Fill-out a story map to help your scholars with pre-writing. They will use a story map template to pre-write. They also organize their ideas into steps which become the foundation for their first draft. Concrete objects are brought in to...

Young meteorologists read basic weather maps by learning about the symbols that are associated with them. This two-day lesson plan has some excellent demonstrations and activities to get youngsters thinking about the weather in...

Creating a solar system map is a snap thanks to a hands-on activity! Science scholars explore the solar system by building it wherever they choose during an interactive from PBS's Space series. Users pick both the location and scale for...

The Kuril islands stretch from Japan to Russia, and the ongoing dispute about their jurisdiction prevents many scientific research studies. Scholars learn to create a topographic profile of a specific area around their schools. Then they...

Lesson 1 of 10 lessons in this orienteering unit is about maps and map scales. After all, orienteering is all about maps, compasses, and finding ones' way around. It is imperative to be able to read maps and understand the relevance of...

While learning about the Louisiana Purchase, pupils practice map skills. This motivating lesson has them answer questions about the Louisiana Territory and the United States. It provides a quick and easy way review of skills and the...

A solid description of one way to teach narrative writing, this resource outlines the writing process from concept to completion. Class members create concept maps of moments in their lives and follow the writing process to publish their...

Put your high schoolers' orienteering skills together. Reading a compass and reading a map. In this assignment the class will use their compass and the map scale to determine the distance of a given route.  If they finish their...

Take out a map, a paper, a ruler, and those coveted colored pencils for a lesson on Chinese culture and geography. This is a multifaceted approach to basic geography skills that incorporate story telling, class discussion, primary source...

Take a walk through time, 1852 to 1994, following the mathematical history and development of the Four-Color Theorem. Learners take on the role of cartographers to study an imaginary world of countries that need to be...

Class groups collaborate to produce the storyboard for their video project. After determining the sequence of scenes, the camera angles, and characters in each scene, each group member is assigned a number of scenes to illustrate. When...

What's the likelihood of your class understanding probability maps? Young scientists explore the concept using a virtual dartboard in an interesting simulation. The darts establish a pattern around the bull's-eye, which provides a visual...

Pretend that you've been dropped onto a mountain, in the middle of nowhere,  and all you have to find your way is a topographical map and a compass. Could you find your way to the nearest town? Orienteering teaches the skills of map...

How is it that water that falls as rain ends up coming out of the tap on our sinks? Learners trace water's journey and examine how along the way pollutants make their way into the water supply. They conduct experiments, use the Internet...

Model for your class members how to use a definition map to make connections between new words and prior knowledge. Although the strategy is designed for social studies classes, the approach can be use at any grade level and in any...

Auntie Litter is here to educate young scholars about water pollution and environmental stewardship! Although the 15-minute video clip is cheesy, it's an engaging look at the water cycle and conservation. Learners start by illustrating...

A solid lesson on teaching the nine planets in our solar system is here for you. In it, young scientists learn the correct order of the planets, and they choose one of the planets to do a research report on. They must come up with five...

After completing the activity, "Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year," zoom in on Earth's rotation using the same simulation setup and this outline. Each class member dons a map of the Western Hemisphere and plays the part of...

What's the difference between true north and magnetic north? Lesson 9 has your class practicing mapping using a compass and taking the correct declination into account. This instructional activity is one part of a 10 instructional...

Welcome to the Orienteering lesson plans page. There is a short introduction to the topic and links to the ten lessons in this unit. There is also a linkto the unit home page. This orienteering unit is worth taking a look at.

More compass practice! This activity has your scholars practicing getting their bearings. They will participate in a schoolyard compass game where they will have a specific starting point and then navigate through the course according to...

By studying the assumed extinction, and subsequent rediscovery of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, learners use maps and come up with a scenario for the rediscovery of the bird. This incredibly thorough lesson plan is chock-full of...

Mrs. Moore's class is trying to earn money for a trip to the science museum, but how much more do they need? Solve this problem with your own class as they develop their ability to model real-life situations algebraically. As an added...

Remind young historians that many technological advancements influenced the events of World War I. After analyzing technology's evolution through primary sources, discussing the changes over time, and watching various video clips,...