National First Ladies' Library
Recovery! Coping with the Effects of a Natural Disaster
Students explore natural disasters and the devastation caused by them. Using specified websites, learners examine how people rebuild after a disaster. In groups, they design and rebuild a community and conclude by writing an essay...
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The Basilica of the Assumption-A Symbol of Freedom
Fourth graders explore the importance of the Basilica of Assumption and the development of the Catholic Church in Maryland. In this social studies lesson, 4th graders discuss the Basilica of the Assumption and the Catholic Church.
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Ecotourism in National Parks and Wilderness
Middle schoolers research a wilderness or natural area and develop a plan for ecotourism.
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Testing the Caverns
Pupils build model caverns using paper mache or clay and bury them in a tray of sand. They test the models by dropping balls onto them to simulate an asteroid hitting the earth. They evaluate the effectiveness of a structure against...
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Spirit of Place Worksheet
In this sense of place worksheet, students work individually or in groups reading "Finding the Soul of the City" and discussing the questions in each section in order to investigate the communities they live in.
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Economic Use of Public Natural Areas
Young scholars examine the public controversy between the use of public natural areas for economic activities by viewing video clips, researching on the Internet, and calculating sustainable land.
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Floods: Rising Waters and You
Students examine the relationship between human-made structures, flood waters and the increasing population through video clips, websites and a lab experiment.
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Co-evolution of Plants and Pollinators
Pupils, while studying the rolls of pollinators and plants, explore co-evolution of mutualistic relationships.
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Non Native Species: English Ivy-Landscape Plant or Deadly Killer?
Learners examine an area overrun by English Ivy. They explore how invasive species affect an ecosystem. They also study about the lack of biodiversity and how to measure it out in the field.
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Salmon vs. Dams: The Dam Removal Debate on the Elwha River
Students use roll playing to discuss the merits of tearing down these dams so that the Elwha River can run free. The activity is presented in the form of a council meeting to encourage students to try to build consensus in finding...
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Volcanoes:How Safe Are They?
Young scholars explore volcanoes, locate them on maps, record general information about volcanoes, and organize information on a fact sheet.
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Lewis and Clark Expedition
Ninth graders examine the goals of the Lewis and Clark Expedition and identify the present day cities, towns, rivers, and regions that are on the route of the expedition. They complete an online WebQuest, recreating the route of the...
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Making Use of Fieldwork
Students transcribe, analyze, and archive fieldwork and create a team project drawn from fieldwork. They brainstorm a list of reasons why preservation of collected materials is important and explore the online archives of the American...
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My Promise
Young scholars define their own civic responsibility and create a PowerPoint presentation about their volunteer efforts. For this civic responsibility lesson, students define the word volunteer and read an article about a volunteer in...
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What's a Swamp Good For?
Students identify the function and value of wetlands. In this lesson on appreciating wetlands, students explain how different household items can represent different aspects of the wetlands.
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Corps of Discovery
Middle schoolers assess their knowledge of the Corps of Discovery through a written pretest, follow the journey of Lewis and Clark on the internet, record data on events, dates, places, people, animals, distance traveled, and geographic...
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Mississippi Under British Rule
Students construct appropriate maps to depict the following information: changes in European territorial claims as a result of the French and Indian War; boundaries of British East and West Florida; significant rivers and settlements of...
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Fire and Fire Suppression
Students explore forest fires and forest service's new stategies. They study a case of natural burn and the impact of lowering the intensity of a larger forest fire.
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Breaking News English: Hurricane Katrina Kills Hundreds
For this English worksheet, learners read "Hurricane Katrina Kills Hundreds," and then respond to 47 fill in the blank, 7 short answer, 20 matching, and 8 true or false questions about the selection.
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Ruby Bridges
Students think about differences and equality as they compare their life to that of Ruby Bridges.
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Native Species Restoration and its Impact on Local Populations
High schoolers watch video clips of ecosystems and answer questions relating to them.
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Possible Locations
Middle schoolers create maps with cutout pieces of paper that represent caverns. They develop a scale for their map and decide where the best location is to live. They discover the importance of map reading skills.
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Scaling the Map
Learners practice determining map distances using the map scales. They discover how much an area represents on the map in relation to the actual area. They decide on the best place to build their cavern.
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Analyzing and Understanding the Effects of Segregation
Eleventh graders understand the effects of segregation and analyze the effects of Supreme Court decisions. They trace the interpretations of the 14th amendment. They utilize a work of art to explore the topic of segregation.