, and jot down the most surprising, interesting and important things you learned.

Rural - : relating to the country, country people or life, or agriculture.

Suburban- a smaller community adjacent to or within commuting distance of a city: the residential area on the outskirts of a city or large town.

City - a place where people live that is larger or more important than a town : an area where many people live and work. 

Community - 1 : the people living in a certain place (as a village or city) : the area itself. 2 : a natural group (as of kinds of plants and animals) living together and depending on one another for various necessities of life (as food or shelter)

Employment - the state of being employed or having a job;

the occupation for which you are paid

Ancestor - a person from whom one is descended and who lived several generations ago.

Generation - a group of people born and living during the same time

Region - A region is a specific area that has common features. A region may have common landforms or climates. A region can be based on language, government, religion, types of plants and animals. Regions are the basic units of geography.

Government - Any group of people living together in a country, state, city, or local community has to live by certain rules. The system of rules and the people who make and administer them is known as a government.