Curated OER
Magnetic Mapping
Students draw arrows to show the direction the compass needle is pointing when it is placed around different points of a penny and a bar magnet. Students must then answer questions about the activity on a provided worksheet.
Curated OER
Our States, My State
Students examine the Louisiana state quarter and locate Louisiana on a map of the U.S. They relate the location of Louisiana to other states (and vise versa) using directions and the compass rose.
Curated OER
Name that Wind
Students study wind and the direction terms related to wind. In this meteorology lesson, students learn about the wind directions by completing a wind direction activity where kids locate cones marked with the specific wind...
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A Map Mystery
First graders solve a mystery by following map clues. In this map clues lesson plan, 1st graders follow a computer program called Neighborhood Map Machine. In this program, it gives students directional and spatial clues in order to...
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Following Plans
Students learn to follow a specific plan in order to do something or get somewhere. In this following directions activity, students explore key vocabulary related to following plans, complete fun activities that require attention to...
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Motions and Forces
Sixth graders investigate the construction of a magnet and the force it produces. They identify various materials as magnetic or non-magnetic, discuss the properties of magnetic properties, and conduct an experiment with a compass and...
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Weather Conditions During the Spring Monarch Migration
Students keep detailed weather records during the spring migration of the monarch butterfly. To keep track of the weather, students utilyze weather reports and instuments such as anemometers, compasses, thermometers and rain gauges.
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The Air Out There
Learners build windmills and weather vanes. In this lesson on air, students build wind vanes and windmills to demonstrate that air moves. Learners determine the direction of air movement and measure the speed at which it is moving.
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Location, Location, Location!
Twelfth graders locate cities, states and countries on maps. They use the cardinal directions to locate places on maps. They describe where they were born by giving clues without naming the exact state. They trade papers and try to guess...
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Finding Your Way
Students work in small groups to practice basic map skills. They take turns giving directions and tracing a path from one location to different destinations on the map.
Curated OER
Weather Report Chart
Students complete a weather report chart after studying weather patterns for a period of time. In this weather report lesson, students measure temperature, precipitation, cloud cover, wind speed, and wind direction for a month. Students...
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Quad Squad
Students pretend they have visited a forest research station on an overnight field trip. They study forest fires, use compass directions, read maps, interpret imagery, and think about the impact of fire on ecosystems.
Curated OER
Map Directions and the United States
Third graders search TDC database for images of a compass rose, a miles marker, and a US map. They identify cardinal and intermediate directions to help identify their state and other states on a US map.
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In Mr. Lincoln's Shoes
Students demonstrate basic map skills. In this US history lesson, students review cardinal directions and use a compass rose while at the same time discuss what life was like for Abraham Lincoln.
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What Pie?
Students practice making and interpreting pie graphs so they are better able to decide if a pie chart is the appropriate form of display. Students examine included overheads of different pie charts, and directions on how to make pie...
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Create a Compass Instructions for Teachers
Students, who are teachers, discover how to make box and water compass in their classrooms. They describe the scientific principles that are involved in making and using a compass.
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Orienteering Scavenger Hunt
Students take a reading with a compass and use the compass to reach multiple checkpoints in a scavenger hunt activity.
Curated OER
TE Activity: The Trouble with Topos
Students study the uses of topographical maps including the many forms that they take. They discover that the map features show its intended use such as city maps, wilderness maps, and state maps. They complete a worksheet in which they...
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Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map
Second and third graders practice with basic map skills. They create their own map including a legend and a compass rose. This fabulous plan has many excellent websites linked which allow learners to explore maps of all kinds; including...
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China Quest
Read and research information on China. Young researchers complete a knowledge hunt about China then locate and describe each location using directional words. They recognize the word meaning through context clues and application practice.
Scholastic
Reading Characters
Philip Pullman's The Golden Compass provides the text for a study of how writers bring characters to life. Using the provided character mapping worksheets, readers respond to questions and then write a short character sketch.
Curated OER
Roots of the Mariana Arc
Plumb the depths of the Submarine Ring of Fire and explore seismic waves with this lesson. Junior geologists simulate s-waves and p-waves, calculate their speeds, and then apply the data to discover the material that makes up inner...
It's About Time
Taking a Ride on a Lithospheric Plate
Assist your pupils and broaden their horizons with several activities that determine the exact positioning of various communities over the globe. Pupils use data from the Global Positioning System to determine the position and rate of...
Curated OER
Cave Activity: Mapping Fractures
Learners tour a cave and observe fractures in the cave's ceiling. They record characteristics of the fracture. They locate three major passages in the cave and ten major fractures.