Topic 1: Germany in the World

Lesson Objective

The student will identify the absolute and comparative location of Germany.

Materials and Resources

Worksheet 3 - “Europe”

Teacher Resource 2 - “U.S./Germany Comparative Size”

Strategies

Germany is a nation in the geographic center of Europe, with doors opening both west to the traditionally more industrialized European states and east to the more traditionally agricultural eastern European states. Germany shares a border with more nations (nine) than any other nation in Europe. To illustrate this point, distribute copies of Worksheet 3, “Europe” and have students label the following countries:

Austria

Belgium

Czech Republic

Denmark

France

Germany

Luxembourg

Netherlands

Poland

Switzerland

Compared to the United States (26 times larger), Germany is a geographically small nation. However, by European standards Germany is geographically large and has the highest population in Europe.

Make a transparency of Teacher Resource 2, “U.S./Germany Comparative Size” and cut the two outline maps apart. Use a transparency marker to shade the map of Germany. Project the two maps and ask students to determine which nation is larger. Call on a student volunteer to superimpose the outline of Germany on your state. Ask students to determine which is larger. Now ask the volunteer to select and then superimpose the outline of Germany on the U.S. state [Montana] which is approximately the same size as Germany. Discuss with students the difference in population and compare this to geographic size [use the table below].

	Area in sq. mi.	Population	Population Density/sq. mi.
United States	3,618,768	290 million	80.1
Europe	4,053,000	704.5 million	174.0
Germany	137,855	82.5 million	595.0
Montana	145,388	0.9 million	6.3
Your State	[refer to an atlas]

This activity may be repeated using the map of Europe to compare Germany to its neighbors.

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