Student study the local landscape of Boyle Heights, California and draw a sketch of the area. Students use map making skills in this activity. Studient make a portfolio of information and photographs they accumulate over time on the area.

Students locate California and New York on a map and explore available means of travel in the 19th century. Students explore the role of trade in pioneer America and simulate various barter transactions.

Learners evaluate aerial photographs of Beverly Hills taken in 1923 and 1932, and examine the effects of rapid growth of a region. They discuss the needs of city planning, compare the two photographs, and answer discussion questions.

Young scholars use readings, maps and photos to examine the life of Japanese-American immigrants in Locke and Walnut Grove in the early 1900s. They discuss their research findings, role-play the lives of immigrants and write responses.

Complete with maps, photographs, and historical documents, this presentation would be a great resource throughout a unit about mid-19th century America. Manifest Destiny, Texas Independence, the Oregon Trail, and the Mexican War are...

Unlock the mystery behind seasonal change with a collection of worksheets and activities. Whether they are drawing pictures of Earth's orbit around the sun or graphing the temperature and daylight hours of different locations...

Students work in groups to research and prepare an oral report about a region.  In this regions lesson, students find out about the geography, population, state capitals, and landmarks.  Students assign attributes to the people...

Second graders focus on Native Americans through hands-on crafts. They also study various Native American tales and legends, geography, and fine arts of the different regions.

Fifth graders identify the causes and effects of several different kinds of severe weather phenomenon. They read an excerpt from John Muir's book The Mountains of California and research one of the following severe weather phenomena...

Third graders solve Celsius and Fahrenheit conversion problems, watch weather forecast and convert temperatures to Celsius, and design and present their own weather forecasts for different regions based on information gathered from...

In this magnetic forces and kinetic energy activity, students use the formula that relates the speed of an electron in a plasma cloud to its energy to find the speed of 6 different plasma cloud electrons. They answer 5 questions that...

Get your class thinking about the geography that shaped the Egyptian landscape and culture. They compare ancient climate zones and geogrpahical fetures, locate evidence of plate tectonics, take and quiz, and write a short essay. The...

Would you live in a tree for three years to protect a redwood forest? Viewers of Rainhouse Cinema's Among Giants documentary consider the actions of Earth First! environmental activists who moved into the treetops of a grove of giant...

We can learn from the past to protect the future. Pairs look at two historical earthquakes: San Francisco, Calif., and Kobe, Japan. Pupils compare the two earthquakes and their impacts, then determine how engineers may use the...

After viewing two documentaries about the history of the Channel islands, individuals craft an essay in which they compare the lives of Juana Maria, the Lone Woman San Nicolar Island, to Lester Holt and his family featured in the...

The Galápagos Islands are an amazing place of isolated adaptation, colonized by an interesting mix of plants and animals. The class plays a game to help them understand how these organisms came to live on the island through a combination...

Ninth graders analyze published geologic hazard maps of California and comprehend how to use the map's information to identify evidence of geologic events of the past and present and predict geologic changes in the future. They select...

Students investigate why San Francisco grew so quickly during the Gold Rush. They

Learners examine the interactions of the Earth's systems and other objects in space.  In this climate change lesson students study the pros and cons of different climates and what their preferences are. 

Students explore life forms in different environments. After exploring different biomes within their state, students research different plant and animal species within each biome. They prepare a group report on one feature of the region...

Students study the United States geography using Google Earth. In this U.S. geography lesson, students create travel journals about five U.S. geographical locations. Students research the human and physical characteristics for each region.

Young scholars describe connections between wind patterns, surface currents, and ocean climate zones. In small groups, they color the ocean climate zones in four different shades of blue. Students then answer questions like what four...

Fourth graders plan a picnic using weather data. Using accumulated weather data from various sources, they create a graph of the weather conditions in their region for a given period of time. Students interpret this data to predict the...

Students, in groups, examine plants with different light levels. They are given plants from a tropical and desert region. They write a hypothesis at the beginning of the experiment.