Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dark Days on the Prairie

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars explore U.S. geography by researching agriculture. In this dust bowl lesson, students complete a cause and effect worksheet based upon the dust bowls that covered a large portion of Oklahoma and Texas in the early 1900's....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Nifty Fifty State Trivia

For Teachers 4th - 6th
A wonderful game on U.S. States Trivia awaits your class. In this geography lesson, they will play a Jeopardy-style game. All the worksheets with the questions and answers are embedded in this beautifully-designed plan. Your class should...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. Geography: The Midwest

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners research agricultural products of the Midwest. For this Midwest lesson, students watch a video about the geography of the Midwest, discuss how topographical features were formed and review the agricultural products the Midwest...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ozark Folk Culture and Geography in the Mountain View, Arkansas Area

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Upper grade through early high schoolers develop an understanding of Ozark culture, and the geography of the Ozark Plateau. They study place, location, human environmental impacts, and movement. This interesting plan incorporates muic,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Expanding the Mission: Historical Parks

For Teachers 4th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Capitals, Oceans, And Border States

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students investigate geography by completing games with classmates. For this United States of America lesson, students examine a map of North America and identify the borders of Mexico and Canada as well as the Pacific and Atlantic....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

States and Capitals Activity

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
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.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. Geography- The Northeast

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the geography of the Northeast states. In this map skills lesson, students are shown a map of the Northeast states and identify the state names and borders. Students construct individual maps of the Northeast using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Facts, Fictions and Perceptions of Regions

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine the different characteristics of the regions of the United States. They discuss places they have visited in the U.S., and in small groups conduct research on a selected region of the U.S. Each group labels a map of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People Behind the Parks

For Teachers 4th - 7th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Agriculture Cares for the World

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water Features - Lesson 2 - U.S. Political Map Grade 4-5

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students locate water features on maps. In this geography lesson, students complete worksheets that require them to identify water features on a U. S. political map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Louisiana Purchase

For Teachers 5th - 11th
Students explore U.S. territorial expansion. For this Louisiana Purchase lesson, students investigate how the purchase was funded and determine how diplomatic actions were part of the land transfer. Students analyze several primary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonial Vacation Planner

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Looking for a good lesson on the Colonial Period for your upper-elementary class? Then, this lesson is for you! They use website designs, U.S. travel publications, and maps to plan a family vacation to states which were part of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making a Travel Folder

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars explore the United States. In this U.S. geography and expository writing lesson, students select a place in the United States to research.  Young scholars take notes and create a travel "folder," or brochure, using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

States and Capitals, Mountains and Rivers

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students identify geographical locations in the midwestern United States. In this geography lesson plan, students identify 12 states and capitals and geographical features in the region by using U.S. maps. Students use blank maps to fill...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Images of the Parks

For Teachers 4th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trading Traditions: Based on the American Samoa Quarter Reverse

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars investigate U.S. Currency by researching American Samoa.  In this monetary unit lesson, students define the reverse and obverse of a coin while completing a currency related worksheet.  Young scholars identify...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Canadian Symbols

For Teachers 4th - 8th
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....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sense of Place: No River Too Wide-Bridges

For Teachers 5th
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...
Lesson Plan
US Mint

Rename That State!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
As Shakespeare famously wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but can the same be said for a state? For this elementary geography lesson, learners are assigned specific states to research using the information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Corn Exports Visually

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study imports and exports and the countries that import the most corn from the U.S. They construct mini paper corn plants and label a map with these plants to represent the amount of corn the U.S. exports to countries around the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

About the U.S.A.

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students research the United States and discover its different climate zones, geographical features, animal life, and various cultures. Students complete a research chart using books, encyclopedias and the internet and present their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Naming the States of the U.S

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study the 50 states on a map. In this social studies lesson, 5th graders identify the names of the states and location. Additionally, students work in small groups to name and locate as many states as they can on a blank...