Lesson Plan
California Academy of Science

Guess That Spice

For Teachers 1st - 7th Standards
From medical treatments to cooking, people have been using herbs and spices for thousands of years. Perform a blind smell test of household herbs and spices to engage students in learning about ancient spice trading. Research the history...
Lesson Plan
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How Many Ways Can You Say Merry Christmas?

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students create a multicultural holiday bulletin board map! students research and study saying Merry Christmas in different languages. They correctly locate the countries on a world map.
Lesson Plan
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Play Doh Map of Your State

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Young scholars create a state map using Playdoh. In this hands-on state geography lesson, students work in groups to form a three-dimensional  map of their state using Playdoh made at home following a (given) recipe. Young scholars...
Lesson Plan
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The High and the Flighty

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars study women aviators and act out a talk show-style interview with one of them. They plot Amelia Earhart's flights on a map.
Lesson Plan
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Crossroads of the Continent: Early Trade in Kansas

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Young scholars study early Native American-European trade. They play bartering games to discover trade as an economic funtion, as well as other implications of trading one good for another.
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Four Corners Mystery: Where In The World Are We?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research and describe various locations around the world using five fundamental themes of geography.
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Putting the World in Perspective

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students work in small groups to: make a mental map of the world by tearing paper shapes of the seven continents and locating them on a flat surface in their relative positions, compare their finished mental map to a reference world map,...
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Hide and Seek with Geocaching

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students locate objects using a Global Positioning System. In this global geography lesson, students explore latitude and longitude using a GPS in order to locate objects.
Lesson Plan
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Reflections of Ancient Greece

For Teachers K - 5th
Students study ancient Greek civilization. In this World history lesson, students locate Greece on a world map and review what the ancient Greeks did when they developed new ideas for government, science, philosophy, religion,...
Lesson Plan
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Around the World

For Teachers K - 5th
Young scholars discuss the major geographical and cultural differences in the world. In this social science lesson, students pretend they are traveling and research information about where they wish to stay by finding information about...
Lesson Plan
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Ireland: the Emerald Isle

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders complete a unit of study that examines several perspectives of Ireland. They explore how climate shapes Irish culture, reference historical and political maps, compute exchange values for Irish money, complete worksheets,...
Lesson Plan
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Day-to-Day Life in a Small African Village

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students experience just a bit of what it's like living in a village in Tanzania-from language to geography to health and hygiene issues. They compare aspects of school and home life in the United States with those in Tanzania and...
Lesson Plan
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American Indians and Their Environment

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners create a storyboard of the three American Indian language groups showing the geography of where they lived and how they adapted to the environment. They compare European and American Indian views of nature and explain how these...
Lesson Plan
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Chinese Lion Dance

For Teachers Pre-K - 6th
Students celebrate the Chinese New Year and listen to the story behind the Chinese Lion Dance.  In this Chinese New Year lesson, students research the geography and culture of China.  Students create puppets, dance the Lion...
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What State Are You In?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students identify the major U.S. cities. In this U.S. geography instructional activity, students work in pairs and use game cards to name various cities in the United States.
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Waldseemuller's Map: World 1507

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students investigate the 1507 word map. In this world geography lesson, students examine the details of each section of the map and then draw conclusions about how the people of 1507 understood the world. Students are evalated on...
Lesson Plan
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On the Road with Marco Polo

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars follow Marco Polo's route to and from China. They explore the geography, local products, culture, and fascinating sites of those regions. They record their findings.
Worksheet
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All about Greece

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this Greece worksheet, students learn and report about Greece. Activities include geography, natural resources, recipes, landmarks, history and climate. Students do their own research.
Lesson Plan
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Establishing Borders: The Expansion of the United States 1846-48

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students investigate how the United States acquired land after the Revolutionary War ended. In this establishing borders lesson, students use maps to identify territories acquired by the US and the states that later developed. Students...
Lesson Plan
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States and Capitals Activity

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore states and capitals.  In this U.S. geography lesson, students practice locomotor skills playing Freeze Tag. Students generate the matching capital when given a specific state name in order to continue the game.
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What is Currency?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students study the history of currency and the monetary system of historic Akan people, who lived on the Atlantic coast of Africa. This outstanding series of lessons is multi-disciplinary and contains many activities for different...
Lesson Plan
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Diversity

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students work in groups to research and prepare an oral report about a region.  In this regions lesson plan, students find out about the geography, population, state capitals, and landmarks.  Students assign attributes to the...
Lesson Plan
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Countries of Africa

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the different countries of Africa. In this African geography lesson, students choose an African country to investigate and construct the country's flag. Students use a map of Africa to color in their country.
Lesson Plan
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Journeys...The Voices of Change

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students trace the immigration patterns of their ancestors. They plot information on a world map, develop a timeline of target immigration patterns, research and write a report on immigration and participate in a class play.