Curated OER
Art Ideas for Your Adopted Tree
Students honor an adopted tree with artwork. For this adopted tree lesson, students find a tree in their neighborhood. They follow the tree throughout the year, keep notes, draw sketches, take photos and rubbings. They make artwork...
Curated OER
Todd Hido
Learners do many activities and study one of Todd Hido's photographs to investigate composition and a sense of place.
Curated OER
Community Brochures
Third graders discuss what a community means to them. In this community lesson, 3rd graders make a brochure about their community or what they feel a community is. Students illustrate their community.
Curated OER
I'm a Philanthropist!
Students study the meaning of philanthropy. In this philanthropy lesson, students are introduced to the concept of philanthropy and name and illustrate a philanthropic act they could perform.
Curated OER
Eye From the Sky
Learners are introduced to the concept of aerial perspective and scale. Students will use satellite technology to view their neighborhoods and sketch the area surrounding their schools. They will take part in a neighborhood walk to view...
Curated OER
Walk Around the Block
Second graders participate in walking a route in a neighborhood with parent volunteers in order to stress the importance of looking and listening for moving cars. They take this "field trip
Curated OER
Karl Bodmer Art Cube
Young scholars use the internet to research the type of art done by Karl Bodmer. Using this information, they design and create their own art cube relating to the artist's life. They also write a paragraph about what they believe their...
Curated OER
Mental Maps
Middle schoolers analyze and evaluate how they mentally organize information. They participate in a visualization exercise, create a sketch of a mental map of their neighborhood, state, country, and the world, and complete a Mental Map...
Curated OER
Mapping Human Rights in Our Community
Students work in groups to draw a map of their town or neighborhood. They include their homes, major public buildings and places. Students analyze their maps from a human rights perspective.
Curated OER
An Interview with Mr. Sol
Students explore the sun, the galaxy, and planets. As an introduction to a class discussion of the sun, students perform a skit. They discuss the elements that make up the sun, stars and planets.
Curated OER
A Walk on the West Side
High schoolers comprehend what makes up the physical community. Read and construct scale drawings and models. Explore the history of infrastructures and how the contributions of science, math and industry have led to the development of...
Curated OER
Current Sources of Energy to Maintain a Sustainable Future
In small groups, fourth graders identify different sources of renewable and non-renewable energy. They research the pros and cons of using each of these resources. They rank household appliances according to energy usage and efficiency....
Curated OER
Empowered Barbie
Students access prior knowledge of vocabulary on feminism and psychoanalytic theory, and gender schema. In this Empowered Barbie instructional activity, students recreate a Barbie doll. Students write a reflection on how they changed...
Curated OER
Big Business & Industrial Cities
This is a true gem. This PowerPoint is well-organized, has bullet points you control (which gives you time for discussion), has sound effects, and covers several aspects of American industrialization after 1900. The presentation begins...
US Department of Education
Early Childhood: Five Themes of Geography
Any preschool teacher would be thrilled to have a resource like this one. It includes activity ideas, discussion leads, book suggestions, and a glossary for learners ages 2 - 5. The entire booklet focuses on ways to teach young children...
Curated OER
Sun and Weather
How is the Earth's weather created? Middle schoolers will explain how the Sun's energy is transformed into different forms. They will perform mathematical calculations of volume, mass, and temperature. They they will explain the...
Curated OER
The Influence of Hip Hop
Students consider the influence of Hip Hop on their own language use and various segments of American society; they reflect on and demonstrate their knowledge of Hip Hop vocabulary and its use.
Curated OER
Math: The Cathedral Project
Second graders take a field trip to a nearby church or other historical building and examine it from a mathematical perspective. In groups, they calculate the seating capacity, describe the window patterns, differentiate types of...
Curated OER
A Contouring We Go
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
Curated OER
How Smart Growth Can Reshape Communities
Middle schoolers explore the concept of smart growth development. They create a class list highlighting the benefits of smart growth and then research, discuss, and present their findings on the benefits of smart growth and how it...
Foreign Policy Research Institute
Exploring Korea
A thorough and fun lesson on Korea! In groups of four (Social Chair, Historian, Translator, Travel Agent) class members research North and South Korea to determine a good location for an overseas institute for studying abroad. Once this...
New Class Museum
Lesson: An Exploration of Places and Spaces Part II
How does your location alter or impede your movement? An interesting question posed by two artists, who work to show the restrictions of people in various landscapes. Learners analyze both exhibitions, discuss location and movement, then...
Curated OER
Constructions and Creations: Sturdy Structures
Have your class draw the plans and design a structure. Learners discuss and investigate the variables in the stability of a 2D and 3D model. They also consider how to add a circuit to the design. Afterwards, they present their work.
Earth Watch Institute
Entering Local Groundhog Data in an Excel Spreadsheet
Here is a cross-curricular ecology and technology lesson; your learners create spreadsheets depicting the location and number of groundhog dens in a local park. They research groundhogs and analyze data about where the groundhog...