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Unit Plan
2
2
National Geographic

Mapping the Americas

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Celebrate the geography of the Americas and develop map skills through a series of activities focused on the Western Hemisphere. Learners study everything from earthquakes and volcanoes of the Americas and the relationship between...
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Activity
Saline Area Schools

Moving Home: A Map Skills Project

For Students 4th - 7th Standards
You have just been informed you are moving, but you have the choice of three locations. Where do you go? This is the question class members answer in a map skills project. Learners examine three locations using maps, gather information...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

John Smith’s Map of the Chesapeake Bay

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
Young geographers travel back through time with primary source and map analysis and envision Captain John Smith's arrival at the Chesapeake Bay. 
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Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Map the Civil War

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Mapmaking was a very important element in successfully planning attacks on enemies during the Civil War. Guide pupils through the process of pacing to find the average length of their steps, measure the distance between one object to the...
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Printables
Ed Helper Clip Art

USA States

For Students K - 12th Standards
Looking for a map of the Unites States of America? Look no further than this printable map designed to accompany your geography instruction and to give map skills a boost.   
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Activity
Kate Stickley

Reading the World: Latitude and Longitude Lesson latitude and longitude, maps, coordinates on a map, prime meridian, reading maps, equator, globes

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Find five activities all about longitude and latitude! Use oranges to show the equator and prime meridian, plot birthdays on a map using coordinates, and plan a dream vacation. 
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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...
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Activity
Fremont Unified School District

4th Grade California Relief Map Project

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Bring life to your next California geography lesson with this great project! Learners design a three-dimensional wall relief map of California, painting and decorating regions using a variety of materials and labeling major geographical...
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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...
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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 contrast...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Library of Congress

Investigating the Building Blocks of Our Community’s Past, Present, and Future

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
As Ken Jennings said, "There's just something hypnotic about maps." Certainly, the longer you look at them the more you can learn. In this project-based learning instructional activity, individuals study both historic and present-day...
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Lesson Plan
Huntington Library

The Corps of Discovery: The Lewis and Clark Expedition

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
Don't miss this fantastic comprehensive lesson plan on the Lewis and Clark Expedition, packed with instructional guidance, worksheets, map work, informational texts, and secondary source materials.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
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...
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Unit Plan
Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program

The Backpack Travel Journals

For Teachers 2nd - 5th Standards
Strap on those backpacks, it's time to travel through history with this literature unit based on the first four books of The Magic Tree House series. While reading through these fun stories, children create story maps, record interesting...
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Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 Homestead Act Signed: The Challenges of The Plains

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Start a whole new life in a land known as the Wild Wild West! Learners analyze maps, personal accounts, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, songs, and video clips to uncover life under the Homestead Act. Using their new skills, class members role...
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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...
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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.
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Unit Plan
Library of Congress

Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal: An Educational Voyage

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Following the book, Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal, readers complete an activity for each chapter, take part in discussions, and respond to several questions. To show what they know, scholars create an alphabet book using primary...
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Lesson Plan
4
4
Smithsonian Institution

A Ticket to Philly—In 1769: Thinking about Cities, Then and Now

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
While cities had only a small fraction of the population in colonial America, they played a significant role in pre-revolutionary years, and this was certainly true for the largest city in the North American colonies: Philadelphia. Your...
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Lesson Plan
1
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Center for History and New Media

Slavery and Free Negroes, 1800 to 1860

For Teachers 4th - 11th Standards
What was life like for enslaved and free black people before the American Civil War? Explore the building tension between states and the freedom of individuals with a thorough social studies lesson. Learners of all ages explore primary...
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Activity
Virginia Repertory Theatre

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
Accompany the story, Town Mouse Country Mouse by Jan Brett with an assortment of activities designed to reinforce concepts covering story structure, comprehension, grammar, and social studies. Here, scholars identify the difference...
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Lesson Plan
NET Foundation for Television

1850-1874 Railroads and Settlement

For Teachers 3rd - 12th Standards
Have you ever wondered how your town was placed where it is? Scholars research the impact the advancement of the railroad due to the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act had on the formation of civilization in the Great Plains. Map...
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Lesson Plan
The Alamo

The Alamo

For Students 3rd - 5th Standards
Remember the Alamo! Scholars investigate the Battle of San Jacinto during the Texas Revolution. Using models, maps, quotes, biographies, and the Oath of Allegiance, the Alamo comes to life as the stories of those who fought and died in...
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Lesson Plan
PBS

What's In a Name?

For Teachers 4th - 8th Standards
What is in a name? Eager historians trace the geographical history of places in the United States with Spanish names. Using a worksheet activity, clues, and web research developed in conjunction with the PBS "Latinos in America" series,...