Curated OER
Where in the World Is…
Learners identify countries, oceans, states, and more on a globe and on a flat map. In this geography lesson plan, students also locate places around their school.
Curated OER
The World (With an emphasis on the United States)
Fourth graders recognize the different continents. They are introduced to longitude and latitude and how to find locations using these measurements. This series ends with an emphasis on the fifty states of the United States and their...
Curated OER
Community Cartography
Young scholars use an inflatable globe which they wrap in plastic wrap. They use a permanent marker and outline the continents, and label major oceans and trace the equator. Students bring heir globes and use their projection for a...
Curated OER
Flat Earth Society
Students explore map distortion. In this geography lesson, students compare Mercator projection maps to globes in order to understand the strengths and weaknesses of projection maps.
Curated OER
The Water Around Us
Pupils discuss importance of reading maps and knowing about the geography of the United States, and locate bodies of water on different types of maps and examine how they are used in the state or local community.
Curated OER
Geography
First graders recall names and placement of 7 continents. They recall cardinal directions. They identify and locate 3 oceans.
Curated OER
Put Me in My Place: Using Alphanumeric Grids to Locate Places
Learners practice locating points on a large wall grid and create and label a neighborhood map. In this geography lesson, students spell and discuss places as the teacher places them on the map. They discuss the concept of an...
Curated OER
Directional Terms
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...
Curated OER
Tooling Around Arizona: Reading Arizona Maps
Students study geography. In this Arizona maps lesson, students develop their map reading skills. They have class discussions and work independently with various copies of Arizona maps to practice those skills. This lesson mentions...
Curated OER
The Global Grapefruit - Representing a 3-Dimensional Globe on a 2-Dimensional Map
Students compare and contrast world maps and globes. They convert a 3-dimensional globe to a 2-dimensional map. They are introduced to the Mercator map projection. They observe map distortions of shape, area, distance, directions and angle.
Curated OER
Comparison of Snow Cover on Different Continents
Pupils use the Live Access Server (LAS) to form maps and a numerical text file of snow cover for each continent on a particular date. They analyze the data for each map and corresponding text file to determine an estimate of snow cover...
Curated OER
MAP UNIT
First graders investigate how maps are used to identify different locations. They will also appreciate how there are different types of maps for their purposes. Finally students study how maps contain symbols that represent real places.
Curated OER
Countries of the World
Students identify countries on a world map. In this map skills lesson, students define the word "country" and use post-it notes to locate several countries on a world map.
Curated OER
Places in My World
Second graders explore where they are located on the globe. In this maps and globes lesson, 2nd graders use a map to show where they live and show the cardinal directions. Students identify characteristics of mountains, flat land,...
Curated OER
Identifying Island Countries
Students discover the definition of an island and identify island countries around the world. In this geography lesson, students determine the characteristics of an island. Finally the students will identify specific island countries,...
Curated OER
Celebrate Kwanzaa in the United States
Students explore and study the celebration of Kwanzaa in which African-Americans remember their heritage and remind people of the importance of sharing with family and friends. They participate in a chant about the seven continents and...
Curated OER
Our 50 States
Students identify the location of the 50 states using an interactive map. They practice geography skills by playing a fun game. Pupils become familiar with the state abbreviations for the US states. Students become familiar with the...
California Academy of Science
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Earth's Rotation
After completing the activity, "Kinesthetic Astronomy: The Meaning of a Year," zoom in on Earth's rotation using the same simulation setup and this outline. Each class member dons a map of the Western Hemisphere and plays the part of...
Curated OER
Old World and New World - Why Contact Took So Long
Students use a globe to determine why contact between the old world and the new world took a long time. In this map skills lesson plan, students analyze routes between regions to determine why it took so long for the old world and the...
Curated OER
From Claws to Jaws: Atlantic Regions of the United States
Students explore New England, Mid-Atlantic, and southeastern regions of the United States. In this social studies thematic unit, students research a state and make a regional quilt. Students wrte a book report and read two novels...
Curated OER
Barrels and Buckets: Access to Water - What Would It Be Like to Live in Africa?
Students compare water access in the United States with that of Africa. In this water access lesson plan, students located Ghana and Kenya on a globe before reading Peace Corps Volunteer accounts of the difficulty of accessing clean...
Curated OER
Fish Around the World
Learners use a globe to answer questions such as which continent they live in and the country in which they live. They identify at least two bodies of water near their state and two foreign countries. In groups, they complete a...
Curated OER
New Perspectives
Students examine maps that are designed to give different perspectives. They create mental maps that illustrate their own perspectives and those of people from other parts of the world.
Curated OER
Where In the World Are You?
Fourth graders fill in blank copies of the United States Map and then the World Map.