National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 3: On the Road with Marco Polo: From Hormuz to Kashgar
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.
BrainPOP
World History Lesson Plan: Uncovering Essential Questions
Have you ever noticed a news story revolves around an essential question? Scholars research methods of reporting historical events. Working in groups, they use an interactive module to gather information on a historical topic, uncovering...
Edgate
Why Map a Map?
After brainstorming reasons why Native Americans mapped their lands, your young critical thinkers will work together to review their ideas and determine the definition of a map. With today's extensive use of mapping technology and GPS...
Curated OER
Mapping Your State's Role in the Vietnam War
Learners recognize reasons to celebrate Memorial Day. Students create a map of victims of the VIetnam War. Using the internet, learners research information about soldiers from their state who were killd in action in Vietnam. Students...
Curated OER
What Do Maps Show?: Lesson 4 How to Read a Topographic Map
Students examine the use of topographic maps as two dimensional representations that show elevations and slopes with contour lines. They read maps of the Salt Lake City, Utah area and complete the associated worksheets that show map...
Curated OER
Introduction to Maps
Learners develop their map skills. In this geography lesson, students participate in an activity that requires them to survey their social studies book in order to find different types of maps and purposes for their uses.
Curated OER
Charting Neptune's Realm:
Students explore how to construct and interpret maps and globes and find information about people, places, regions, and environments.
Smithsonian Institution
A Ticket to Philly—In 1769: Thinking about Cities, Then and Now
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...
Curated OER
Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Americas
Native American studies is fun, educational, and highly motivating. Fifth graders will gain a deeper understanding of the six major pre-Columbian culture areas on the North American continent. They will choose one group and conduct...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Coordinate Geometry
Where do the coordinates lead? As children brainstorm ways to find the location of different buildings, they learn about coordinate points and how to use them to locate areas on a grid or map. They practice using ordered pairs by playing...
Curated OER
Mapping the Prairie
Fifth graders study maps of the Chicago area looking at defining characteristics and place names. They investigate settlement patterns by looking at the maps.
Curated OER
Map Studies
Learners study maps and use web based activities to develop their mapping skills. In this mapping skills lesson, students use the internet to define cartography they make a list of information regarding a typical road map and explain the...
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 The Kansas-Nebraska Act
How the Kansas-Nebraska Act created Bleeding Kansas is complicated—until scholars research and examine documents from the time. After completing activities that include mapping, photo, document analysis, and discussion, learners...
NOAA
Into the Deep
Take young scientists into the depths of the world's ocean with the second instructional activity of this three-part earth science series. After first drawing pictures representing how they imagine the bottom of the ocean to appear,...
Smithsonian Institution
Who's in Camp?
Pupils complete readings, a group activity using cards, and a writing activity to better understand people's lives during the American Revolution. The resource emphasizes people such as the militiamen, women, officers, and children,...
Curated OER
Enough To Make Your Head Spin
Students examine body language in the United States and Bulgaria. They also discover other forms of communication. They also examine a map of Bulgaria.
Curated OER
Mapping and Excavating a Jello Mold
Students simulate how archaeologists excavate sites by "searching" their own site in the form of a Jello mold. They use a grid to map the objects in the Jello mold as well as looking at three layers of Jello to understand stratigraphy...
Curated OER
School Sleuths Treasure Map
Learners are explained how a grid and compass work. They are also explained that archaeologists use grids as a record of the exact location of artifacts. Students define the term datum as a point of reference on grids from which all...
Curated OER
Earth at Night
Students examine the Earth at night. In this geography instructional activity, students identify the continents at night using various Internet Web sites. This instructional activity may be adapted for use with middle school and high...
Curated OER
Drawing A Map
Young scholars discuss any information they already know about maps. As a class, they draw a map of a park following written directions making sure to include a compass rose and key. They are graded based on a rubric and discuss the need...
Curated OER
Go Bananas! (Lesson One)
Students research the historical and present movements of bananas. Using maps, they locate the countries in which the fruit is grown and identify common characteristics between the banana-growing countries. They also trace the movement...
Curated OER
International Currency Exchange
Students examine coins from around the world and write down their observations. As a class, they discuss the types of symbols used on the coins from different countries and locate the country on a map. To end the lesson, they calculate...
Curated OER
Google Earth Virtual Vacation
Learners explore different areas of America by using the internet and the "Google Earth" website in this interactive, social studies lesson for late elementary students. This lesson includes a resource link to download a free program to...
Curated OER
Learning about a Culture from a Story
Students interpret the identity of a traditional culture from objects and a creation story. In this lesson on learning about a culture from a story, students read and analyze an Eskimo myth about creation and an essay on Traditional...