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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Charting Neptune's Realm:

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore how to construct and interpret maps and globes and find information about people, places, regions, and environments.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping Perceptions of China

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discuss what types of things are included on a map. They compare and contrast maps of China with a map they create and practice using different types of maps. They write analysis of their classmates maps.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Interpreting Statistics: A Case of Muddying the Waters

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Is river pollution affecting the number of visitors to Riverside Center, and is the factory built upstream the cause of the pollution? Let your class be the judge, literally, as they weigh the statistical evidence offered by the factory...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A world of oil

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students practice in analyzing spatial data in maps and graphic presentations while studying the distribution of fossil fuel resources. They study, analyze, and map the distribution of fossil fuels on blank maps. Students discuss gas...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drawing A Map

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students 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 for...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Virtual Field Trip

For Teachers 5th - 7th
This hands-on resource has future trip planners analyze graphs of mileage, gasoline costs, and travel time on different routes. While this was originally designed for a problem-solving exercise using a Michigan map, it could be used as a...
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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
Curated OER

Storm Clouds-- Fly over a Late Winter Storm onboard a NASA Earth Observing Satellite

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study cloud data and weather maps to explore cloud activity.  In this cloud data lesson students locate latitude and longitude coordinates and determine cloud cover percentages. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Heating in the Himalayas

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A fascinating lesson on how solar power is utilized by people who live in the Himalayas is here for you. In it, learners perform a case study which will help them understand that solar energy is a renewable resource, that geography...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Non-Text Features

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders examine graphs and charts from their local newspaper. As a class, they discuss what the data means and how it relates to the article. In groups, they are shown two sets of graphs or charts and they practice explaining...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arkansas is Our State: Differentiating Between a State and a Country

For Teachers K
An ambitious geography lesson is geared toward kindergartners. They discover what the differences are between states and countries. They look at maps of Arkansas, and learn what the shapes and lines mean. Additionally, they create a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where's the Barbecue?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the major landforms, regions and rivers on a map of South Carolina. They compare the locations of the major Native American groups in the state as well. They chart where barbecue restaurants are located and write...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seeing in 3D: Interpreting Two-Dimensional Diagrams of Three-Dimensional Objects

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students hone in on their skills at reading diagrams.  In this dimensional lesson students collect information on the functions of organs then figure out how all the parts work together. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Battle of Fort Moultrie

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American Revolution lesson, 8th graders examine the Battle of Fort Moultrie and create their own historical narratives regarding the event.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

War of 1812

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders locate the major land forms and bodies of water on a map of Louisiana. In groups, they discuss the role of the Mississippi River in the Battle of New Orleans and how land and water affect the outcome of battles. To end...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping River Statistics

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research different statistics to do with the Mississippi River. They answer questions about finding data and collect it by conducting research. The research is used to construct a data table. Then students use the table to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aquifer Model

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students, after researching and brainstorming about aquifers and locating aquifer maps of Texas, participate in the building of a model of an aquifer complete with a pumping station. They also answer a variety of questions at the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is the Population Distribution of Cartoon Characters Living On the Pages of Your Newspaper?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read various cartoons in their local newspaper and calculate the population demographics, spatial distribution and grouping of the characters. Using this information, they create a population distribution map and share them with...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wetlands: Pave or Save?

For Teachers K - 6th
Students discuss the characteristics of wetlands and how to make them more productive. Using a map, they locate the major wetlands in the United States and color them using a key. They read an article and in groups answer discussion...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

COLD SEA WATERS

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners examine how old sea waters affected the local and state area during the summer of 1998. Studying a detailed web-site helps students examine sea temperatures.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparison of Snow Cover on Different Continents

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students use the Live Access Server (LAS) to form maps and a numerical text file of snow cover for each continent on a particular date. They analyze the data for each map and corresponding text file to determine an estimate of snow cover...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ecoregions of Texas

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars map the ecoregions in Texas and illustrate the vegetation native to the region. They will use their maps to investigate why prehistoric hunter-gatherers might have decided to live in one area over another, such as the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Discovering the Physical Geography of Washington

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students develop a mental map of the state of Washington and draw it on paper. Using the Virtual Atlas, they identify the physical features of the state and draw them on their map. They also examine the populations and diversity of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural Resources

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders begin the lesson by identifying the different types of natural resources. As a class, they discuss how environments are destructed and how the loss of one natural resource can affect the economy. Using a map, they label the...