Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Scaling it Down: Caves Have Maps, Too

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Measurement and map skills are the focus of this lesson, where students crawl through a "cave" made out of boxes, desks and chairs, observing the dimensions.  Your young geographers measure various aspects of the cave and practice...
Lesson Plan
National Geographic

Mapping the Shape of Everest

For Teachers 4th - 6th
With Mount Everest as the motivator, your earth science class learns about topographic maps. Begin by showing a film clip from The Wildest Dream: Conquest of Everest, featuring fearsome virtual imagery of a path up world's tallest...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bee Tree

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students practice reading comprehension by reading a book in class.  In this story map activity, students read The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco, and create a story map based on the problem and solution of the book.  Students...
Lesson Plan
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Rainforest Alliance

Knowing the Essential Elements of a Habitat

For Teachers 1st Standards
To gain insight into the many different types of habitats, individuals must first get to know their own. Here, scholars explore their school environment, draw a map, compare and contrast their surroundings to larger ones. They then...
Lesson Plan
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Rainforest Alliance

Protecting the Critical Habitat of the Manatee and Loggerhead Turtle

For Teachers 1st Standards
Explore ocean habitats with a lesson that showcases the home of manatees and loggerhead turtles in Belize. Here, pupils compare and contrast the homes of ocean animals to those of humans, listen to an original short story about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Salmon Stories

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Work on author's purpose with this instructional activity, which focuses on sequence of events and audience as well.  Middle and high schoolers describe the 50 State Quarters Program for background information. After discussing the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Ogre Bully Lesson

For Teachers K
Students investigate bullies, agriculture and cooking by completing worksheets about a book they read.  In this story analysis lesson, students read the story The Ogre Bully, and discuss bullying as well as farming with their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping Constellations

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students become familiar with constellations. In this space science lesson, the teacher introduces constellations by showing students the star patterns and reading myths. Students, observe the stars nightly, then choose one constellation...
Lesson Plan
Education Outside

Nature's Treasure Map

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Youngsters construct a map of treasures that they find along a nature trail as they hike. They also make sketches and create place names of some of the spots along the trail. Once back in class, pupils use their treasure maps to help...
Lesson Plan
Nature Works Everywhere

Recording the Rainforest

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Animals have evolved to communicate in different frequencies so they can hear each other throughout the rainforest. The first lesson in a three-part series begins by exploring an interactive story map online about the Borneo rainforest....
Lesson Plan
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Rainforest Alliance

How Do Jaguars and Howler Monkeys in Belize Depend on Us?

For Teachers 1st Standards
How does weather play a role in the lives of land and sea creatures? Find out with a lesson plan focused on habitats and the ways animals from different homes are connected. Here, learners explore how the life of a jaguar and...
Lesson Plan
August House

Go to Sleep, Gecko

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd Standards
Use this multidisciplinary instructional activity to delve into these subjects: English language arts, math, science, drama, and character education. After reading, discussing, and making interpretations about Go To Sleep, Gecko!: A...
Unit Plan
Association of American Geographers

Project GeoSTART

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Investigate the fascinating, yet terrifying phenomenon of hurricanes from the safety of your classroom using this earth science unit. Focusing on developing young scientists' spacial thinking skills, these lessons engage...
Lesson Plan
Moanalua Gardens Foundation

The Mystery of Rapa Nui

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
What caused the collapse of the environment on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)? Who constructed the Moai? What was their purpose? Class members assume the role of investigators and use evidence drawn from field studies, ships' logs, and...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Then and Now

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The devastating changes happening to the Native American inhabitants of an island off the coast of Louisiana are the topic of an informational lesson. After scholars break into groups to explore particular topics, they come back together...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Highways and Change

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What is the cost of change? Roberto Guerra's photo essay "La Carretera: Life and Change Along Peru's Interoceanic Highway" asks viewers to consider the impacts of the 1,600 mile-long highway through Peru and Brazil that connects Pacific...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Going Buggy: Lesson 3: Bees

For Teachers K
Students review the characteristics of insects they have already been introduced to. As a class, they are introduced to the characteristics of bees and what it can do instead of sting. To end the instructional activity, they discuss how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Make This Week's Lessons Pop(corn)!

For Teachers K - 7th
Students create popcorn timelines, maps, and graphs; do popcorn science and math; explore popcorn history and nutrition; and munch leftover popcorn snacks too!,
Lesson Plan
National Geographic

The Monsoon

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Few things are as fascinating as the challenge of climbing Mount Everest. This lesson investigates how monsoon weather impacts climbers. To begin, you are instructed to show various video clips. The only one directly provided, however,...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Mid-Unit Assessment: Close Reading of Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle: Bullfrog Life Cycle

For Teachers 3rd Standards
The sixth lesson plan in this Bullfrog at Magnolia Circle unit assesses your third graders' ability to read and understand informational text. The included assessment asks learners to take notes about the main idea and supporting...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dear Peter Rabbit

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Write dear old Peter Rabbit a letter with this lesson. First, youngsters listen to the story Peter Rabbit and analyze the story elements. Then they complete a story map graphic organizer in order to write a letter to Peter...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People Change the Landscape

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine ways in which humans have brought change to the natural environment. In this ecology and literacy instructional activity, students listen to the book Island Boy by Barbara Cooney. Students observe and define map-reading...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stories of Hope: Dragonfly and Mosquito

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students identify and interpret the value of the dragonfly as a predator of the mosquito. They create their own folktales using the dragonfly or a creature of their choice to solve the malaria problem or another issue. Students also...
Lesson Plan
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Rainforest Alliance

How Far Away Is a Tropical Rainforest?

For Teachers K Standards
If driving to school only takes 10 minutes, then how long does it take to drive to a tropical rainforest in Colombia? Explore the focus question in a activity that uses measurement tools and formulas to figure out the time and...