Lesson Plan
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The Mesoamerican Mystique

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students gain a better understanding of the cultural diversity in the northern region of Central America. They engage in a lesson plan which focuses on research, archaeology, historical videos, and travel highlights.
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Take Me to the River

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students learn about a different way of life.  For this river and dams lesson, students discuss  the Hoover Dam.  Students then view pictures of the Hoover Dam, discuss the impact of dams, and compare life before and after...
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Ancient Cultures

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students develop archeological skills in order to explain how scientists determine what ancient cultures were like. They develop an appreciation of the work that is involved in finding out about our past.
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Jamestown Journey Part 4

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders review their prior knowledge from the previous lessons of this unit on Jamestown. After reading a novel, they examine and discuss the life of Pocahontas. Using the internet, they answer comprehension questions and write...
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Jamestown Journey Part 3

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the economy of Jamestown. In this early settlers lesson, 4th graders read about the trade between the English and the natives in Jamestown. This lesson is part of a larger unit and coincides with the novel The Double...
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Whose Business?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders compare and contrast the businesses in Fort Griffin with those in their own community. Using the internet, they discover the factors that have influenced the development of businesses in a town. They also create a map of...
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If You Build It, Will They Come?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the city of Duluth, Minnesota. In groups, they use the internet to discover its current state of urban geography. After their research, they create and plan their own redeveloping of the city. They share their results...
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Fundamentalism

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the historical roots of fundamentalism and determine whether fundamentalism is a religion or a political ideology. They will examine different religious fundamentalist movements around the world noting any...
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"Where in the World is my School?"

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Pupils learn new vocabulary and discuss what GPS is and does. They locate their school using the equipment.
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Cartographer and Journalish as Storytellers

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students collaborate in groups of four students to create a written description of their community during a specific year. They analyze data provided by maps and newspaper articles. They meet as a whole class to discuss their conclusions.
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From Forest to Farm and Back Again

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students review and discuss a given set of questions regarding ecosystems. They analyze essays, maps and historical documents on timber harvesting and regeneration and then complete worksheets.
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Regions: Meet the Experts Presentation

For Teachers K - 4th
Students gather information and create a web site on prairies and plains using a variety of resources, including the internet.
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Mountains in the Sea Exploration No Escape

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study data to hypothesis about the influence of a water circulation cell on the retention of benthic invertebrate larvae in the area of a seamount. They investigate the positives and negatives of larvae retention in this series...
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How Are Boundaries Made, Kept, Broken?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students examine the works of Noam Chomsky. They collaborate in small groups to read and identify vocabulary words and historical questions. They answer their questions and role-play as emissaries to locate remaining answers. They...
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Minneapolis and St. Paul PowerPoint

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine the development of Minneapolis and St. Paul. As a class, they watch a PowerPoint presentation on the placement of cities in relationship to water. For each slide, they must answer the questions correctly to move on.
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Social Studies: Canadian City Comparison

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research Canadian population distribution while comparing and contrasting the quality of life in two cities. They discuss issues and problems that cities and rural towns face. Students apply various methods, such as graphs and...
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How Was the Inside vs. Outside Paradigm Created?

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders write notes from a teacher lecture on Slavery and Exploitation. They review process for notetaking, symbols and abbreviations. They read three web articles about slavery and create a rubric for evaluating the quality of a...
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How Are Boundaries Made, Kept, Broken?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students perform raps and analyze issues among the rich and poor. They explore how countries are labeled as "third world" and "first world." They create a dialectical journal and examine the country of Nigeria through the reading of...
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Site vs. Situation: Location! Location! Location!

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students examine places with a similar latitude to Alabama, and discuss the importance of a location's site versus its situation. They analyze maps, create a chart, and write a paragraph on the difference between site and situation.
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Go West My Class

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students find data that can be mapped on the Factfinder Web page. They analyze the data from the web site and state recommendations on whether a person should live in Illinois or not based on their preferences.
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What Is That Bubblin' In My Back Yard?

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students are introduced to the GIS system. They create a map plotting local sites the Environmental Protection Agency has on its EPA Regulated Sites list. They identify a list of schools that are near potentially hazard sites.
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Crossing China By Sampan

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders determine the geographic features that facilitate and prevent communication and commerce between parts of China. They recognize a sampan, the traditional flat-bottomed boat used in Southeast Asia.
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A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students complete a population pyramid for a city they are studying. They may complete a population pyramid for their city and another one for the country in which the city is located. They compare and contrast the results of the two...
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Can You Give Me Directions To the Game?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Pupils become familiar with the use and capabilities of GIS and use it for research and mapping purposes. They heighten their ability to estimate travel times by incorporating distance, mode of travel and urban congestion into the formula.