Name: Keaton, Donna
E-mail: kneebaby75@hotmail.com
Topic: Arkansas Counties
Grade: Third
Time: One to two class periods
Ark. Hist. Framework: 3.1.1, 3.1.7, 3.1.9, 5.1.5
Objective: *Students will identify and locate various Arkansas counties,
which surround their home county and are located within our region.
*Students will research the various counties in order to create a group
presentation.
Set: Ask a volunteer to tell which county in which we attend school. Ask
which region(s) in which our school resides. Discuss characteristics of
our county and region.
Materials: Arkansas county maps, encyclopedias, Arkansas books and
pamphlets, Internet access, paper, pencil, construction paper/drawing paper,
markers or crayons
Key Terms: county, characteristics, population, regions, county
seat
Key Facts: *Faulkner County is in the Arkansas River Valley and Quachita Mountain
Regions.
*Arkansas has 75 counties, which have their own local government.
*Counties take care of the smaller sections Arkansas.
*Each county has a county seat where the court
meets.
Activities: The teacher will explain to the students their group (3-4 students)
project to research an Arkansas county. Place these in a cup or container
so the students can pull either a card or the name of the county they are to research.
The teacher can choose enough of the counties surrounding their region for the
groups to research. To assist with understanding, the teacher will present
their home county (prepared in advance) as an example. Each group will draw
from the cup their county’s cutout or name (whichever the teacher decides to use).
If cutout, they will determine which county they possess. Students will
find characteristics of their county and may look for some of the following:
1. What major city or town is located in this county?
2. What natural resource(s) is/are found in this county?
3. Are there any rivers or lakes in this county?
4. Describe some of the county’s history.
5. Are any well-known Arkansans from this county?
6. What is the size (population) of the county or the size
(population) of a major city?
7. What is the county seat? Think about where the court house
is located in the county.
Closure: Upon completing the research, the students will prepare their
presentation on paper and construction paper/drawing paper.
Assessment: Students will present their finished assignment to the
class. The teacher can use a rubric to determine if the students included
the main points for their county. Students can also assess one another by
using a teacher questionnaire or student rubric.
Resources: “Arkansas County Maps/Researched, Compiled and Designed” by C.J.
Duetz (Lyndon Station, WI 1985), UCA Archives
Arkansas: The World Around Us, MacMillian/McGraw Hill textbook;
pgs. 36-37
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