Comparing Two Societies with Maps and Data
Start Here
This is a paper geography investigation. You will read two short profiles of two real countries, study a comparison table, and answer questions using a pencil. You do not need a computer, an atlas, or the internet — everything you need is printed in this packet. Work by yourself and do your best thinking. Write in complete sentences where you are asked to explain. If a question is hard, skip it, keep going, and come back. Reading the profiles aloud quietly to yourself is allowed and encouraged.
Start Notice & Predict 5 min
A society is a group of people who share a land, ways of living, and a government. Warm up before you read the profiles.
1Read this short summary, then answer below.
Summary (written for this packet): "Two countries can sit far apart on a map and be very different. One is a chain of mountainous islands where most people live in crowded cities and factories make cars and electronics. The other is a warm inland-and-coastal country where many families farm the land and raise animals, and tea and coffee are important crops."
Type: original summary · Focus: comparing two societies
Notice: Write one thing you notice in this summary.
Predict: Based only on this, predict one way the two countries' daily life might be different.
2Why do you think a country's land and climate might change how its people earn a living? Give one reason in your own words.
Build Read the Profiles 5–10 min
Profile A — Japan (written for this packet)
Japan is an island country in eastern Asia, made up of a long chain of islands in the Pacific Ocean. Much of the land is steep and mountainous, so most people live packed into cities and towns along the coasts and in the flatter valleys. Japan has a temperate climate with four seasons — warm summers and cool-to-cold winters. Because there is little flat farmland and few mines, Japan buys many raw materials from other countries. Its economy is built mostly on manufacturing and technology: factories make cars, machines, and electronics that are sold around the world. Japan's government is a constitutional monarchy with an elected parliament, which means it has an emperor as a ceremonial symbol but its laws are made by leaders the people elect.
Type: original country profile · Facts: well-established geography/economics
Profile B — Kenya (written for this packet)
Kenya is a country in eastern Africa with a coast on the Indian Ocean and a large inland area of highlands, plains, and savanna. The Equator runs across Kenya, so much of the country is warm all year, with wet and dry seasons rather than four cold seasons. Many Kenyan families make a living through farming and raising animals; tea and coffee grown in the cooler highlands are important crops that Kenya sells to other countries, and tourists visit to see wildlife on the plains. More people are moving to growing cities such as the capital, Nairobi. Kenya's government is a republic with a president and an elected assembly, so its leaders are chosen by the people through voting.
Type: original country profile · Facts: well-established geography/economics
Word Bank
- society
- a group of people who share a land, ways of living, and a government.
- climate
- the usual weather of a place over many years.
- landform
- a natural shape of the land, such as a mountain, plain, or island.
- economy
- the way people in a place make, sell, and use goods and money.
- manufacturing
- making goods in factories, such as cars or electronics.
- republic
- a government in which people elect their leaders.
- fact
- a statement that can be checked and shown true or false.
- interpretation
- an explanation of what evidence means; reasoned from facts.
- opinion
- a personal belief or preference; not proven by evidence.
3Using the table, fill in each blank with Japan or Kenya.
a) The country whose main economic activity is manufacturing and technology: ____________
b) The country that is warm all year with wet and dry seasons: ____________
c) The country made up of a chain of mountainous islands: ____________
Apply Read & Compare 20–25 min
4Compare and contrast. Use the profiles and the table.
Two similarities between Japan and Kenya (things that are the same or alike):
a) ________________________________________________________
b) ________________________________________________________
Two differences between Japan and Kenya (things that are not alike):
c) ________________________________________________________
d) ________________________________________________________
5Explain a difference using geography or economics. Kenya has many more farmers than Japan does. Using the profiles and table, explain why the land and climate might cause this difference (cause → effect). Write 2–3 sentences.
6Fact, interpretation, or opinion? Write F (fact you can check in the packet), I (interpretation reasoned from facts), or O (opinion / personal belief).
____ a) The Equator runs across Kenya, so much of it is warm all year.
____ b) Because Japan has little flat farmland, it probably depends more on factories than on farming.
____ c) Japan is a far more interesting country than Kenya.
____ d) Japan is made up of a chain of mountainous islands.
7Evaluate a claim using the packet. A student claims: "Both countries earn a living in exactly the same way." Do the profiles and table support this claim?
- Yes — both countries depend mainly on factories.
- No — Japan's main activity is manufacturing and technology, while Kenya's is farming, animals, and crops like tea and coffee.
- The packet says nothing about how either country earns a living.
Explain your choice using one detail from Profile A or Profile B:
Explain Claim–Evidence–Reasoning 5–10 min
Question 8. Which one factor — landform, climate, or economy — best explains why daily life in Japan and Kenya is so different? Write a claim naming the factor you choose, support it with two pieces of evidence from the profiles or the table, then explain your reasoning.
Sentence stems you may use: "The factor that best explains the difference is…" · "One piece of evidence is… (from Profile A / Profile B / the table)." · "A second piece of evidence is…" · "This matters because it shapes how people…"
Close ACE Wrap-Up 5 min
In your own words, explain what it means to compare two societies, as if teaching a friend.
Point to one row in the table or one line in a profile that shows a clear difference between the two countries. Name it.
Name one way your own community (outside this packet) is like or unlike Japan or Kenya, and give one reason.
Continue Early Finisher optional · ~15 min
Change one factor and predict. On the back of this page, imagine Kenya's cool highlands suddenly became too dry to grow tea and coffee. Using only the profiles and table, predict two ways Kenya's society might change (think about jobs, trade, and where people live). For each prediction, name the factor you changed and the effect you expect.