Introducing Landforms

Overview

Lesson 1 of 12 in Shaping Earth’s Landscapes. Students build a shared understanding of landforms and landscapes, interpret photographs and maps, and locate examples in Canada and around the world.

Learning intentions

Students will:

• Define and distinguish between a landform and a landscape.
• Identify common Canadian and global landforms from photographs and maps.
• Use an atlas or digital map to locate and describe examples.
• Begin a class vocabulary chart using accurate geographic language.

Success criteria

• I can explain the difference between a landform and a landscape.
• I can identify several landforms from photographs or maps.
• I can locate at least two landforms and name their locations.
• I can use geographic vocabulary to describe a landform.

Curriculum links

• Understanding physical patterns and processes that shape Earth’s surface.
• Using maps, photographs and geographic tools to interpret spatial information.
• Locating and describing physical features in Canada and other regions.
• Communicating geographic observations using appropriate terminology.

Lesson structure (30 minutes)

1. 0–4 min — Hook: What makes a place look the way it does? Open with the opening landform image and hook question. Display a striking contrasting image, such as a steep mountain valley beside a broad coastal plain. Ask students to silently notice, then discuss: “What natural features can you see?” and “How might these features affect people living there?”

2. 4–9 min — Introduce key ideas Use the landform and landscape definition slides to teach: a landform is a natural feature of Earth’s surface, while a landscape is an area containing natural and human-made features. Model examples such as mountain, valley, plain, plateau, hill, island, peninsula, canyon and coast. Clarify that a landscape may contain several landforms.

3. 9–14 min — Photo investigation Distribute the landform photo investigation sheet to pairs. Students examine four photographs and record the landform they think is shown, visual evidence supporting their choice, and one question they have. Prompt students to distinguish what they can observe from what they are inferring.

4. 14–21 min — Map and atlas challenge Display the map challenge instructions. In pairs, students use a classroom atlas or digital map to locate two examples: one Canadian landform and one landform elsewhere in the world. Suggested options include the Rocky Mountains, Niagara Escarpment, Great Lakes, Prairies, the Grand Canyon, the Andes, the Sahara or the Himalayas. Students record the name, country or region, approximate location and landform type on the worksheet.

5. 21–26 min — Build the class vocabulary chart Invite pairs to contribute terms and evidence. Add student suggestions to the shared vocabulary chart prompt or a board chart under three headings: Term, Meaning, and Example. Check that students use precise language, correcting misconceptions such as calling every high place a mountain or confusing a lake with a landform.

6. 26–30 min — Review and exit response Finish with the retrieval practice exit ticket slips. Students answer: “What is a landform?”, “What is one Canadian example?”, and “How is a landscape different from a landform?” They also record their confidence rating. Collect slips and use responses to group students for support in Lesson 2.

Resources

• the complete Introducing Landforms slide deck
• the landform photo investigation sheet
• Classroom atlases or printed physical maps
• Digital map access, if available
• Projector or interactive display
• Whiteboard and markers
• Student pencils and coloured pencils
• Class vocabulary chart paper or a section of the board
• the retrieval practice exit ticket slips

Assessment

• Listen to partner discussions and question students about the evidence used to identify landforms.
• Check worksheets for accurate definitions, observations and map locations.
• Review exit tickets to identify misconceptions and students needing support with vocabulary, map use or distinguishing landforms from landscapes.

Differentiation

• Provide a word bank with pictures and definitions, sentence starters such as “I think this is a ___ because…”, and a pre-selected atlas page for students who need support.
• Pair students strategically and model one photograph and one map location before independent work.
• For EAL learners and students with language needs, allow labelled sketches, oral responses or a bilingual dictionary; explicitly pronounce and revisit key terms.
• Extend students by asking them to compare two landforms, explain how each may influence settlement or transportation, or locate a less familiar example independently.