Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Maps and the Pictures in Our Heads

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Geographers of all ages examine different types of maps. They draw maps of their environment, utilizing both three-dimensional and picture maps. They interpret map information, noting how it can sometimes be misleading. Some good...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Projections: The Grapefruit Activity

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students partcipate in activities in which they examine different map projections. They discover the positives and negatives of each type. They use grapefruits to help them with the different types of map projections.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Basic Mapping Skills

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Establish and study the parts of a map with your class and, then they will work in small groups to create their own detailed map, including a legend.  There are specific instructions to follow on what needs to be included.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Puzzles

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students make puzzles from world maps, dramatizing how much of the globe is covered by ocean.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Navigation

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners explain that globes are the best way to show positions of places, but flat maps are portable and can show great detail. They make a mercator projection of the route Lewis and Clark took on their journey.
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Where in the Latitude Are You? A Longitude Here.

For Teachers 5th
Students distinguish between latitude and longitude on the map. In this mapping lesson, students participate in mapping skills to recognize spatial relationships, and where to find natural resources on the map. Students create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water and Land 207

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine maps of different projections, mathematically calculate distortions, and note the advantages and disadvantages of each map. They study the different maps and transfer the map to graph paper.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Common Themes

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders test usefulness of a model Earth by comparing its predictions to observations in the real world.  In this landforms lesson students construct an island from a contour map using model clay then analyze the landscape...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making a Globe

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the mercator projection or nautical chart and observe how global maps do not have the same distance as flat maps. They design handmade globes using the meridians and equator as guides to draw in the land. They paint and...