About Unit 7

💭 Essential Question: How do geography, resources, and human choices shape economic development globally?

Unit 7: Industry and Economic Development explores how geography shapes economic activity and connects economies across the world. Students begin by investigating how physical geography, natural resources, and other geographic characteristics influence where industries develop and how economic regions form. They then examine how geographic conditions can create both opportunities and challenges for industries, including the effects of climate and the ways industries adapt to changing conditions. Finally, students investigate how trade connects places, how geography influences trade routes, and how the movement of goods can change the places those routes reach and pass through. The unit culminates in an Industry and Economic Development Curated Research Paper, where students use evidence from different places to consider whether location determines economic opportunities. Throughout the unit, students develop the disciplinary skill of geographic relationships, examining how connections between people, places, and the environment shape societies and economies over time.