Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MAP MAGNETIC FIELD OF A ROOM

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers map the magnetic field of a room (classroom or room at home -- recommend kitchen) at two or more heights. They create a coordinate grid within the room and make a relatively accurate map of the room to super impose the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

4-figure Grid Reference

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study maps and grid lines.  In this weather map lesson students complete an activity that allows them to understand grid lines on a map. 
Worksheet
Curated OER

Follow the Directions: Street Map

For Students 5th
In this directions activity worksheet, 5th graders must follow specific directions to complete the street map. Students must place several key locations on the map using the street grid.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gridding a Site

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students make observations of effigy mounds and record them in a notebook. In groups, they must determine the scale of measurement and create their own grid to scale part of the Effigy Mounds National Monument. They also practice using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Design an Island

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students explore islands. They create a two- or three-dimensional map of an island. They explain how the topography of an area influences the location of water sources, ecosystems, and human settlements. Lesson includes adaptations for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Metrics And Measurements

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a study of measuring distances between geographical locations on a map. They are able to define and use the map scale in conjunction with the metric system. For this lesson they make their own maps and measure the...
Worksheet
Curated OER

The Solar Neighborhood within 17 Light Years!

For Students 9th - 11th
In this distance between stars worksheet, students plot the distance between the sun and 11 other stars on a 2 dimensional grid using a protractor and a ruler. They determine the distances between various stars and they find the shortest...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Contour Map Worksheet #4

For Students 7th - 12th
There are only four questions here. There is a contour map of Cottonwood, Colorado and the creek that crosses it. Earth scientists tell in what direction the creek flows, identify the highest elevation on the map, draw a topographic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Goldilocks and the Coordinate Grids

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Where this lesson idea is lacking in materials, it makes up for with creativity! Using "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" as the background, mathematicians plot points on a coordinate grid to create props for the story. The polygons all...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Put the Mountains on the Map

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students discuss what they know about the regions where snow leopards live. They observe the worksheets to see if they can identify any of the mountain ranges and then use atlases to check and complete the country identification worksheet.
Lesson Plan
Exploratorium

Building Three-Dimensional Structures

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Are you looking for a good 3-D geometry lesson that includes hands-on activities for your middle schoolers? Look no further than this one! Pupils use centimeter grid paper embedded in the plan, along with detailed construction...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Giving Students a Little Latitude

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars use a world outline map to locate places using coordinates of latitude and longitude. They answer questions about places based on their knowledge of the map and on their research and make up more questions of this sort...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where in the World? :Understanding Latitude and Longitude

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students play a grid-based game and devise clues to help classmates locate spots on the globe in order to recognize the value of using longitude and latitude for identifying locations.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Degrees and Minutes

For Students 6th - 8th
In this latitude and longitude worksheet, students place 9 cities on a map using the latitude and longitude of each. Once cities are placed in the correct location, students complete 2 short answer follow-up questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Latitude and Longitude

For Teachers 3rd - 7th
Students examine the lines of latitude and longitude on a map, and explain why these lines might be useful. In this lesson students also explore websites that provide information to improve their understanding of how and why latitude and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where in the World? The Basics of Latitude and Longitude

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students are introduced to the concepts of latitude and longitude. In groups, they identify the Earth's magnetic field and the disadvantages of using compasses for navigation. They identify the major lines of latitude and longitude on a...
Lesson Plan
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Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary

From Ben’s Pen to Our Lives

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What would Ben do? Jumping off from the pseudonymous letters Ben Franklin fooled his older brother into publishing when he was still a teenager, young literary lovers dive into acting, writing, and addressing a local issue with wit and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Footprints: Take a Step into Estimation

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Compare sizes of student footprints with those of elephants and sauropod dinosaurs! Upper graders make estimations of the areas of irregular shapes; students use grids to make and explain estimates within low and high ranges.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cartography Project

For Teachers 1st - 8th
A lesson involving mapping, the use of a compass, writing and following directions, and exploring the first two themes of geography is here for you. Learners create original maps that show the routes they take through their own...
Lesson Plan
Bowland

Outbreak: Infection Detection

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Explore the mathematics of infection outbreaks with activities that ask learners to use coordinate grids to locate infected patients. They calculate amounts of ingredients for antidotes and determine which groups of people should be...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bird and Dog Race

For Teachers 7th - 10th Standards
Your pupil's pet dog and bird are racing down the city streets. In order to know who is going to win, they better know something about calculating rates, the Pythagorean Theorem, and applying those topics to the map of the city. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Contouring We Go

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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
Lesson Plan
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California Academy of Science

Earthquakes and Tectonic Plates

For Teachers 6th - 7th
Here is a comprehensive package in which middle schoolers learn about types of seismic waves, triangulation, and tectonic plate boundaries. Complete vocabulary, colorful maps, and a worksheet are included via links on the webpage. You...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Unseen Ocean Floor

For Teachers 2nd - 10th
Students build ocean floor structures, then map and model an unfamiliar ocean floor. They are introduced to bathymetry and sea floor features, and discover one of the most widely usd methods for studying the ocean.