Exploring Our World: People, Places, and Cultures

Chapter 10: Physical Geography of Europe

Web Activity Lesson Plans

“Northern European Plain”

Introduction
In this chapter, students learned about the landforms, waterways, and climate zones of Europe. The Northern European Plain is the largest landform on the continent. By examining maps, students will learn more about the physical geography of the continent.

Lesson Description
Students will visit geographic Web sites containing maps of Europe. On the sites, they can find information about the Northern European Plain. Students will analyze the information and draw conclusions about why people choose to settle in this area.

Instructional Objectives

1. The learner will be able to locate and identify on a map the geographic features of Europe.
2. The learner will be able to discuss how landforms and climate of the Northern European Plain affect people’s actions.

Student Web Activity Answers

1. soil is fertile; land is flat; no high mountains
2. west: North Sea; east: Ural Mountains; north: Baltic Sea; south: the Alps and Carpathian Mountains
3. Rhine, Elbe, Oder, Vistula, Dnieper, Volga
4. The area’s proximity to the ocean and its lack of mountains which could block precipitation or winds help to keep temperatures moderate.
5. plenty of rivers and water, good soil for food production, moderate climate that would help people farm and survive