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Early Explorers
Fifth graders investigate the routes taken by the early explorers. In this explorers lesson, 5th graders use interactive notebooks, discussion and maps to discover the routes taken. Students get into pairs and label maps, and create...
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Global Intelligence
Students discuss the war in Afghanistan and the conditions surrounding the hunt for Osama bin Laden after reading the article "Bin Laden and Omar: Far Harder to Find" from The New York Times. After the class discussion, students...
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Where Is Japan? How Are We Alike And Different?
First graders use literature, maps, and globes to explain how physical environments in various parts of the world are similar to and different from one's own, and that certain areas have common characteristics and can be called regions.
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The Mother Culture of Mexico: The Olmecs
Sixth graders study the Olmec civilization. They develop a map of Mexico and a map of the area of the Olmec civilization. They research Olmec art, religion, and architecture. They construct Olmec symbols including giant heads, altars,...
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Investigating Our Place in the World
Students study the concept of geography in a year long unit. In this geography unit, students participate in different activities that explain the spatial sense of the world, the physical landmasses and bodies of water, geographic...
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Mining Riches
Students research and map how various mining ventures have changed local geographies and populations. First they read the article provided--Examining the Environmental and Social Impact of the Mining Industry.
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Making the Invisible Visible
Learners evaluate the various ways in which cyberspace is beginning to be mapped by geographers, cartographers, artists, and scientists and use their understanding of the information these new maps can convey to create their own maps of...
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The Conquest of the Aztec Civilization
Learners use the classroom atlases, the Internet or textbooks to draw a freehand map. They work in groups using the maps in the book The Broken Spears (Portilla) and The Conquest of New Spain (Diaz) to draw a freehand map identifying...
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The American Trail System
Students research a trail system. They create a display board of the trail system, generate a map of the trail system, and develop a commercial advertising of the trail system. They design a display board featuring facts about the...
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Not Just for Gods and Goddesses:
Students use dictionaries, encyclopedias, art, computers, and books to study the Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Greece. In this Ancient Greece lesson plan, students research maps, stories, Olympic games, and more about Ancient Greece.
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Letters from Rifka
Fourth graders read Letters from Rifka and discuss the feelings of people forced to leave their homes and countries. For this migration lesson, 4th graders relate their feelings about moving from their home forever. Students trace...
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Exploring China
Second graders explore the geography, holidays, important teachers, and inventions from China in the nine lessons of this unit. The results of their inquiries are expressed through a variety of products, writings, and presentations.
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Off to the Future
Students read a handout and predict the position of the San Andreas Fault far in the future. In this future world lesson, students use a map worksheet to demonstrate the path of the Pacific Plate millions of years from now.
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The Return of the Taliban
Students view a news program from Frontline. They discover who the Taliban are and identify their locations on maps. They compare and contrast the changes in Pakistan from 2004 to 2006.
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Microclimates of Our School
Learners read the story "Weslandia" by Paul Fleischman, define the term microclimate, gather and record data in various places on school grounds to establish the presence of difference microclimates, analyze and compare microclimates,...
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Mending the Rift
Students determine what factors identify a country's political borders. After reading an article, they investigate questions surrounding the Great Rift Valley. On a map, they trace the valley from Asia through Africa and research the...
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Community Treasures (Rivers and Trees): An Integrated Curriculum Unit
Third graders demonstrate an understanding of geography and its effects on lifestyles and culture. Then they apply basic economic terms and principles
and identify the United States government and history. Students also identify and...
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Rising Temperatures Threaten Penguins
Students examine the continent of Antarctica, then read a news article about the decline in the Antarctic penguin population. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity,...
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International Festival: Venezuela
Students become familiar with the Venezuelan culture and geography. In this Venezuelan Festival lesson, students compare and contrast themselves to the people of Venezuela. Students participate in activities to understand the...
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The Dip Felt Around the World
Students share their opinions about a story about a sudden decline in China's stock markets. After reading an article, they identify the global impact of China's falling stock markets. They create a cause and effect map about the fall...
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Sense of Place
Learners identify the major folk regions of Louisiana and the relationship between folklife, geography, and ecology. They give deeper thought to what makes their own community unique, what their sense of place actually is. Students...
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Louisiana Regional Foodways
Students strengthen their research techniques in locating, selecting, and synthesizing information from a variety of texts, media, references and internet resources to study regional food way traditions in Louisiana. They assess the...
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Lake Tahoe Then and Now
Young scholars investigate the differences in Lake Tahoe from the past to the present. In this geography lesson plan, students read the book Washoe Seasons of Life and identify the descriptions of the land and lake. Young scholars create...
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Bushy Run: A Decisive Battle of Pontiac's Rebellion
Students study the battle at Bushy Run. In this Pontiac's Rebellion lesson, students examine an 1765 map of the Bushy Run battle as well as letters and a modern topographic map of the area in order to simulate the event and research how...