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PlayOwl

Geography · Grade 3

Population and Community Patterns

Where do people live, and why? Learners measure population and population density with friendly numbers, compare urban, suburban and rural communities, explain why towns grew at rivers, crossroads and good farmland, and read Illinois data to see that most of the state's 12.8 million people live in the Chicago area.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 75 minutes
  • Population check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, highlight a text, pin a map, match pairs, type a number and put in order
See plans Included with Family, Teacher and School plans. Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Explain population and population density, and compare density using people per square mile.
  • Describe and compare urban, suburban and rural communities.
  • Explain why people settle where they do, using water, land, jobs and transportation.
  • Use maps and data to describe how Illinois's population is spread out and compare its cities.

Lessons

  1. Population and density 4 steps2 practiceabout 18 min
  2. Urban, suburban and rural 4 steps3 practiceabout 17 min
  3. Why people live where they do 4 steps2 practiceabout 18 min
  4. Illinois population patterns 5 steps2 practiceabout 22 min
  5. Population check 9 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Globe ExplorerSpin a real 3D globe, flip to the flat map, and find continents, oceans and countries.
  • Pin the PlanetDrag the pin onto wonders, cities and exact latitude and longitude points.
  • Mapmaker QuestFollow directions to make a map, then read its legend, compass rose and scale.

More 3rd grade geography

Guide for grown-ups