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U.S. Geography: The South
Young geographers complete a research project. They list the physical features found in the American South. They then discuss the economy, culture, and geography found in the South. They work in groups to research one of the five...
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U.S. Geography: The Northeast
Students investigate U.S. Geography by creating a map in class. In this natural resource instructional activity, students create a map of the United States and research the Northeast based on their resources and recyclable...
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States and Capitals Activity
Learners explore states and capitals. In this U.S. geography lesson, students practice locomotor skills playing Freeze Tag. Learners generate the matching capital when given a specific state name in order to continue the game.
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Expanding the Mission: Historical Parks
Students explore U.S. geography by viewing a documentary in class. In this national parks lesson, students view video clips of individual national parks and locate them using Google Earth software. Students create a persuasive...
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A Visit to Charm City
Students explore U.S. geography by participating in a role-playing activity. In this Baltimore history instructional activity, students discuss the geography of Baltimore city and complete a worksheet which discusses the "charm"...
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Let Me Tell You About My State
Fifth graders research one of the 50 U.S. States that they were unfamiliar with. In this U.S. Geography lesson, 5th graders utilize encyclopedias as well as the Internet to research a chosen U.S. State in order to write a report....
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People Behind the Parks
Explore U.S. geography with your class by viewing a documentary. Show a portion of the Ken Burns documentary "The National Parks," and identify the individuals responsible for keeping the parks in order. Elementary and middle schoolers...
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Agriculture Cares for the World
Students explore world geography by analyzing agriculture. In this dietary habits lesson, students discuss the role parents play in their children's diet and where the food comes from. Students write agricultural research paragraphs and...
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Fifty States Field Day
Students explore the 50 states in preparation for a special field day. On the actual field day, the oldest students in the school manage each of 50 physical activity stations. They share information about each state and introduce the...
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Mapping the Most Common U.S. City Names
Students discuss the most common U.S. place names. They map the locations of U.S. cities with the most common names and use an atlas, or an online map tool such as MapQuest or Yahoo Maps.
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Sense of Place: No River Too Wide-Bridges
Fifth graders discover the history of their hometown Des Moines River. In this U.S. Geography lesson students speak with Iowans that tell stories of the settlers and early villages near the Des Moines River. Students document...
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The Eerie Canal
Learners discover bodies of water in the United States by investigating the Eerie Canal. In this U.S. Geography lesson, students discuss Lake Eerie and the canal that was built in order to transport goods. Learners research...
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"Place the State" Game
Pupils participate in a computer game in which they locate and place the U.S. states on a blank outline map. In small groups, they take turns dragging and dropping the states in the proper location on a map.
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USA States and Capitals
Fifth graders explore U.S. geography by completing a map identification activity. In this states and capitals lesson, 5th graders examine a map of all 50 U.S. states and identify them as well as their capital cities. Students are...
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Popcorn Geography
Students use kernels to create a "Top Corn-Producing States" map or graph. They read and round off numbers. Students identify on a U.S. outline map the location of corn-growing states. They create a visual (map or graph) illustration...
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Traveling Cat Flown Home to Family
Students locate Wisconsin and Belgium on a world map, then read a news article about a cat that stowed away on ship from the U.S. to Europe. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with map and vocabulary...
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Landmarks of the Underground Railroad
Students explore Civil Rights by reading several books in class. For this Underground Railroad lesson, students discuss The Story of Henry Box Brown and identify the location and functionality of the Underground Railroad. Students answer...
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The Crash Scene
Fifth graders explore geography by participating in a mapping activity. In this engineering lesson, 5th graders identify the differences between latitude and longitude and practice locating precise points on a globe or map. Students...
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Mapping Martin Luther King Jr.
Young scholars examine geographic locations that were important in Martin Luther King Jr.'s life. They research Martin Luther King Jr., and create U.S. maps that show the locations important to him.
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What State Are You In?
Students identify the major U.S. cities. In this U.S. geography lesson, students work in pairs and use game cards to name various cities in the United States.
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The Branding of America (And Your State)
Students investigate about the origins of some major U.S. brands. They explore local products that stimulate the economy. Students create a map showing where those products originate. Students discover the products that their local area...
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Images of the Parks
Students explore U.S. geography by completing a research project about the National Parks. In this scenery image analysis lesson, students identify the different national parks in our country and observe paintings and images by famous...
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Canadian Symbols
Students discover the ideals of Canada by analyzing its symbols. In this Canadian culture lesson, students identify the symbols that established the U.S. as its own nation and compare them to important Canadian symbols....
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Using History to Teach Tolerance: A Ripple of Hope
Students investigate the prejudice and racism that has existed in the U.S. for centuries by attending a field trip. In this equality lesson, students visit the Tolerance Museum and discuss the history of the U.S. Students...