Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The O Zone-Code Read Alert

For Teachers 4th - 5th
What are the effects of an air quality alert? Expert groups receive one component of air quality information resources to study. Pupils then jigsaw into new groups and share their knowledge. Finally, they draft a statement of what they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Time and Time Again

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars analyze the effects of time zone differences on how we function as a global community, focusing particularly on the turn of the millennium as a way for students to calculate time zone differences.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapmakers' Perspective

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners examine several maps and consider mapmakers' perspective in early depictions of North America.They determine how the spherical shape of the earth makes any north-south and east-west orientation a matter of perspective. For...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Contouring We Go

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the built environment and infrastructures of their community by constructing contour equipment, using the equipment, and comparing their results to current topographical maps of the same area
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Go To Sleep, Gecko!

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders examine the interdependence of organisms using the book "Go To Sleep, Gecko!" They examine a variety of food chains, listen to the book, and answer story comprehension questions. Students then conduct research on food...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Lesson 1: On the Road with Marco Polo: A Boy in 13th Century Venice

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners investigate Marco Polo's life as a young boy in 13th century Venice. They analyze maps, explore various websites, complete a chart and answer discussion questions, and create a travel brochure about visiting 13th century Venice.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cities of the World

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students identify the symbol for cities on a political map. In this world map activity, students identify specific cities on the World Political Map. Students should identify the country in which the city is located. Students discuss the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Water

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Young scholars complete activities to examine the properties of water. In this water science lesson, students read a book about water's forms and study a map or globe of the Earth to investigate water. Young scholars discuss living...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Directional Terms

For Teachers K
Students identify and demonstrate various locational terms, and examine how a globe is a model of Earth. They repeat words and movements for various finger plays to demonstrate locational terms, play directional words games, and sing a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

COLD SEA WATERS

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine how old sea waters affected the local and state area during the summer of 1998. Studying a detailed web-site helps students examine sea temperatures.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mekong River

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Junior geographers explore the region through which the Mekong flows, its pathway, the landscape, how people depend on the Mekong, and future uncertainties. They apply the five themes of geography to examine the region. They create a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Model Watershed

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Collaborative earth science groups create a working model of a watershed. Once it has been developed, you come along and introduce a change in land use, impacting the quality of water throughout their watershed. Model making is an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where is Shirley the Elephant?

For Teachers K - 3rd
Young animal lovers engage in a lesson that's all about elephants. They access an elephant sanctuary website and read a story about Shirley the elephant. They perform a series of activities based upon that story, and also study about the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Prairie Climate

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders research the average temperature and precipitation of a prairie region to determine the type of climate it is, and how it differs from other biomes. They examine the types of adaptions animals have made to live in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making a Globe

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the mercator projection or nautical chart and observe how global maps do not have the same distance as flat maps. They design handmade globes using the meridians and equator as guides to draw in the land. They paint and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National expansion of the United States (1815 to 1850), and its connection to local Illinois history.

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students discuss the importance of establishing the I & M Canal water route. They watch a video about the canal's history. They collect and write a personal migration story by interviewing a family member. They analyze trends and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spice Up Your Life

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders identify major spices found in the world. They link spices with countries they are grown in and the uses for these valuable items.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mysteries of El Nino: How Much do We Really Know?

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate the causes and effects of El Nino and explore its global impact on weather related occurrences through this series of activities.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where in the World War? Mapping WWII in the Pacific

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Pupils study the geography of the Pacific theater of World War II. They study maps to examine the geography and features of the land.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What is an Explorer

For Teachers K - 1st
Students become explorers. They examine a picture of an explorer and create props to explore within the classroom. Students are studying the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. They explore how to read a map and create a map of the classroom...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ireland: the Emerald Isle

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders complete a unit of study that examines several perspectives of Ireland. They explore how climate shapes Irish culture, reference historical and political maps, compute exchange values for Irish money, complete worksheets,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine graphs to find the most appropriate for various kinds of data.  In this graphing lesson, student create bar, line and circle graphs.  Students create graphs electronically and manually interpreting the data.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Roman Archy

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders use Google Earth to examine Roman architecture. In this ancient Rome lesson, 3rd graders visit the noted URLs to look at examples of Roman architecture. Students work in teams to examine data about the structures.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Endangered Species: Not Only Animals

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Young scholars research endangered animals and plants.  In this biology lesson, students are read Will We Miss Them? Endangered Species by Alexandra Wright before they begin searching for information to complete an endangered...