Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Color Enhanced Maps

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students download or create maps with numerical weather data. They add isolines and color to create regions on their maps. They explore the visual properties of color palettes and create a visualization applying their knowledge.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping the National Parks

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research national parks. In this science lesson, students view a video about the national parks and discuss the environments found within the national parks.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Earthquakes: GIS Mapping and Analysis

For Teachers Higher Ed
Pupils describes the technique of preparing "GIS-ready" data and shows how to map that data and conduct basic analyses using a geographic information system (GIS).They use latitude and longitude fields to plot the data in a GIS and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mother Earth

For Teachers K
Pupils compare natural and human made items and gain an awareness of the importance of Mother Earth to the Nez Perce people.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Motion of the Sun and Earth: Using a Playground Model to Explore Rotation and Revolution

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students experience the rotation of the Earth and the Sun and the Earth's revolution around the Sun, using a playground mode.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Structure of the Earth

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the forces that are constantly acting on the Earth. They describe the theory of tectonic plates and demonstrate the two kinds of earthquake waves. They also examine the role of volcanoes in the structure of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Movement of Air Mind Map Activity

For Teachers 7th - Higher Ed
Students explore the movement of air.  In this air activity, students discuss and give examples of air ventilation.  Students compare outdoor and indoor air quality.  Students create mind maps as a visual representation of...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Glaciers Worksheet #2

For Students 6th - 9th
A map of the Hudson River Valley is exhibited here. Arrows representing glacial striations are spread across the map for learners to analyze. They answer five multiple choice questions in response. The worksheet is a compact review of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Topographic Map Unit Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners examine topographic maps and discover how to decipher contour intervals, use contour lines and apply information to complete a topographic map lab. Working in groups, they identify the scale of the map, latitude and longitude,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to Topographic Maps

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders create a topographic map and see how it represents  different elevations. In this topographic maps lesson plan students read and interpret topographic maps. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar System: The Four Inner Planets and Earth's Moon and Astronauts

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders read THe Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System. In this language arts and science lesson, 2nd graders explore the four inner planets. Students view the inner planets using Google Earth.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map your Schoolyard

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Pupils practice their mapping skills by creating an accurate map of their schoolyard using an aerial photo from the National Map web site. Students include legends, a scale, and a north arrow on their maps.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

My Science Box: Seafloor Spreading

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the movement of plate tectonics. In this lesson on the spreading of the seafloor, students use maps and models to observe how the sea floor spreads.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Relief Maps

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students study geographical maps and their functions.  In this geography lesson students work in groups to build a map to scale.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Science of Weather: Hurricanes

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students use this USA today activity to learn about hurricane season. For this hurricane lesson, students study the map of the earth and hurricane science. Students complete discuss questions. Students draw a map of the United States and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Model of Earth's Tectonic Plates

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers build a model of the Earth showing tectonic plate boundaries. The pattern for the model is provided in the instructional activity. This is a very useful hands-on component for a instructional activity about geology or...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth's Magnetic Field

For Teachers 2nd - 9th
Students explain how the earth's magnetic field works and looks. They create their own free-floating compass using the everyday materials. After constructing their compass, they test it and determine north.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Earth's Crust

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young scholars use clay to form models of the different landforms and then complete a data table using a map, atlas, or the Internet to locate famous landforms in the United States. Students complete various activities, writing down...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People Change the Landscape

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine ways in which humans have brought change to the natural environment. In this ecology and literacy lesson, students listen to the book Island Boy by Barbara Cooney. Students observe and define map-reading vocabulary as...
Worksheet
Curated OER

How Much Ocean?

For Students 8th - 10th
In this ocean worksheet, students are given a map of the world and they predict the amount of water that covers the Earth's surface. They count the total number of squares on the given map that represent the water and they land and they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Principles of Flight: Where are We?

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students explore the concept of topographical maps.  In this topographical map lesson, students discuss how airplanes know where to fly.  Students use topographical maps to simulate a field trip on the computer. 
Lesson Plan
1
1
Curated OER

Teaching About the Hydrosphere

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders are introduced to the Earth's hydrologic system including the cycling of water in the atmosphere and the movement of water on the surface of the planet using the Great Lakes watershed as an example.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magnetic Fields and Bermuda Triangles

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students map magnetic fields of a magnet using a compass and predict where fields cancel each other to create 'Bermuda Triangles'. In this magnetism lesson, students use a compass to map the magnetic field of a magnet. They explain how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TE Activity: Northward Ho!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students design a simple compass. They examine how the Earth's magnetic field has both horizontal and vertical components. They determine how a compass works and work with cardinal directions.