Geography Standards for K-5

Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States, and other nations (Illinois History)

Geography Standards, K-5 (2015), related to Illinois

Geographic Representations: Spatial Views of the World

  • SS.G.1.4. Construct and interpret maps of our state and nation using various media.

Human-Environment Interaction: Place, Regions, and Culture

  • SS.G.2.2. Identify some cultural and environmental characteristics of your community and compare to other places.
  • SS.G.2.4. Analyze how the cultural and environmental characteristics of places in Illinois change over time. 

Human Population: Spatial Patterns and Movement

  • SS.G.3.2. Explain how people in your community use local and distant environments to meet their daily needs.
  • SS.G.3.4. Describe some of the current movements of goods, people, jobs, or information to, from or within Illinois, and explain reasons for the movements.  

Global Interconnections: Changing Spatial Patterns

  • SS.G.3.3. Show how the consumption of products [in IL] connects people to distant places.

Internet Resources & Links 

Geography of Illinois >>
This site includes geography statistics, geographical divisions, political geography, geology (coal, rivers, groundwater), flora and fauna, climate, border anomalies, external links and references.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources >>
A drop down menu includes resources for Outreach/Education.

Illinois Ag in the Classroom >>
Many terrific teacher resources related to agriculture in Illinois are readily available here and through the local Ag in the Classroom office at the DuPage County Farm Bureau at 245 S. Gary Avenue (intersection of St. Charles Road) in Carol Stream.

Illinois Agriculture Statistic Service (From the USDA) >>
Downloadable PDFs are available for county maps and the production of corn, soybeans, sorghum, oats, and wheat in Illinois for each year.

Illinois Geography >>
The geography of Illinois is presented in a coherent manner with definitions, links, and descriptions.