Space Awareness
Navigation in the Ancient Mediterranean and Beyond
Ancient texts, like Homer's Odyssey, mentions navigating ships by observing constellations. Pupils learn about the link between history and astronomy as they relate to navigation in the Bronze Age. Scholars complete two hands-on...
Space Awareness
Britannia Rule the Waves
Could you determine longitude based on measuring time? Early explorers used a longitude clock to do just that. Scholars learn about early exploration and the importance of the invention of the clock. Then pupils build their own longitude...
Space Awareness
How To Travel On Earth Without Getting Lost
Have you ever wanted to travel the world? Take a virtual trip with a geography lesson that uses longitude and latitude, the position of the sun, an astronomy app, and a classroom globe.
Space Awareness
Let's Map the Earth
Before maps went mobile, people actually had to learn how to read maps. Pupils look at map elements in order to understand how to read them and locate specific locations. Finally, young cartographers discover how to make aerial maps.
Star Wars in the Classroom
Star Wars Geography Unit
What kind of animals live on an ice planet like Hoth? How would the habitat on Tatooine allow different organisms to thrive? Connect social studies, science, and Star Wars in one engaging activity that focuses on the ecosystems of the...
Curated OER
The Seven Continents Scavenger Hunt
Who doesn't enjoy an engaging scavenger hunt? Here, scholars listen to, and discuss, the informative text, Where is my Continent? by Robin Nelson. They then explore the seven continents and four major oceans using Google Earth.
Geophysical Institute
Latitude and Longitude with Google Earth
Travel the world from the comfort of your classroom with a lesson plan that features Google Earth. High schoolers follow a series of steps to locate places all over the earth with sets of coordinates. Additionally, they measure the...
Latin America Network Information Center
Urbanization
Brazil's population has been changing dramatically in the last century. Study the causes of Brazilian urbanization, including industrialization and and migration, and the implications for the country of the populations'...
Virginia Department of Education
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D.
Here's a great resource for your curriculum library. The 240-page packet, organized into units by topics, includes sample lesson plans, links to primary and secondary source documents, worksheets, activities, and sample assessments.
Curated OER
Ancient Greece Map Worksheet
Since the beginning of time, geography has shaped the development of human civilization, and ancient Greece is no exception. This instructional activity supports young historians with exploring this relationship as they first identify...
K12 Reader
Location, Location, Location
Why do some places in the world have more people living there than other places? Learn about the ways the countries have formed around natural resources with a reading comprehension activity. After kids read a short passage, they answer...
NOAA
A Watery World
With about 70% of the earth's surface covered in oceans, it's fair to say that we live in a very wet world. Young scientists gain a better appreciation of this fact as they use maps to identify the world's ocean basins in the first...
PBS
Arthur’s World Neighborhood: Bibliography for Kids
Support young learners as they expand their cultural awareness with this list of children's literature on countries from around the globe. Including both fictional and non-fictional texts. This resource will help students across the...
PBS
Make a Balloon Globe
"We've got the whole world in our hands," is what your students will be singing after completing this fun geography activity. Using the included templates for the seven continents and a balloon, they create their very own globes.
Curated OER
Gapminder World 2012
Here is a very interesting infographic that compares the average life expectancies, per capita incomes, and population sizes of every country in the world in 2012.
Sharp School
Travel Brochure Project
Designing a travel brochure is a classic project that will help your class members develop a variety of skills, such as researching informational texts, designing creative visual products, and communicating what you have learned.
California Academy of Science
Tropical Belt
Where in the world is the equator? Explore a world map with your class, coloring in oceans, continents, and rainforests while locating the three major lines of latitude: the equator, Tropic of Cancer, and Tropic of Capricorn. Discuss how...
Curated OER
Where in the World is Mrs. Waffenschmidt? #11
Boats, gondolas, and narrow canals! Sounds like Mrs. Waffenschmidt is hanging out in Venice, Italy. Your class needs to read the informational paragraph and use what they know about geography and culture to determine this mysterious...
Curated OER
Where in the World in Mrs. Waffenschmidt? #3
Not only does the class need to find out where Mrs. Waffenschmidt is, they need to name the famous author from that country. They read the informational passage, use the clues given, and determine the author's name and the teacher's...
Curated OER
Where in the World is Mrs. Waffenschmidt? #22
Mrs. Waffenschmidt has traveled to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Learners must read the informational passage to identify this fact. The text uses facts to help learners determine the teacher's location.
Curated OER
Where in the World is Mrs. Waffenscmidt? # 15
Where can that globe-trotting teacher be? Is your class ready to read an informational passage to find out where Mrs. Waffenschmidt is hiding this week? If they are, then they'll discover she's checking out the Rock of Gibraltar. A great...
Curated OER
Where in the World is Mrs. Waffenschmidt? #23
Mrs. Waffenschmidt is hanging out at the Paricutin Volcano in Mexico. But your class won't know that until after they read the fact-filled paragraph that divulges her location. Each sheet includes two sections to be cut and handed out....
Curated OER
Where is the World is Mrs. Waffenschmidt? #18
Mrs. Waffenschmidt is off again, but where to this time? Use the informational text to uncover her mystery location. Your class will read facts and conclude that she is in the Sahara Desert. This is a good way to make informational text...
Curated OER
Where in the World is Mrs. Waffenschmidt? #10
That traveling teacher is off again, and this time she's in a really cool place. The class reads through the clues found in the provided paragraph to determine her location. Where is she? Here's a clue: It was an ancient city that sat...