Lesson Plan
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The Physical Geography of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students access information from the United States Geological Survey's Web site This Dynamic Earth to research the Ring of Fire. They answer four questions and then apply what they have learned to create a bulletin board display.
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Filigree Jewelry

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars describe physical and human characteristics of North Africa and the Middle East, plot on a map areas populated by nomadic people in those areas, explain importance of filigree jewelry in Arab culture, and create their own...
Lesson Plan
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Mountain Magic: Identifying the Basic Physical Characteristics of Mountains

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students read about and identify on maps the physical characteristics of mountains. For this mountains lesson plan, students also write about the characteristics using personification.
Lesson Plan
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You Can Die Here

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students examine Death Valley including the amount of precipitation and winds that it gets.  In this climate based lesson plan students explain the reasons for the amount of precipitation and windward patterns in Death Valley.
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Geographic Landscapes and Interstate Freeway Development

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students investigate the topography of the United States through a discovery lesson. They create a hypothetical route for a highway across the United States. Students also conduct research major landforms and define geographic terms.
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Seeing Sound & Sonar

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students make inferences based on different sounds that they hear. In this inferences lesson plan, students will hear sounds of different objects and describe the sounds based on what they hear. They will answer various questions about...
Lesson Plan
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Temperature and Daily Life: Mexico City and Indianapolis

For Teachers K - 1st
Students compare the effect of temperature on daily life of a citizen in Mexico City, Mexico with that of a citizen of Indianapolis, Indiana.
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Geological Forces and Topography

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students discuss and research the Earth's geological processes. For this geology lesson, students study maps of Utah and the United States to learn about geological features. Students then complete the research cards for each area of...
Lesson Plan
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Climate Patterns across the United States

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers articulate differences between climate and weather using examples in a written statement. Using climate data from across the country, they describe climate patterns for various parts of the United States on a map. Students...
Lesson Plan
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Rain Shadows and Sea Breezes

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
Lesson Plan
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Antarctica

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders become familiar with Antarctica, the Earth's southernmost continent, by researching its environment and inhabitants. They reference maps, conduct Internet research, identify animals, create graphs and write reports.
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Driving Currents

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners conduct a variety of investigations to see how water, heat, and salinity affect the flow of the world's ocean currents,as well as, explore many factors that affect the flow of the world's ocean currents. They also describe in...
Lesson Plan
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I Know Where You Are!

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study what a GPS is and use it to challenge themselves and find positions on a map.  In this investigative lesson students find various points on a map using a GPS system and answer questions on a worksheet. 
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Acid Rain

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students use real-time weather maps to determine the likelihood of acid rainfall in a region. Students apply their understanding of interaction between weather systems, land and air pollution, to address acid rain and the effects on...
Lesson Plan
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Tanker Spills

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students predict the flow of an oil spill and depict it on a map. They explain the predicted route of the oil spill using knowledge of ocean currents in a short presentation to their peers.
Lesson Plan
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Discovering the Physical Geography of Washington

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Pupils develop a mental map of the state of Washington and draw it on paper. Using the Virtual Atlas, they identify the physical features of the state and draw them on their map. They also examine the populations and diversity of the...
Lesson Plan
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It Came from Outer Space! The AA Meteorite Connection

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Students discover why Antarctica is the most fruitful place on earth for locating meteorites. They work in groups. Students are given a Museum or University Name for each group. They are explained that each group is allowed to comb...
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Locate-a-quake

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Student, use seismic readings of the same earthquake from three recording stations and locate the epicenter of an earthquake on a map.
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Land Use in Australian Agriculture

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders research and map agricultural practices of Australia. They complete a worksheet about their research.
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WATER FROM HERE TO YONDER

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students identify local watersheds and drainage areas by using maps and other resources. They are given copies of the water cycle. Students discuss the movement of water in the environment. They observe, record and transfer information...
Lesson Plan
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Controlling the Flow of the Colorado River: A Study of Dams

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students research and map the Colorado River and its dams and predict the effects of a dam on an area. They suggest reasons a dam would be built and compare the Colorado River system with other major river systems within the US and...
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Trends of Snow Cover and Temperature in Alaska

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students compare NASA satellite data observations with student surface measurements of snow cover and temperature. They practice data collection, data correlations, and making scientific predictions.
Lesson Plan
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My Science Box: Seafloor Spreading

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the movement of plate tectonics. In this lesson on the spreading of the seafloor, students use maps and models to observe how the sea floor spreads.
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The Geography of Tornadoes OR

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Students learn some basic facts about tornadoes and map two selected tornado statistics by state, and observe, analyze and speculate about the pattern(s) created by the completed map.