Curated OER
Scale Drawings
Middle schoolers discuss the importance of scaling drawings. In this math lesson, students create a scaled drawing of circuit boards. They explain why accuracy is very important when scaling.
Civil War Trust
Map the Civil War
Mapmaking was a very important element in successfully planning attacks on enemies during the Civil War. Guide pupils through the process of pacing to find the average length of their steps, measure the distance between one object to the...
Curated OER
Mapping the Bone Field: An Area and Scale Exercise
Here is an excellent cross-curricular lesson. Learners relate multiplication to area by making a grid on graph paper, and then creating the same grid in real space outside in the school yard.
Curated OER
Mapping Central Park
Students use the mapping skills to explore New York's Central Park. They examine a map of Central Park to discover its features. After discussing the characteristics of the park, students design their own dream park and draw it to scale.
Curated OER
The Gold Rush
Students identify the routes involved in the Gold Rush on a map. In this map skills lesson, students use a United States map to locate the routes used to travel to California during the Gold Rush. Students demonstrate how to use the map...
Curated OER
Cattle Trails
Pupils identify and locate cattle trails on a globe. In this map skill lesson, students use a marker to locate Texas and Montana and use the map scale to calculate the distance of the cattle trail.
Curated OER
Mapping My World
First graders make two maps. In this developing and reading maps lesson plan, 1st graders read Mapping Penny's World, discuss the parts of a map, create a map of their classroom, and create a list of directions of how to get to various...
Curated OER
Scale
Students apply concepts of scales to solve problems. In this geometry instructional activity, students solve real world problems using scales, proportions and ratios. They predict the actual size of a model given the scale drawings.
Curated OER
Scale factors: Ratios and Proportions
Learners create building and models using scale factors. In this geometry lesson, students apply the properties of ratio and proportion to solve problems. They identify the means and extremes property of cross multiplication.
Curated OER
Globe Skills Lesson 6 The Louisiana Purchase
Middle schoolers explore the Louisiana Purchase territory. In this geography skills instructional activity, students use map skills in order to plot and note latitude and longitude, measure scale distance, and locate landforms that were...
Curated OER
Globe Lesson 13 - When the Day Changes
Students explore the patterns of day and night. In this geography skills lesson, students read brief selections and examine diagrams that note the transition of day and night around the world. Students respond to the questions included...
Curated OER
Globe Skills Lesson 2: Paving the Way for Columbus
Students explore the expedition of Christopher Columbus. In this geography skills instructional activity, students consider the technological advances that made Columbus's expedition possible as they complete a latitude and longitude...
Curated OER
Welina's World
Students living in Hawaii draw a picture of themselves in their neighborhood. They draw their neighborhood in relation to their district and then in relation to the island they are from. They compare their pictures to their classmates'...
Curated OER
Navigating Your Community
Middle schoolers draw a map from memory describing the route between their classroom and the gym including a legend, a compass rose, a map scale, symbols, and a landmark at every change of direction. They then retrace their steps in...
Edgate
Great Grids
Learners use grid boxes as a measurement tool and discover how grids are used for mapmaking and scaling down an area. They begin by attempting to draw a model shape drawn by the teacher by using the gridding process. At the conclusion of...
Curated OER
Mapping with a Compass: A Simulated Survey
Students use compasses and grids to map the locations of artifacts found in a simulated dig site. In groups, they role-play as future archeologists excavating a school site. Groups begin at their assigned datum and site the artifacts...
Curated OER
FINDING A RESOLUTION
Learners examine detailed Moon and Earth views provided by the NASA-sponsored "World Wind" computer program. They work in groups to create maps of different scales using landmarks of their choice, and challenge their classmates to...
Physics Classroom
As the Crow Flies Lab
A simple, yet memorable, way of practicing with displacement vectors is described here. Divide your class into groups and assign each a different landmark on campus. They measure smaller legs of the path from the classroom to their...
Curated OER
Mapping an Artifact
Students copy a present day artifact onto graph paper. In groups, they decide the scale of the drawing and create the picture using specific graphing points. They are also given photographs in which there are no graphing points and they...
Curated OER
Students Become Mapmakers
Young scholars practice making a map of a continent and correctly plotting five cities on that map. They place latitude and longitude lines on a map, determine the need for various map projections and explain why map scales are necessary.
Curated OER
It's Happening, Where? Find the Absolute and Relative Location of News Articles
Students read newspaper articles. In this social studies lesson, students locate the latitude and longitude of the location where the news article takes place. Students write a summary of the news article.
Curated OER
Message in a Bottle
Sixth graders write a short story about being stranded on a deserted island. After a brief geography review of locations at various latitudes and longitudes, 6th graders draft their story about being stranded. They use sensory and...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Historical Climate Cycles
What better way to make predictions about future weather and climate patterns than with actual climate data from the past? Young climatologists analyze data from 400,000 to 10,000 years ago to determine if climate has changed over time....
Curated OER
CEENBoT Takes a Dive
Young scholars create a map to scale using technology. In this algebra lesson, students navigate through a shipwreck to perform rescues. They use he CEENBoT program to perform the different tasks.