Curated OER
Exploring Arizona's Biotic Communities Lesson 1: Mapping Biotic Communities
As part of a unit on Arizona's biotic communities, young ecology learners create a map. They describe how humans and animals adapt in their habitat. They take notes and create graphic organizers from articles they read. Beautiful maps,...
Curated OER
What Do Maps Show?: Lesson 4 How to Read a Topographic Map
Students examine the use of topographic maps as two dimensional representations that show elevations and slopes with contour lines. They read maps of the Salt Lake City, Utah area and complete the associated worksheets that show map...
KOG Ranger Program
Fire Behavior in Forests
Understanding the ways a fire will act is a key factor in fire safety and fire prevention. Young campers focus on how the weather and terrain can affect the behavior of a fire with topographic maps and different scenarios.
Curated OER
Cookie Mapping
Students study the components of a bedrock geology map through a hands-on activity involving a cookie and graph paper.
Curated OER
Maps
Students investigate three types of maps. In this history lesson, students idenitfy different maps and explore how they relate to the area, while keeping climate and topography in mind. They discuss maps used to navigate land. air and sea.
Curated OER
Mapping Puerto Rico
Students use maps to discover where Puerto Rico is located. In groups, they use the internet to research the vegetation. They also compare and contrast the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico's government.
Curated OER
River Run Through It
With vocabulary lists, worksheets, and more, this lesson sets learners on an exploration of the Hudson River area. They read an essay about the area, analyze a relief map of New York State, and complete a worksheet.
Curated OER
Rivers Run Through It
Using a relief map of New York State, learners answer questions about the distance between different cities, identify bodies of water, and more. First, they discuss vocabulary related to the Hudson River area. Then, they complete a...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Lesson 6: Biomes and Landscapes
Aside from the amazing animals in Gorongosa National Park, what else is there to discover? The sixth installment in an eight-part themed series contains an interactive map where scholars can learn more about the geographic features of...
Curated OER
Arkansas Geography/History Relief Map
Sixth graders research a number of sources including the Internet to find information about the regions of Arkansas while locating sites of national historic interest. They located sites on maps while working at assigned websites. They...
Curated OER
Topography of Africa
Young scholars study Africa's diverse landscape and investigate how these features impact the available water supply, food sources, and population distribution of the continent. They compare topographical features and
their affect on...
Curated OER
Will There Be a White Christmas This Year?
Learners examine historical weather data, and create map and color key that illustrates the likelihood of a white Christmas in different locations across the United States.
Curated OER
Geologic Mapping I
Students create a geologic map and cross-section of an area of horizontal sedimentary rocks, exposed in several locations. Map must include a complete key or legend with rock descriptions of the various formations.
Curated OER
The Oregon Trail
Students use maps and diagrams to examine the Oregon Trail. In groups, they create their own poster of the trail showing the different types of artifacts found along the way. To end the lesson, they identify the sources of water and...
Curated OER
Elements of Civilization
Learners create their own ancient civilizations based off of topographical maps of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Yellow River. In this social studies lesson plan, students are assigned one topographical map to use to...
Curated OER
The Topography and Geology of Deerfield
Eleventh graders explain the topographical and geographical makeup of Deerfield. They explain the Massachusetts section of the Connecticut River Valley is located in the bed of glacial Lake Hitchcock, which contributes to its being a...
Curated OER
Down on the Ocean Floor
Learners build a map of the Atlantic Ocean floor and mark the different depths. In this ocean floor lesson students identify parts of the ocean floor that they created and discuss patterns that they see.
NOAA
Technology II
Ping, ping, ping. The last installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program explores technology use in marine studies, such as sonar. Activity involves simulating sonar techniques to identify a...
Curated OER
Nature and Place Names in Arkansas
Middle schoolers examine the way that many place names in Arkansas came to be. By looking at Arkansas highway maps, they find names that come from the characteristics of each of the state's six geographical divisions. This interesting...
Curated OER
It'll Go With the Flow...
Students construct a water table elevation contour map and consider the direction and rate of groundwater flow to predict the actual runoff pattern. They discuss their findings and evaluate a hypothetical landfill site based on data...
Curated OER
Geologic cross section of Manhattan, NYC
Students draw an accurate geologic cross section by using a given data table. They relate the features of the cross section to geologic processes. Students then relate the characteristics of the bedrock to the architecture.
Curated OER
Bioregions of California
Students map out the bioregions of California by examining the species and environment in different areas of the state. They use information and pictures from a PowerPoint presentation to complete a map handout and play a trivia game.
Michigan Sea Grant
Exploring Watersheds
Collaboratively, students partake in a hands-on activity in which they build models of a watershed. Each group member draws an elevation map—a bird's eye view—of their model and predicts how water will flow from the high to low points....
Curated OER
Observing Lava Flows
Learners examine the difference between fast and slow spreading lava flows. They identify various types of lava flow and determine the factors that cause them to form. Viewing photographs of lava flows, students working in groups,...