Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trailblazers- Now and Then

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine and study the routes of trailblazers. In this American history lesson plan, students find a route on a map and compare that to the route of trailblazers. Students will then compare that map with a topographical map to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Play Doh Map of Your State

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students create a state map using Playdoh. In this hands-on state geography lesson, students work in groups to form a three-dimensional  map of their state using Playdoh made at home following a (given) recipe. Students use four...
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

On This Day With Lewis and Clark

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as they discover the wonders, beauty, and dangers of the American frontier. After gaining background knowledge about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase, young explorers use primary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MAPS AND TOPOGRAPHY

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students analyze the details of a topographic map and create one of their own by utilyzing a map of elevations.
Lesson Plan
National Park Service

Remembering Pearl Harbor: The USS Arizona Memorial

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young historians use primary source materials to investigate the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the sinking of the USS Arizona. After reading background articles and studying maps and images of the attack, class members consider whether...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Regents High School Examination: Physical Setting Earth Science 2009

For Students 9th - 12th
Junior geologists address 50 multiple choice questions and 35 short answer questions about the earth system. Plenty of visuals are included for interpretation: diagrams, graphs, maps, photographs, laboratory setups, weather symbols, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tracking Pollution - A Hazardous Whodunit

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners read a story problem about the issue of hazardous waste and pollution in a fictional town. In groups, they create a topographical map and predict how the water might flow and determine the place of contamination. To end the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring Arizona's Biotic Communities Lesson 1: Mapping Biotic Communities

For Teachers 6th - 10th
As part of a unit on Arizona's biotic communities, young ecology learners create a map. They describe how humans and animals adapt in their habitat. They take notes and create graphic organizers from articles they read. Beautiful maps,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Shuttle's Eye View

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners explore the goals of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission as a springboard to exploring the topographical features of their own state or region. They synthesize their understanding of landforms and topography by mapping their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Topo Triangulation

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate how to read a topographical map and triangulate with just a map. They convert a compass measurement to a protractor measurement, reverse a bearing direction, and using a worksheet take a bearing of certain landmarks...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map It!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders demonstrate map making skills by using the computer to create maps of the geographic features, regions, and economy for their state.
PPT
Mr. E. Science

Introduction to Earth Science

For Students 6th - 8th
From the layers of Earth's spheres to latitude and longitude to looking at topographic maps, learners discover the elements of Earth's systems. 
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

WATER You Doing to Help?

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Auntie Litter is here to educate young scholars about water pollution and environmental stewardship! Although the 15-minute video clip is cheesy, it's an engaging look at the water cycle and conservation. Learners start by illustrating...
Lesson Plan
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Smithsonian Institution

Borders with the World: Mexican-American War and U.S. Southern Borderlands

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
The Mexican-American War created social borders—not just physical ones. Scholars learn about the effects of the Mexican-American War on the people living in the borderlands using text excerpts, maps, and partnered activities. Academics...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Forest Fun

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students explore orienteering and how to use a compass. They explore the importance of forests and identify some of the trees in a local forest.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Elements of Civilization

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners create their own ancient civilizations based off of topographical maps of Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, and the Yellow River. In this social studies lesson, students are assigned one topographical map to use to create...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bushy Run: A Decisive Battle of Pontiac's Rebellion

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the battle at Bushy Run. In this Pontiac's Rebellion lesson, students examine an 1765 map of the Bushy Run battle as well as letters and a modern topographic map of the area in order to simulate the event and research how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Waldseemuller's Map: World 1507

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars investigate the 1507 word map. In this world geography lesson, students examine the details of each section of the map and then draw conclusions about how the people of 1507 understood the world. Young scholars are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Your State: Regions of Arizona

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders define vocabulary and locate physical features on maps.  In this mapping lesson, 4th graders explore regions of Arizona through landforms found on topographic maps.  Students research the history and culture of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping School Grounds

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students map and analyze the natural and cultural environment of the school grounds. In small groups, they sketch the natural and cultural features of each side of the school building, create a map, participate in a class discussion,...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Making Maps

For Students 4th - 6th
In this map making worksheet, students learn about the science of making maps, which is cartography. They then answer the 11 questions on the worksheet. The answers are on the last page.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Volcano Contour Models Activity

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students experiment with water levels and plastic topographic volcano models to determine the contour lines that would be used to create a topograpohic map of a volcano. They use the traced lines to actually develop the map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Book: Germany

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students, after reading Chapter One in the book, "Germany," analyze and recreate the political boundaries as well as the physical features of the nation of Germany with the assistance of play-doh or salt dough. In groups, they create...
Unit Plan
PBS

Accessible Shapes

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
All the 2-D and 3-D measurement work you need is in one location. Divided into three sections, the geometry lesson plans consist of visualization of three dimensions, classifying geometric figures, and finding surface area and volume....