Topic 1: Physical Geography of Germany

Lesson 2: What are the geographical features of Europe?

Lesson Objective

The student will identify political, cultural and natural features of Germany as compared to the United States.

Materials and Resources

Transparency 5 -
“Perspective Overview Map of Germany”

Transparency 5A - “Overlay: German Political Map”
Handout 1 - “Physical Features of the United States”
Handout 2 - “Physical Features of Georgia”
Worksheet 1 - “Physical Characteristics and Comparisons”
Transparency 6 - “The Size of Germany”
Transparency 7 - “Germany’s Surface Area”
Transparency 8 - “Germany’s Population Density”

Strategies

Project Transparency 5 “Perspective Overview Map of Germany” on the overhead to highlight the various landscapes of Germany. Explain to students that the map perspective does not provide an accurate scale. Many physical and cultural features of the German landscape can be identified, however. To reinforce the relationship between physical and cultural features, ask different students to come up to the overhead projector and locate the following:

Bodies of Water: North Sea, Baltic Sea, Lake Constance, Danube River, Rhine River, Elbe River, Kiel Canal, etc.
Major cities: Munich, Berlin, Stuttgart, etc.
Ports: Bremen, Hamburg, Kiel, Lübeck, etc.

Distribute Handout 1 “Physical Features of the United States” and Handout 2 “Physical Features of Georgia” to each student. Then, have each student complete Worksheet 1 “Physical Characteristics and Comparisons” as Transparency 5A “Overlay: German Political Map” is projected along with Transparency 5 “Perspective Overview Map of Germany”.

Germany is 544 miles long from north to south. At its widest point is 375 miles from west to east, at its narrowest only 42 miles. Project Transparency 6 “The Size of Germany”. Ask “How many miles long is Germany from north to south? How many miles from east to west?”

Germany has a land area of about 137,855 sq.miles. Two countries outside of Europe which have a similar land area are the Ivory Coast in Africa (124,324 sq.miles) and Japan in Asia (145,559 sq.miles). Project Transparency 7 “Germany’s Surface Area” for students to examine. Ask students to use an atlas to find a list of the size of U.S. states. Which state is approximately the same size as Germany? (NOTE: Montana is 147,138 sq.miles).

Germany has a relatively large total population and also a relatively high average population density. Project Transparency 8 “Germany’s Population Density”. Germany has an average population density of 596 people/ sq.mile, while Japan has 830 people/ sq.mile and Ivory Coast 119 people/ sq.mile. At the end of 2003 Germany had a population of about 82.5 million. Ask “What is the population of Montana? What is the population density of Montana per square mile?” (Montana’s population = 879,320; Montana’s population density = 6 people/square mile).