Students research the islands of Japan to investigate their location in the world and the islands' characteristics. They comprehend map making and topography. Studnets construct a scale-model map of the Japanese islands and surrounding...

Students research and demonstrate their knowledge of information about life and topography on the ocean floor. They experiment with and choose watercolor techniques to portray a vivid undersea setting using colors, textures, and shapes.

Eighth graders write a Compare and Contrast essay comparing the lives of similarly aged students at different Latitudes. They share their essays with epals, via e-mail. They may include digital photographs in their correspondence as well.