Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scaling it Down: Caves Have Maps, Too

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Measurement and map skills are the focus of this lesson, where students crawl through a "cave" made out of boxes, desks and chairs, observing the dimensions.  Your young geographers measure various aspects of the cave and practice...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Skills

For Teachers 3rd
Thirds graders reinforce that a map is a drawing that shows what a place looks like from above. They use a map key and symbols to create a map of the school and its neighborhood.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Second and third graders practice with basic map skills. They create their own map including a legend and a compass rose. This fabulous plan has many excellent websites linked which allow learners to explore maps of all kinds; including...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Skills

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Do you need to practice map skills? Children with a range of abilities will complete a KWL chart about maps, practice important map vocabulary and then read a few pages from their textbook. They will use their vocabulary words and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Orienteering: Map Skills

For Teachers K - 4th
Students use a map to locate six specific landmarks on a course using a map. They identify how maps can help us and write a paragraph describing how to get from one landmark to another on the map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping America

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
While learning about the Louisiana Purchase, pupils practice map skills. This motivating lesson has them answer questions about the Louisiana Territory and the United States. It provides a quick and easy way review of skills and the...
Lesson Plan
World Globes & Maps

United States Map- Intermediate Directions

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students identify the four intermediate directions. For this map skills lesson, students use post-it notes to label the four intermediate directions on a map. Students locate various states using intermediate directions.
Lesson Plan
BrainPOP

Latitude and Longitude Differentiated Lesson Plan

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Scholars warm-up their map skills with a discussion using location words to describe familiar places. An engaging video informs class members about latitude and longitude. Three leveled activities extend the learning experience for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Social Studies in Five Shared Reading Lessons: Geography

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
After several short 15-minute mini-lessons, your learners will gain an understanding of the characteristics of a non-fiction text. Using the book Map It by Elspeth Leacock, your class will become acquainted with non-fiction terms...
Lesson Plan
Education World

Edible Resource Maps!

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars discuss resource maps and examine examples from library resources. Working in groups, they create edible resource maps by drawing examples, such as popcorn on the border of Iowa and Nebraska. Then they use cookies in the...
Lesson Plan
Agriculture in the Classroom

A Holiday Tradition: Which Christmas Tree Will You Choose?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Different varieties of Christmas trees provide an interesting way to combine social studies, science, math, and technology. Class members not only research the history of the Christmas tree holiday tradition, they compare and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping Perceptions

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students create and read maps. In this map skills instructional activity, students draw a map of their neighborhood, then use skills acquired during map-making to interpret a classmates map and a map of the Ming Dynasty.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introducing Maps Through Dance

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students are introduced to the key concepts of maps; direction, pathway/line, shape and symbol. They create the pathways and shapes they have "mapped" out on paper on the floor. They dance along the paths.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Playground Mapping

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students convert their physical models of a playground from a previous lesson into a map of the playground that includes a scale and key. They examine and discuss examples of maps, view an image to map photo essay, and create a map using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

United States Map- Map Legend/City Symbols

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students investigate the United States map. In this map skills geography lesson, students explore city symbols on the map legend and identify them. Students use post-it notes to mark various symbols.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geo-Class Mapping My Neighborhood

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students create a map of the school and surrounding neighborhood.  In this mapping lesson, students discover their school's location and learn about its past.  Students use math skills and the steps in the design process to...
Lesson Plan
Education World

Map Skills Worksheet 5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this map skills practice worksheet, students practice reading a legend as they respond to 12 short answer questions regarding a legend and a map.
Lesson Plan
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National Endowment for the Humanities

Hopi Place Names

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Different Kinds of Maps

For Teachers 3rd
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...
Lesson Plan
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Museum of Tolerance

Where Do Our Families Come From?

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
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...
Lesson Plan
Missouri Department of Elementary

Fly Your Kite

For Teachers 3rd Standards
Encourage scholars to become a productive community member with a kite-themed lesson plan. Following a review and discussion, learners complete a Venn diagram that displays the connection between character traits needed to make a home...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Those Who Have Come Before Me

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Class members are transformed into explorers as they work in groups to locate hidden items and map their journey along the way. They then leave clues for other groups of students to follow, and ultimately discover how past explorations...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 3: On the Road with Marco Polo: From Hormuz to Kashgar

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young explorers examine the route that Marco Polo and his father traveled to reach China. They examine online maps of the Silk Road and harsh terrain of Afghanistan to determine challenges that may have been encountered during travel.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

On the Road with Marco Polo: Marco Polo in China

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate who the Mongols were and where their empire was located. They research Kublai Khan and the region he ruled. They study the major products of 13th Century China.