Curated OER
What's Your Temperature?
Learners take a look at the local newspaper and focus on the weather section. They get into small groups, and each one looks at the same map, but of a different part of the country. They must prepare a presentation that shows how...
Curated OER
Travelogs
Pupils make travelog journals to send to acquaintances in other states in order to receive mail in return. They make scrapbooks with the return mail they receive.
Curated OER
Weather Pals
Pupils study maps of the United States to locate weather pals from a list of schools. They communicate with Weather Pal schools through the use of closed circuit TV. Using weather data collected in their area, they exchange the...
Curated OER
Around the Town
In the world of GPS, make sure your kids can still read maps and determine distances between locations. You will need neighborhood street maps, ideally of your class' home turf. Ask kids questions about different locations in relation to...
Curated OER
City, County, Community
Students explore issues and situations that make for a city and its local environments. In this local government instructional activity, students design maps, define issues and create brochures that illustrate their understandings of...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Statewide Smokefree Laws
Does your state allow smoking in public workplaces? What about in bars or restaurants? Take a look at an informative map of the United States to see what states do not allow smoking indoors, what states do not have indoor air laws on the...
Curated OER
Investigation - The Local Bagel Shop
Sixth graders investigate unit pricing to find which cup of coffee is a better buy. They use ratio and proportions to solve problems involving a change of scale in drawings, maps, recipes, etc. Students determine the unit cost of items...
Curated OER
Local Retreats
Young scholars consider how their favorite local places might be interesting spots for visitors. They investigate and write articles on these locations to examine what their community has to offer and to create an Unlikely Tourist's...
Curated OER
Navigation
Learners explain that globes are the best way to show positions of places, but flat maps are portable and can show great detail. They make a mercator projection of the route Lewis and Clark took on their journey.
Curated OER
Map Creation
Second graders identify a map, symbol, key, and compass rose. Students create and print a map for teacher evaluation using the computer. Students identify the symbols on their map and orally present them to the class.
Curated OER
Latitude and Longitude
Students demonstrate how to locate places on a map using a grid. In this map skills lesson plan, students are introduced to latitude and longitude lines. Students define these terms and view a large map of a state. Students come up to...
Curated OER
A Shuttle's Eye View
Students explore the goals of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission as a springboard to exploring the topographical features of their own state or region. They synthesize their understanding of landforms and topography by mapping their...
Curated OER
Local River Life
Students identify rivers in their county, state, or province, and
research various kinds of animals and plants living in or near the rivers.
They write short summaries about the animals and plant life, draw pictures, and compile...
Curated OER
Sectionalism
Students examine sectionalism. In this sectionalism lesson, students explore reasons sectionalism developed. Students realize the conflicts that led to the Civil War and how sectionalism affected citizens on the border of Kansas and...
Curated OER
Around the Town
Students explore reading maps. In this map reading lesson, students compare distances fom place to place. Students work in groups and predict the distance then find the actual distance using string or rulers.
Curated OER
Is the Hudson River Too Salty to Drink?
Students explore reasons for varied salinity in bodies of water. In this geographical inquiry lesson, students use a variety of visual and written information including maps, data tables, and graphs, to form a hypothesis as to why the...
Curated OER
Welcome to New York State
Students choose one region of New York state, and create a travel brochure that includes information such as geographical features, tourist attractions, accesibility, economic features, and historical events that occured in that region.
Museum of Tolerance
Where Do Our Families Come From?
After a grand conversation about immigration to the United States, scholars interview a family member to learn about their journey to America. They then take their new-found knowledge and apply their findings to tracking their family...
Curated OER
Maps with a "Spin"
Students, in groups, research and map the effects of a proposed airport three miles outside of town. They prepare a presentation based on a set of maps they make and explains its different points of view from the viewpoints of the town...
Curated OER
Reading A Weather Map
Ninth graders construct a weather map. In this meteorology lesson, 9th graders construct a weather map using contour lines and temperature.
It's About Time
Volcanic History of Your Community
Did you know there are 20 volcanoes erupting at any given time? Pupils look at various igneous rocks, read local geologic maps, and determine if their area has a history of volcanic activity. A reading passage and analysis questions...
National Wildlife Federation
Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Extreme Weather's Impact on Our Resources
How dry is it? It's so dry, the river only runs twice a week! Through an analysis of maps and discussions, pairs learn about droughts across the United States in the ninth of 12 lessons. They then read about, answer questions, analyze...
Curated OER
E-mailing the Chamber of Commerce
Encourage effective internet research and e-mail correspondence as scholars investigate a US capital city they've never visited to find pertinent and relevant information. They begin by picking a city, then visit that city's chamber of...
Syracuse University
Erie Canal
While canals are not the way to travel today, in the first half of the nineteenth century, they were sometimes the best way to move goods and people. Scholars examine primary sources, including maps and pictures, to investigate the role...