Curated OER
Miners of the Prairie: The Days of Shaft Mining in Northern Illinois
Students explore the life and times of a coal miner in Illinois through the analysis of primary source documents and images.
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History of the American West
Ninth graders research early mining in California. They study the "placer method" for mining gold, which is surface mining that does not involve tunneling. They examine what it was like for the early miners to pan for gold with...
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Chile's Trapped Miners
Students read an article on trapped miners in Chile. In this social awareness ELL lesson, students read the details about how 33 miners had to be rescued in Chile when they got trapped underground. Activities that reinforce the...
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The Birth of a Rocky Mountain City and Railroad: Georgetown and the Loop Railroad
Students explore the evolution of a town. In this social studies activity, students discuss why Georgetown and the Georgetown Loop Railroad were developed and discuss life as a prospector. Students write a letter explaining what life is...
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Sea to Sky
Students investigate the Earth's major landforms and how they occur, and how engineers apply this knowledge for the design of transportation systems, mining, and measuring natural hazards. They listen to a teacher-led lecture, match...
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Excavations
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the excavation of various types of sites that include mines. The safety standards of working in the mines is covered and practiced with a review of OSHA. Students discuss the possible...
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Somewhere in the World . . . .
Students, in groups, choose a country. On the surface of an inflated balloon, they draw/write information (geographic and otherwise) about the country. To finish the project, they make a basket for the balloon and then give a 2-3...
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Shattered Youth
Young scholars examine the state of child labor in the world. In this global economy lesson, students consider the implications of child labor in the world as they research its prevalence.
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Mapping Electricity
Students complete Internet research and use their map reading skills to learn about how the United States creates and uses electricity in different states. In this energy sources lesson plan, students study the mini map of energy usage...
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Social Studies: Looking at Regions
Quiz your 3rd graders on why we have regions. This regions quiz includes 16 questions on why and how we group areas into regions based on physical features, culture, politics or religion. A class discussion on technology completes this...
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Watershed Lesson Plan
Students are introduced to the concepts of a watershed, stream flow and water quality. This five-day plan is an excellent way to introduce students to the concepts involved. They create their own watershed using a paper bag, water and...
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The Cherokee: Trail Where They Cried
Students read the Trail of Tears about the Cherokee Nation removal and write a letter pretending they are the grandparent of a Cherokee child. In this Trail of Tears lesson plan, students understand the changing of boundaries.
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Reindeer Herders
Middle schoolers examine the life of of nomadic herders in Siberia. They read and discuss an article and maps from National Geographic, identify threats to this way of life, and write a letter to the Russian government identifying ways...
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Agriculture in the Desert
Students explore human migration. In this human migration lesson, students investigate multiple factors contributing to the growth of major Arizona cities. Students discover the processes, patterns, and functions of human settlement.
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Physical Location; How a Border Town Might Develop
Students speculate how a location can develop into a large town. They investigate the physical resources and how populations can grow. There are guiding questions to help students through the research and class discussion. Students make...
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Arsenic Contamination: Natural Disaster or Human Induced?
High schoolers list as a class the sources of arsenic contamination of water. They describe the major health effects of arsenic contamination in a letter. Students identify the regions that are affected by it.
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Getting to Work and Making Money
Learners explain how geography and climate play a role in the professions that are unique to their city. They explain how geography and climate influence the forms of transportation in their city.
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Why is the Past Important?
Students explore, examine and study why it's important to study the past and connect this importance with reasons why we should learn from the past and how cultures have changed over the years. They bring an object, photograph or a...