Lesson Plan
Royal Geographical Society

An Introduction to Maps

For Teachers 1st Standards
First graders are introduced to a variety of maps such as globes, street maps, atlases, and different types of floor plans. The focus of the lesson requires individuals to create their own plan of the classroom using the PowerPoint...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Maps and Globes

For Teachers 1st
First graders complete a unit on map skills and the globe. They label maps, create a styrofoam ball globe, create a map of their community, sing a continent song, and complete a map and globe assessment worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Magical Maps

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders discuss the importance of using maps and how they are used. After they listen to a folktale, they develop their own story line maps and write their own folktale to accompany a map. They also identify and locate the seven...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Seven Continents Scavenger Hunt

For Teachers 1st - 4th Standards
Who doesn't enjoy an engaging scavenger hunt? Here, scholars listen to, and discuss, the informative text, Where is my Continent? by Robin Nelson. They then explore the seven continents and four major oceans using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Puzzles

For Teachers 2nd - 8th
Students make puzzles from world maps, dramatizing how much of the globe is covered by ocean.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

United States Map- Continent, Country, State

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students identify their continent, country, and state on a globe. In this geography lesson, students use a globe to identify the seven continents, the United States, and the state which they live in. Students define key terms.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World Map and Globe - Lesson 1 Introduction to the Globe

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore the earth with maps and globes. For this map lesson, students use maps and globes to locate oceans and continents.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where Am I: How to Read a Map

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders develop an understanding of maps. They explore what a map is, who uses maps, and how to use maps. Students investigate the compas rose. They create a compose rose which illustrates the cardinal directions. Students practice...
Lesson Plan
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Institute for Geophysics

Understanding Maps of Earth

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Here is your go-to student resource on primary geography concepts, including facts about the surface of the earth and its hemispheres, latitude and longitude, globes, types of maps, and identifying continents and oceans.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tear the Continents

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students tear paper into representative continent shapes and configure them with world oceans through relative location, direction and latitude and longitude starting points. They recognize the shape of the continents. Students recognize...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Me on the Map Lesson 2

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students analyze and interpret maps, globes and geographic information systems to define and identify cities, counties, states, countries and continents to create a booklet called me on the map. They also determine and calculate the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Making

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Young scholars draw continents and oceans on a handmade globe and transfer their globe onto a flat map. In this maps lesson plan, students use paper and a tennis ball to make their globes.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World Continents

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Students identify the continents of the world. In groups, students create a three-dimensional clay representation of their assigned continent. Using KidPix software, they draw and color their continent. Students research their continent...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping the News

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore cartography.  In this map skills and map making lesson, Students work in groups to create wall size world maps including legends, compass roses, latitude and longitude, and physical features.  Students collect...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning About the Equator, The Seven Continents and the Four Oceans

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students use a globe or map to locate the equator, oceans and continents. Using the internet, they spend time surfing through predetermined websites on continents and oceans. They write facts on different parts of the globe on index...
Lesson Plan
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media

Continental Differences

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Middle schoolers break into groups and closely investigate primary sources associated with the seven different continents. After deciding which continent their primary sources relate to, representatives from each group present their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

United States Map

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students access prior knowledge and locate the North and South Poles on the map. In this mapping instructional activity, students understand the position of the United States relative to the poles. Students answer questions about the globe.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

United States Map

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students compare the United States on a globe and on a map. In this map instructional activity, students relate the sizes of the continents and locate the United States. Students identify the location of the continental US as well as...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Underwater Mountains & Trenches

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students determine Earth's deepest trench, outline continents, major ocean mountains, and trenches on color-key map using Crayola Erasable Colored Pencils, identify oceans' geographic features, locate significant oceanic features around...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Introduction to the Globe

For Teachers K - 4th
Students investigate how to use a globe. In this map skills lesson, students define what a globe is and locate the various continents on the globe. Students are also asked to locate the four oceans on the globe.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning About Maps

For Teachers Pre-K - K
Students investigate the many uses and features of maps and globes and locate where they live on both. In this map lesson, student play a travel game and create their own maps to explore states, continents, countries, and islands.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Globe Lesson 17 - Alaska and Hawaii - Grade 4-5

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students develop their globe skills. In this geography skills lesson, students explore the area added to the United States when the Alaskan territory was purchased from Russia.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Leapin' Landmarks: Locating 10 Man-made Landmarks Around the World

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders label continents, oceans, and major mountain ranges on maps and use the maps to write an informational report about landmarks. In this landmarks lesson plan, 3rd graders write about 1 major landmark.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Continents and Oceans of the World

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students explore world mapping skills. In this world geography lesson, students identify and label the continents and oceans on a world map using the Visual Thesaurus. Students generate mnemonic devices to help memorize these terms.