NOAA
A Watery World
With about 70% of the earth's surface covered in oceans, it's fair to say that we live in a very wet world. Young scientists gain a better appreciation of this fact as they use maps to identify the world's ocean basins in the first...
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Maps
Maps, globes, and computer software aid young explorers as they locate state capitols, major cities, geographic features, and attractions for states they are researching. They then use desktop publishing software to create a map to share...
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Where in the World Is…
Students 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.
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Leapin' Landmarks: Locating 10 Man-made Landmarks Around the World
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.
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The Exploration and Settlement of North America
Young scholars locate place in Canada and explore highlights of early of early American exploration and settlement. In this North American history lesson, students locate provinces, major cities, and physical features of Canada. Young...
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Ocean Currents
Fourth graders work in groups to research ocean currents and create posters with their findings. They locate the patterns and names of major ocean currents and identify them on a map. Students also use red pencil to show ocean currents...
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Carve That Mountain
Learners investigate major landforms (e.g., mountains, rivers, plains, hills, oceans and plateaus). They build a three-dimensional model of a landscape depicting several of these landforms. Once they have built their model, they act as...
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Mapping West Virginia
Fourth graders explore West Virginia. For this Unites States geography lesson, 4th graders discuss the type of land and the cities in West Virginia. Students create two overlays, with transparencies, that show the natural land and the...
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The 50 States and its Holidays
Though the format of this ELL lesson is confusing (the standards listed are for plate tectonics, yet the objectives are for American geography and holidays), a teacher could glean some ideas from the main idea. Here, pupils complete a...
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Where in the world is...
Young scholars identify locations around the world. In this mapping lesson, students place tag board pieces with names of locations on a wall map of the world. Initially, young scholars identify states, then cities, then continents,...
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Hemispheres & Continents
Students learn in cooperative learning groups to determine how the equator and the Prime Meridian divide the earth into hemispheres and use Venn diagrams. Students will locate and label the hemispheres, continents, and oceans.
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Rain Shadows and Sea Breezes
Students plot the average rainfall for a variety of cities in the United States. Using the map, they work together to determine patterns on which toxicants are transported through the air. They determine the impacts of various weather...
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Water, Water Everywhere
Students estimate the amount of water that can be found in its various forms including oceans, lakes, glaciers, rivers, etc. They view a demonstration about water distribution and discuss flash flooding safety precautions.
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Latitude and Longitude
Fifth graders study latitude and longitude. They estimate the latitude and longitude of their hometown and find the latitude and longitude of other cities using a map. They use a website to find out the cities' actual latitude and...
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Sharing The Land
Students investigate different geographical terms and concepts. This is done with practicing with maps of the United States to find major coasts, lakes, and rivers. They also put together a floor map of the United States. Students create...
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Important Rivers of the World
Third graders become familiar with names of the different parts of a river, define and locate drainage basins, locate six of the continents and explore the major rivers on each one, conduct research on a river of their choice.
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Coral Reef Conservation
Learners conduct discussions on current threats to coral reefs around the world and write letters to conservation organizations urging support for coral reef protection.
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Geographic Features and Human Settlements
Third graders examine geography and settlements. In this geography lesson, 3rd graders participate in classroom activities that center on the idea that people settle where there are geographical features that sustain life.
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Sacred Places
Young scholars examine places considered sacred in both India and the U.S. They read and discuss a website on the Ganges River, discuss places considered sacred in the U.S., and write an essay comparing/contrasting personal sacred places...
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Island Hopping
Students utilize a variety of math skills to explore the Turks and Caicos Islands, the British Territory to which South Caicos belongs. They select and apply quantitative data to support their recommendations for future investment and...
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Of Maps and Worldviews
Young scholars explore Ptolemy's world map as an expression of the Renaissance view of the world.
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Cold Fronts
High schoolers determine its' direction of movement, and list at least five weather conditions associated with the specific front, given animations of several atmospheric variables during a cold front passage. They list at least three...
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Lights On ! Lights Off! Exploring Human Settlement Patterns
Third graders write informational paragraphs based on the settlement patterns of the United States. In this settlement lesson plan, 3rd graders read about population and how it affects where people settle next.
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Air Masses
Students examine the physical characteristics of several types of air masses to discover how air masses can be identified and defined by their temperature and moisture content.