The subject for this mini-unit id the United States.  The intended audience is fourth through sixth grade.  This group of lessons has a strong Social Science emphasis while integrating several Language Arts skills.
    As a result of this unit students will be able to:
        Explain why certain goods are indigenous to a region.
        Explain how commerce is related to economics and employment
        trends.
        Identify economic issues affected by physical and environmental
        needs.
        Identify and locate physical and human features in both local
        and global areas.
       Use geographic representations to answer geographic questions.
        Identify relationships between the physical and cultural
        characteristics of a region.
        Analyze the physical and cultural factors affecting the planned
        development location of human activities.
        Analyze information obtained from maps focused on political
        boundaries, products,resources, land use, and settlement patterns.
        Select and use reading strategies.
        Restate information from text.
        Use a variety of resources to expand understanding.
        Edit written manuscripts.
        Create an organizing structure that balances and unifies all
        aspects of the piece.
        Use evidence to support all statements and claims.
        Develop expository that presents a controlling idea.
        Present oral reports.
    The rationale behind this unit is for students to have a choice, therefore making them responsible and having more control behind their own learning.  The students are given basic guidelines and then have the freedom to choose a specific state.  Once the students choose their states, they are to become experts on that particular state.  The final assessment is a student created travel brochure.