Curated OER
Ocean Currents and Sea Surface Temperature
Students use satellite data to explore sea surface temperature. They explore the relationship between the rotation of the Earth, the path of ocean current and air pressure centers. After studying maps of sea surface temperature and ocean...
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Oral Assessment Plan
Students practice active listening skills. In this literacy and U.S. history lesson, students predict the hardships pioneers using the Mormon Trail might have faced. Students view the movie "Children of the Wagon Train," then...
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Weather: Piecing It All Together
Fourth graders collect, record, and analyze data using simple weather instruments and a variety of weather resources to investigate weather. They observe the teacher demonstrate how a rain gauge functions, record the weather for five...
PBS
Home, Sweet, Home!
Students investigate the local history and architecture of their community. They draw maps, conduct Internet research, discuss varied architectural designs, take a walking tour of their town and work in teams to record their community's...
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Siting Wind Power
Young scholars analyze a variety of curves that describe the power extracted from the wind by a variety of commercially produced wind turbines. They utilize site specific topographic maps and political boundary data to evaluate and make...
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Conditions at Sea Data Activity
Students study how to forecast sea conditions. In this oceanography lesson students complete a class activity on wave making.
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Wetland in a Pan
Seventh graders build a watershed from various materials. In this life science lesson plan, the students will be able to change the design of their watershed to see the changes in the way the water will drain. Each group will be able to...
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Nature's Recycling Program
Learners identify what materials make up compost. In this science of recycling lesson, students explain the benefits of composting determine how compost is a good plant fertilizer.
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Hands-On Weather Data Collecting
Fifth graders study weather in their community, in the United States, and around the world. They use thermometers, the beaufort wind scale, and simple weather symbols to measure and record the weather outside their school. They also look...
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Mapping the Village
Students measure, weigh, and document the amount of trash and garbage generated by the school for one day. They brainstorm solutions for trash in the area and assist with the school-wide recycle program.
August House
Go to Sleep, Gecko!
A cute folktale from Bali tells the story of Gecko, Elephant, and Buffalo, and Gecko's struggle to sleep. After reading Go to Sleep, Gecko, learners focus on comprehension questions, singing and learning about geckos, building...
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Oral Language
Learners use distances on a map to draw a route, give directions, and follow directions. In this map lesson plan, students explain their route and directions orally.
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The Artifact Problem
Students work in small groups and make a map of a familiar room. For this artifact lesson, students decide on a suitable scale for their maps, the tools they will use and how they will make it and decide on strategies they would use to...
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Learning About the Basin
Learners use watershed maps to explore the Lake Pontchartrain Basin in Louisiana. In this geography lesson, students identify important features such as elevation, vegetation, cultural, historical and land use on a map of Lake...
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A Bird's Eye View of our 50 States
Third graders focus on state birds as they learned absolute location (latitude/longitude) of each state, as well as their relative location (bordering states).
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Mapping Fairfax County Service Providers
Learners brainstorm a list of services governments should have available to its citizens. Using the internet, they locate as many of these services as possible and compile a class list. They also analyze specific programs to consider...
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Country Mouse, City Mouse?
Students recognize the characteristics of a rural area. They analyze land use to determine whether the map is of a rural (country) area or an urban (city) area.
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Introduction to the Planets
Students become familiar with the members of the solar system and planetary order. They identify differences and characteristics of individual planets. Finally students visualize the great size of the solar system and make the image more...
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The Solar System
Students describe the different bodies that make up our solar system, explain the place of our solar system within the Milky Way Galaxy and the universe, explain day and night and the Earth's movement, and describe the relationship...
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Estimating Distances
Young scholars investigate distance measurement. In this middle school mathematics activity, students find the average length of their pace and use their pace to measure various unknown distances in feet and miles. Young...
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Rosie's Walk
Students use maps and globes to locate and describe locations, directions and scale. Using the maps, they identify man made or natural features of different environments. They practice using geographical terms to describe a specific...
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GPS Art
Students design their own logo or picture and use a handheld GPS receiver to map it out. They write out a word or graphic on a field or playground, walk the path, and log GPS data. The results display their "art" on their GPS receiver...
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Medieval Castles
Second graders design a scale model of a medieval castle and its surroundings including the following items: castle, moat, bailey, drawbridge, turrets, dungeon, grounds, and outer walls. A perfect lesson for those kids who are fascinated...
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The Cardiac 100
Students make a full scale diagram. In this heart and blood flow lesson, students pretend they must design the cardiac 100 racecourse and they must teach the new blood cells how to get around the heart. Students create a mini drawing and...