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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cruisin' the Counties: Learning Counties and Major Roads in Arizona

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Young scholars examine Arizona counties and use the themes of location and movement to develop an Arizona map.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Growth of the Phoenix Area

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study the growth of the Phoenix area using geographic images, maps, tables, and graphs. They study the idea of community.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Your State: Regions of Arizona

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders define vocabulary and locate physical features on maps.  In this mapping instructional activity, 4th graders explore regions of Arizona through landforms found on topographic maps.  Students research the history and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tooling Around Arizona: Reading Arizona Maps

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students research Arizona maps. In this map lesson, students discuss map titles, scales, directions, elevation, and symbols. The class will examine topography, landforms, and rivers found on an Arizona map.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Paint My Counties: Map Coloring the Counties of Arizona

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify the counties of Arizona. In this social studies lesson plan, 4th graders color a county map of Arizona using the fewest number of colors possible. Students write a persuasive paragraph.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Glimpses of Japan: Picture books are an avenue to geographical knowledge

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Student gains insight into the culture of Japan. They articulate the main ideas and supporting details, also they create a "glimpse of Japan" with an illustrated and written summary of the main idea and four supporting details from the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The blues highway: An integration of music with geography

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze the movement of the blues from rural Mississippi to urban Chicago and how place and the environment affected the development of the blues. They define the blues, where it originated and how and why it moved to Chicago....
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Lesson Plan
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The Mountain Community: Why Flagstaff?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students identify geographical features that hindered or promoted settlement in the city of Flagstaff, Arizona. In this settlement lesson plan, students write a summary of what they learned and identify geographical features on a map.
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Lesson Plan
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What's Holding Up the Water?

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students read about the history and locate dams in Arizona. In this Arizona dams lesson plan, students write a summary about what they read focusing on word choice, ideas, conventions, and geography content.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a City: An Urban Planning Exercise

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the effects of population growth in Arizona.  In this history lesson, students work in small groups to create a "perfect" city. Activities include examining the Arizona census results then discussing the importance of...
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Curated OER

Reading the Coyote School News: Lives of Ranchers in Southern Arizona

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine the effects of Mexican-American ranching on life today.
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Curated OER

Tooling Around Arizona: Reading Arizona Maps

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students study geography. For this Arizona maps lesson, students develop their map reading skills. They have class discussions and work independently with various copies of Arizona maps to practice those skills. This lesson mentions...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leapin' Landmarks: Locating 10 man-made landmarks around the world

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders engage in a lesson which addresses their curiosity about some of the outstanding people-made landmarks of the world. They explore the geographical themes of location and place through literature.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Home in the Desert: Lesson for Use with This House is Made of Mud

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine how a family modifies their environment to create a home out of mud. They read the book "This House is Made of Mud" by Ken Buchanan, and write a description of their own home that compares the home of mud to their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

This Place is Just Like the Other

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Learners write paragraphs that compare and contrast the geographical characteristics of Arizona and the Southwest region. In this geographical characteristics lesson plan, students complete a diagram and discuss how Arizona differs from...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A River Through Time

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore how construction of a dam on the Gila River affected the lifestyle of Pima Indians. In this social studies lesson, students locate the Gila River and the Coolidge Dam. Students record dates on a timeline and discuss how...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Desert Views - First Impressions: Travelers on the Gila Trail

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Young scholars draw animals and plants that are described to them as they read passages of people who traveled across the Gila Trail in the Southwest. In this Gila Trail lesson plan, students also write a letter describing a plant or...
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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

What do Maps Show: How to Read a Topographic Map

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify the characteristics of topographical maps. Using examples, they practice reading them and describing the information they gather from them. They also discover how to use the website from the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Curated OER

Music to Learn Countries and Capitals Around the World: Learning Countries and Capitals in Asia

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students use musicto explore the countries and capitals of Asia.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sandscapes to Landscapes

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore landscapes and create their own in a creative project.
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Curated OER

Swamps, Shrimp, and Tsunamis: A Simulation of Sustainable Development Issues in Coastal Ecuador

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the economic benefits, environmental losses and dangers of the shrimp farming industry on the coast of Ecuador. They read a script, role-play people involved in the shrimp business, and write an essay of the pros and cons.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geo-Magazine

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Divide your geography class into groups and have each research an assigned region. The result of this project is a regional magazine that addresses the five themes of geography. Many valuable resource links are embedded into the page...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Population

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students study populations throughout History.