Land Use Lesson 6 Extension : Analyzing Forestland Changes - County

In this extension lesson, students examine and graph data about land use patterns and trends in their local county. As a result, the lesson plan is a procedural outline, since the content will be unique to each county. Students use U.S. Forest Service data for their county or counties (if the school district crosses county boundaries) to graph changes in land use.

Students use bar graphs to compare changes in forestland use in rural, suburban, and urban counties. Examples of rural counties would be Schoolcraft, St. Joseph, and Lenawee. Macomb, Washtenaw, and Ottawa are suburban counties. Urban counties include Wayne, Kent, and Marquette. Not every land use in these counties fits the rural, suburban, or urban classification but the major land use patterns show differences between the types of counties. Students classify similarities and differences in how land is used as a resource in other counties.

Students answer these essential questions: 

How is land use changing? 

How is land use changing in different kinds of counties (urban, suburban, rural)? 

Are the land use changes positive or negative?

Subject/Target Grade

Social Studies and Science/ Upper Elementary (4-6)

Duration

45-90 minutes – Classroom setting

Materials

per class

• Human World, Michigan County map 

• Michigan Land Stewardship & Land Use/Cover map 

per pair of students

• Calculator

• County Land Use Data Bank: Forests (student resource) 

• Number of Acres of Forests in _______ County (student activity), three copies 

• Forest Land Change, 1993-2009 map (student resource)