Orange County Geography Quest

Learning Goals & Products

Learning Goals

Students will be able to identify major Orange County landforms and water features, including coastlines, hills, valleys, trails, and beaches, to explain how geography shapes daily life and recreation.

Students will be able to use labels, symbols, legends, and direction words on an Orange County map to communicate where places are and how to move between them.

Students will be able to analyze photos, maps, and short text about Orange County to explain how landforms affect travel, recreation, and conservation.

Students will be able to investigate how coastlines, hills, valleys, trails, and water features support or limit human use of local land.

Students will be able to explain how natural resources and human actions affect local parks and trails in Orange County.

Students will be able to revise a map poster or atlas page using teacher, peer, and ranger feedback to improve accuracy and clarity.

Products

individual

Orange County Landform Map Poster and Oral Map Talk

Each student creates a map poster of a selected Orange County place or route with correct labels, symbols, a legend, and direction words. Students also give a short oral map talk that explains how the landform affects travel, recreation, or conservation using evidence from maps, photos, and text.

team

Class Orange County Atlas Page Set with Shared Problem Statement and Revised Prototype Maps

Small teams co-create one atlas page for each major landform, plus a shared problem statement about how Orange County geography shapes daily life. Their final set includes a collaboratively revised higher-fidelity map or service solution for sharing with families and the parks ranger, based on individual research and feedback.

Rubric

Competency Progression Rubric Competency-first rubric

Category	Learning Goal	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4
Deeper Learning Competencies	Effective Communication	I can share my ideas about landforms and daily life by using a map/poster with basic labels and symbols, and by giving a short oral map talk that points to one place I studied (coast, hill, valley, or trail).	I can communicate how landforms affect travel or recreation by explaining what I noticed in photos and simple models, and by using map details (labels, direction words, and a legend) to help others follow my explanation.	I can present a clear oral map talk that connects information from my map, photos, and ranger visit, using key vocabulary (coastline, hill, valley, trail, natural resources, conservation) and stating a “because” reason for my idea.	I can revise and communicate my understanding with accuracy and confidence by responding to feedback and refining my map and atlas pages, then explaining observed relationships between natural resources, human impacts, and where people hike, drive, and play at the gallery walk.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Critical Thinking & Problem Solving	I can use information from maps, photos, and the ranger story to make a simple prediction about where people hike, drive, and play near coastlines, hills, valleys, and trails.	I can explain how a landform or water feature changes travel or recreation by using evidence from my map, photo journal, or observations (sand, water, and trail models) and describing “where” and “how.”	I can compare more than one landform and construct an explanation of the observed relationships (for example, how hills/valleys affect paths, or coastlines affect where people go) and revise my map idea to be more accurate.	I can construct a clear, cause-and-effect explanation using multiple pieces of evidence (illustrations + words) and show human impacts on Earth systems, then improve my representation (labels/symbols/legend/direction) based on feedback and my new thinking.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Collaboration	I can work with a partner during mapmaking by taking turns, following the group plan, and using agreed-on roles (like materials, drawing, or labeling) to share ideas respectfully.	I can collaborate with my partner to create and revise my map by using shared observations from photos, models, and the ranger visit, and I can explain how landforms affect travel or recreation while we both contribute.	I can collaborate in a group to solve map and explanation problems by discussing options, using feedback from peers/teacher, and combining our ideas into accurate labels, symbols, and a legend with direction words.	I can lead productive collaboration by helping my group make decisions, listening to different viewpoints, and adjusting our map and atlas work to strengthen relationships between natural resources, human impacts, and everyday life.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Self Directed Learning	I can use teacher checklists to revise my map or atlas page by adding or correcting 1–2 key parts (like a label, symbol, direction word, or legend) to match what I learned from photos and the field visit.	I can independently use feedback from my peer, teacher, and ranger to revise my representation by improving accuracy and completeness (for example, where landforms affect trails and recreation) using map details, photos, and words from the sources.	I can monitor my own learning by choosing what to revise next and explaining how the feedback helped me better connect landforms and people (travel/play/conservation) using evidence from my illustration, photo journal, and short oral map talk.	I can confidently self-direct my project by setting a goal, using multiple rounds of feedback to make thoughtful revisions, and clearly explaining observed relationships between natural resources and human impacts using my map, legend, direction words, and photo evidence.
Deeper Learning Competencies	Content Expertise	I can identify major Orange County landforms and water features (like coastlines, hills, valleys, and trails) and show them on my map poster using simple labels or symbols that match what I observed in photos and models.	I can use information from illustrations (photos, maps, and drawings) and key words from text to explain how a landform affects travel or recreation, and I can revise my map with clearer labels, symbols, and a legend.	I can construct and revise a representation (map or atlas page) that includes direction words and accurate placement of landforms, and I can give an evidence-based explanation of observed relationships between natural resources, human activities, and conservation.	I can independently create a detailed map/atlas page that accurately connects multiple landforms and water features to human impacts (like how people hike, drive, and protect trails/coasts), using my observations, photos, and text to strengthen my explanation and guide my revisions.