Mapping the Earth Lesson Plans

Students use maps to identify ten cities highlighted on an image of Earth at night as seen from space. They identify the seven continents on a map image of Earth and use map resources to identify ten selected cities on Earth at Night map work sheet.

Fourth graders construct a concept map about Plate Tectonics. They include types of movement, names and effects of boundaries. They research plate tectonics, describe and name 3 types. They analyze the effect on the earth's surface of plate activity.

Students explore organisms and their environments. They examine change over time demonstrate an understanding of physical positions on Earth. They survey earth's diversity, write a report, fill in a data table created on the computer, and create a world map, color keying the seven biomes onto the map.

Students examine the Earth at night. In this geography lesson, students identify the continents at night using various Internet Web sites. This lesson may be adapted for use with middle school and high school students.

Students are introduced to some common map projections and representations (e.g., globes or close-ups) and asked to consider the ways that each representation can be used to show specific features of Mars.

Students use photo images from space to create a large map of the United States or the world, find where they live and label other places they know. They are exposed to a Web resource that allows them to view photo images of Earth taken from space.

Students see how temperatures across the United States vary. They use technology in order to find, print, and produce a color-coded weather map. They utilize worksheets and websites imbedded in this plan to help them with their project.

Students access prior knowledge and locate the North and South Poles on the map. In this mapping instructional activity, students understand the position of the United States relative to the poles. Students answer questions about the globe.

Students explore the history of the Earth and the study of geology. They explain the different time periods in the history of the Earth. Students create a salt and flour map of the Earth as it was during their time period. They research the time periods that are assigned to them.

Students count and order objects using numbers 1-300. In this numeration and Earth Day instructional activity, students bring recyclable items from home. Students group the items, skip count by 2's, 3's, and 5's, and arrange the items on a number line. Recyclable plastic bags are put in groups of 300 to be used to make sleeping mats for the children of Haiti.