Teach Engineering
What is GIS?
Is GIS the real manifestation of Harry Potter's Marauders Map? Introduce your class to the history of geographic information systems (GIS), the technology that allows for easy use of spatial information, with a resource that teaches...
Curated OER
Water Quality and Watersheds: A GIS Investigation
Requiring more than one class period, this resource takes earth science learners on a journey through a watershed. Using ArcGIS Explorer, an online geographic information system, they view maps of watersheds and surrounding landscapes....
Curated OER
Olympic Challenge
Have your class research a country related to the Olympics. They participate in physical education activities included in the Presidential Physical Fitness Test and write about their country. This is a very interactive plan.
Curated OER
Stars and Stripes Forever: Researching Veteran's Day and Historical Events
Sixth graders research Veteran's Day and wars that affected the United States. In this research instructional activity, 6th graders work in small groups to create an oral presentation based on Internet and conventional research. They...
Curated OER
Writing and Editing a Research Report
Students research report on their severe weather pattern for presentation to the class.
NASA
Geographical Influences
"If global warming is real, why is it so cold?" Distinguishing the difference between weather and climate is important when it comes to understanding our planet. In these activities, young scientists look at the climate patterns in a...
Curated OER
Asia Country: Tic Tac Toe
Enhance your geography class's knowledge of the countries on the Asian continent with this research lesson. Individuals or groups use books, the library, and the Internet to research one Asian country of their choice. Handouts and...
Curated OER
East Asia Country Project
Get your young historians thinking about East Asian culture and history during this partner research project, in which they analyze a variety of East Asian aspects to prepare for a presentation. After an initial "what do we already know"...
Curated OER
E-mailing the Chamber of Commerce
Encourage effective internet research and e-mail correspondence as scholars investigate a US capital city they've never visited to find pertinent and relevant information. They begin by picking a city, then visit that city's chamber of...
Curated OER
Roman Holiday in Google Earth
Students plan an itinerary for an educational trip to Rome. In this research skills lesson, students use Google Earth to conduct research for their project in their travel teams. Students also set up blogs to share their progress through...
Curated OER
Exploring Energy with GIS
Learners examine GIS technology as it is used to locate energy sources. In this GIS activity, student access an assigned website to locate a series of lessons using the GIS software. They use the maps that are located on the primary...
Virginia Department of Education
Developing a Research Strategy - Define Your Topic
Your budding scholars spent the day in the library looking for a topic for their research essay, and now they are all in tears because there is too much information available on their topics. Wipe those tears away with the ideas and...
Curated OER
Geographic Regions Travel Brochure
Seventh graders research the four geographic regions of Texas and create a travel brochure describing each of the four regions in detail. They also evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of living in a selected region.
Scholastic
Perfect Postcards: Illinois
Connect the geography and history of Illinois using an art-centered activity on the railroads. The railroad connected once-distant places, particularly in the Midwest. Using research, class members create postcards of fictional...
Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi
Find the Most Spectacular Volcanoes in the World!
Heat things up in your earth science class with this collaborative lesson plan on volcanoes. After first being introduced to the different types of volcanoes and how they are formed, young geologists work in small groups to research the...
Curated OER
Astronomer Research
Learners discover the contributions of early astronomers and scientists. In this research skills lesson, students research electronic and print sources about Galileo Galilei, Aristarchus, Hipparchus, Claudius Ptolemy, Nicholas...
Curated OER
Animal Diary
Students create a diary of an animal. In this creative writing lesson plan, students read the book Diary of a Worm and conduct a brief research session on their animal. Students fill in a template with facts and create an animal diary.
Curated OER
Food and Culture, Past and Present in Choctaw Culture
Students explore the Choctow culture. For this Choctow lesson, students use their research skills to create presentations that feature Choctow geography, resources, tradition, foods, and health issues.
Curated OER
Ecology Integration Using IMovie
Amazing! Any 5th grader would be more than willing to participate in this project. Students are broken into groups, each group reads one book from a list of five. They use their book as the basis for choosing an animal and environment to...
US National Archives
Documented Rights Educational Lesson Plan
How have groups struggled to have their unalienable rights recognized in the United States? Acting as a research team for the Human Rights Council of the United Nations, your young historians will break into groups to research how people...
Museum of Tolerance
Citizenship Then and Now: Comparing Ancient Rome and Contemporary American Society
Class members research citizenship in Ancient Rome and in the United States and use the provided graphic organizers to compare the rights and responsibilities of citizens in these two democracies.
Curated OER
Who's Range is it?
Students investigate the habits of panthers by analyzing radio transmitted data. In this animal life lesson plan, students utilize computers to view the range of different statistics dealing with Florida panthers. Students complete a...
Curated OER
Investigating Our Past: Where Did Humans Come From?
Investigate the theories of human evolution. In this research based instructional activity, learners research and discuss how geographic isolation, interbreeding, generalization, and specialization are factors in the history of humans....
Curated OER
teaching Geography Using Literature in K-University Classrooms
Students read one of the following books: Minn of the Mississippi, Paddle-to-the-Sea, or Seabird, all by Holling C. Holling, and identify the five themes of geography as well as make a literature journal with chapter field notes. They...