Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cartographer on Assignment: Creating a Physical Map of Africa

For Teachers 2nd - 12th
Students use geographic information to make an outline map of Africa, then demonstrate their understanding of the physical landscape of Africa by using a variety of materials to create a physical map of Africa
Lesson Plan
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How Mountains Shape Climate

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use raw data to make a climatograph; they explain the process of orographic precipitation and the concept of a rain shadow.
Lesson Plan
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Cloudy vs. Clear

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners analyze line plots. In this weather lesson using real NASA data, students discuss how weather affects the way the Earth is heated by comparing different line plots.
Lesson Plan
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Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation with Simple Machines

For Teachers 1st
First graders engage in a lesson that is about Newton's Laws Of Gravitation while conducting research in order to perform an information search. They sing a song about the Law of Gravitation and play a game of Ring Around The Rosie. Then...
Lesson Plan
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Shake, Rattle and Roll

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore how to locate the location of an earthquake and why earthquakes happen more frequently in some areas more than others.
Lesson Plan
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Developing, Developing, Developed!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students differentiate among and explain various levels of economic development around the world. They see that levels of economic development vary greatly in different countries according to many different measures.
Worksheet
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Blast It! (Learning About Copper)

For Students 5th - 8th
Opening with background information on copper use and mining, this learning exercise assesses junior geologists' reading comprehension. A map activity is available, but the map is not. There is a useful set of vocabulary matching cards...
Worksheet
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Fossils

For Students 7th - 9th
In this earth science worksheet, students use the clues given at the bottom of the sheet to solve the crossword puzzle on fossils. They identify specific names of fossils and how to make a mold of one.
Lesson Plan
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Exploring How Rocks Are Formed

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students examine the three types of rocks. They discover the processes that occur so each type of rock can be formed. They participate in activities to help them see how rocks are formed.
Lesson Plan
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Northwest Hawaiian Islands

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students compare and contrast places around the world. Students analyze the effects of human activity on the physical environment and devise plans to address the consequences. Students also focus on geographical topics such as formation...
Lesson Plan
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Silk Road Caravan

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Pupils determine how the geographic features of the Silk Road trade route contributed to the economic development and diffusion of culture in both Eastern and Western Civilizations.
Lesson Plan
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Ozone Tag

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explain the role of stratospheric ozone and predict at least three ways in which depleted ozone would change her/his lifestyle. They then describe the process by which chlorine or bromine compounds can break down ozone...
Lesson Plan
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Amazon Water Cycle Role Play

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Young scholars participate in a role play where they play clouds, the ocean, rain drops, and more in order to learn about the water cycle. In this water cycle lesson plan, students have discussions and learn vocabulary.
Lesson Plan
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Pizza and the Economy

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students become aware of the history behind pizza and how it was adapted to the economic and geographic conditions of the United States. They have a basic understanding of the concepts of supply and demand.
Worksheet
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Weather Crossword

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this weather crossword puzzle worksheet, students use the 16 clues and the word bank to fill in the blanks in this crossword puzzle.
Lesson Plan
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Stopping Deforestation in the Amazon: A Publicity Campaign

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the environment by designing a group project.  In this ecology activity, students identify the man made threats to the Amazon while reading environmentally conscience vocabulary terms.  Students collaborate...
Lesson Plan
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Physical Changes and the Water Cycle- Three

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders take note of the changes in the water level in a cup of water that is left out. Using a model of the water that depicts a lake and landscape that is being heated by a heat lamp, the students observe precipitation, and...
Lesson Plan
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How We Get From Here to There

For Teachers K - 4th
Students recognize various types of movement people rely on to get from one place to another, locate the forms of movement on a map and choose one form of movement and research its path.
Lesson Plan
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If You Mess With A Wetland, At Least Try to Make Amends!

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the role of wetlands in an ecosystem. In groups, they use the internet to research how humans have disturbed and ruined the effectiveness of wetlands throughout the country. They pretend they are in charge of...
Lesson Plan
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WorldWatcher Activity: What Happens to Sunlight?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine a set of data to try to determine the amount of cloud cover. In groups, they make a list of items that reflect light in the atmosphere and how different amounts of it can change the temperature. Using WorldWatcher,...
Lesson Plan
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How to Recycle a Rock

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore the rock cycle and explore how rocks are made, changed, destroyed and recreated. They create representations of these processes with hands-on activities.
Lesson Plan
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Getting to Work and Making Money

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explain how geography and climate play a role in the professions that are unique to their city. They explain how geography and climate influence the forms of transportation in their city.
Lesson Plan
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Barrier Islands

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore how barrier islands work. In this erosion lesson, 3rd graders create barrier islands in stream tables and simulate wave action to see how it affects their island.
Lesson Plan
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Greenhouse Effect: Pop Bottle Experiment

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students explore global warming by conducting a weather experiment. In this greenhouse gas lesson, students define the greenhouse effect and the impact on our ozone layer. Students utilize a soda pop bottle, floodlight bulb, thermometers...