Curated OER
Africa: Political Map
Students create a political map for Africa. For this country identification lesson, students locate Africa on a globe and discuss some of its major countries and bodies of water. Students complete a political map of Africa and test...
Curated OER
U.S. Political Map
Students explore the symbols found in a map legend. In this map skills lesson, students locate the legend on a political map and explain what each of the symbols mean. Students locate and identify several symbols on the map.
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Connecting Africa: A Project-Based Learning Adventure
Mission Possible: Your task is to design a new highway route from Tunis, Tunisia to Cape Town, South Africa. If you accept the challenge, you must create a small map of the route that has already been rejected, a rationale for rejection...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Hopi Place Names
What's in a name? Historians consider the question as they examine places important to the Hopi people and the meanings of their place names. Included worksheets include maps and charts to help class members examine the geography of Hopi...
Curated OER
Using Different Kinds of Maps
Third graders explore the landforms and population diversity. They read maps and examine geographic terms. Students create their own map of the United States and answer questions about the location of people. After exploring the map, 3rd...
Curated OER
What Do Maps Show?: Lesson 1 Introduction to Maps
Students brainstorm a list of the different types of maps they have seen or used. Using the activity sheet, they look through a social studies book to find all the maps and to determine what they are used for. Using a poster, they review...
Curated OER
Summertime Travel
Third graders write about a summer event they participated in. In this paragraph writing instructional activity, the teacher models how to write about a place they have visited. Students then write their own paragraphs. Students will...
Curated OER
Fossil Fuels (Part I), The Geology of Oil
Junior geologists work through three mini-lessons that familiarize them with the formation and location of fossil fuels. Part one involves reading about petroleum and where it comes from via a thorough set of handouts. A lab activity...
Curated OER
Mapping the News
Students explore cartography. For this map skills and map making lesson, Students work in groups to create wall size world maps including legends, compass roses, latitude and longitude, and physical features. Students collect current...
Smithsonian Institution
Borders with the World: Mexican-American War and U.S. Southern Borderlands
The Mexican-American War created social borders—not just physical ones. Scholars learn about the effects of the Mexican-American War on the people living in the borderlands using text excerpts, maps, and partnered activities. Academics...
Curated OER
Map It!
Fourth graders demonstrate map making skills by using the computer to create maps of the geographic features, regions, and economy for their state.
Curated OER
Mapping the Census
Students learn why the census makes a difference. In this U.S. Census lesson plan, students learn the key elements of cartography, examine the difference between data and their representation, and create a map using census data.
Curated OER
Global Conflict: Kashmir
Students analyze different maps of the region. They create a timeline of the area in dispute, focusing on the creation of Pakistan, Indi and Kashmir and previous conflicts between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. Students construct a...
Curated OER
Introduction to Maps
Students investigate a variety of maps to explain what each one is used for.
Curated OER
Cartoon and Political Poster Analysis
Students explore the late 1800s as a time of demographic change in the US. They view the role of media during this time in the form of posters and political cartoons. They create a political poster/cartoon that deals with current...
Curated OER
Why All Maps Lie
Eighth graders discover the fundamental advantages/disadvantages of both maps and globes. They see that maps may distort size, shape, distance and direction. They discuss the advantages and applications of 5 types of map projections and...
Curated OER
Mapping National and Geographic Identity
Students analyze geographic maps. In this map analysis lesson, students analyze the symbols in geographic maps and the impact of cultural, historical, and political concepts. Students compare and contrast maps in various mediums by...
Curated OER
Map Keys
Third graders examine maps and map keys. In this locating map features instructional activity, 3rd graders use crayons, markers and colored pencils to label maps. Students work in partners to read map keys and locate given places and...
Curated OER
The Sands of Arabia
Sixth graders apply geographic information to the study of World History. For this Geography lesson, 6th graders create a political/physical map of the Middle East, develop questions and answers about the culture of the Middle East, and...
Curated OER
Understanding "The Stans"
Students explore and locate "The Stans" in Central Asia to create, write and illustrate maps, graphs and charts to organize geographic information. They analyze the historical and physical characteristics of Central Asia via graphic...
Curated OER
Political Legends and Map Symbols
Students identify the legend and map symbols. In this map skills lesson, students use a world map to find various locations using a map key.
Curated OER
Map It With Pixie
Fourth graders use the computer program 'Pixie' to create a topographic, detailed map for the state they live in. In this mapping skills lesson plan, 4th graders use Pixie to make a map of their state that includes topographic features,...
Curated OER
What Do Maps Show?
Students discover the uses for various types of maps. In this geography skills activity, students discuss the type of maps that exist and what their individual features are. Students then practice using different types of maps.
Curated OER
Introduction to Maps
Students develop their map skills. In this geography lesson, students participate in an activity that requires them to survey their social studies book in order to find different types of maps and purposes for their uses.