Curated OER
Mapmaker, Make Me a Map!
Here is a well-designed, very thorough lesson plan on mapping for very young children. Within the six-page plan, you will find everything you need to implement the activity. They will identify various landforms found in Colorado on a...
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Controlling the Flow of the Colorado River: A Study of Dams
Students research and map the Colorado River and its dams and predict the effects of a dam on an area. They suggest reasons a dam would be built and compare the Colorado River system with other major river systems within the US and...
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Play Doh Map of Your State
Students create a state map using Playdoh. In this hands-on state geography lesson, students work in groups to form a three-dimensional map of their state using Playdoh made at home following a (given) recipe. Students use four colors...
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Science Inquiry Lesson: Mapping Project
Learners explore the methods of creating maps. They create a map of Animas River Park using a compass and measuring tape, develop a single map from the team map sections, and devise another map of the Animas River Park using a GPS unit.
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Take Me to the River
Students learn about a different way of life. In this river and dams lesson, students discuss the Hoover Dam. Students then view pictures of the Hoover Dam, discuss the impact of dams, and compare life before and after building a dam.
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Mapmaker, Make Me a Map!
Students are introduced to the state quarter program and examine the Colorado state quarter. They locate Colorado on a map and create a map with a key. They discuss the state motto and examine pictures of the state's geographical features.
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The Grand Canyon
Fourth graders study the Grand Canyon. They research the Grand Canyon and locate the Colorado River on the map of Arizona. They discuss erosion and read how sedimentary rock was formed. They view photographs of the Grand Canyon and...
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Mapping Roxaboxen
Fourth graders read Roxaboxen and draw a map of the Roxaboxen community. In this language arts and geography lesson, 4th graders use specifications given, adding features to the map as described in the book and creating a legend.
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Map Your State: Regions of Arizona
Fourth graders define vocabulary and locate physical features on maps. In this mapping lesson plan, 4th graders explore regions of Arizona through landforms found on topographic maps. Students research the history and culture of the...
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Evidence of Climate Change
Sixth graders examine climate change in the state of Colorado. In this climate lesson, 6th graders watch 2 video clips regarding the topic and research the subtopics- snow pack, precipitation, temperature, forest fires, river flow,...
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Globe Skills Lesson 7 The Transcontinental Railroad
Students explore the Transcontinental Railroad. In this geography skills lesson, students use map skills in order to locate legs of the Transcontinental Railroad on globes.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
Young adventurers embark on a journey, setting sail along the blue ocean with Christopher Columbus. Teachers will find that this unit makes their lesson planning smooth sailing!
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Drought Threatens Huge Man-Made Lake
Students locate Lake Mead, then read a news article about Lake Mead drying up and how that would effect water and power supplies to the region. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary...
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Importance of Water
Students complete a KWL chart on what they comprehend about water. They complete a water activity determining how much usable water is available, and they determine the water usage in their households. Students take notes on water and...
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The Human Face of Flagstaff
Students make a brochure for Flagstaff, Arizona. In this geography lesson, students look at a map of Arizona and the Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce sheet to find natural and human features of the city. They create a brochure describing...
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The Mountain Community: Why Flagstaff?
Young scholars 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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Graphin' And Glyphin' Utah Weather
Fourth graders investigate the concepts of looking at sets of data. The focus of the study is upon the local weather of Utah. They study the weather found in the city and in the country and make comparisons based upon geographical location.
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Where is the Water?
Students explore freshwater ecosystems. For this geography lesson, students brainstorm all the lakes and rivers they know then mark them on a map. Students will then mark all the major freshwater resources on each of the seven...
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Bison Sites of Texas
Students locate bison-related sites on a map and identify important bison-related sites. The Bison has had a profound effect on the history of Texas and studenst discover the importance of the animal to the history of the state.
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Spanish Colonials Encounter Quechan Culture
Students use primary sources from the de Anza expedition of the 1770's to research colonial encounters with the Quechan people from Yuma Crossing, Arizona.
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The Grand Canyon
Students investigate how dams help and hurt the ecology of an area. In this Grand Canyon lesson plan, students research the Glen Canyon Dam and why it flooded in 1996. Students create a pros and cons list about dams and write a summary.
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Footprints: Take a Step into Estimation
Compare sizes of student footprints with those of elephants and sauropod dinosaurs! Upper graders make estimations of the areas of irregular shapes; students use grids to make and explain estimates within low and high ranges.
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Desert Views - First Impressions: Travelers on the Gila Trail
Students 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 animal in...
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Major American Water Routes
Sixth graders locate and identify the major bodies of water and waterways in the United States. Through a simulation activity, they describe how early explorers would have described their surroundings. Working in groups, they create...