Lesson Plan
US Mint

Rename That State!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
As Shakespeare famously wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but can the same be said for a state? For this elementary geography lesson, learners are assigned specific states to research using the information...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Corn Exports Visually

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students study imports and exports and the countries that import the most corn from the U.S. They construct mini paper corn plants and label a map with these plants to represent the amount of corn the U.S. exports to countries around the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. History: What Happened Here?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students apply the global positioning system to create maps of local historical sites. By collaborating with local historical groups, they research events and relate them to broader, national history. In addition to writing essays...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

About the U.S.A.

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students research the United States and discover its different climate zones, geographical features, animal life, and various cultures. Students complete a research chart using books, encyclopedias and the internet and present their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Kansas vs the U.S.

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students demonstrate an understanding of the physical and political geography of Kansas. They view maps and films to gain knowledge of Kansas. They calculate the percentage Kansas harvests for each crop out of the national total.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Naming the States of the U.S

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study the 50 states on a map. In this social studies lesson, 5th graders identify the names of the states and location. Additionally, students work in small groups to name and locate as many states as they can on a blank...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Export-Import Game

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students recognize how international trade affects them as consumers and become familiar with basic agricultural crops grown in Kentucky. They identify items used in their daily lives and .heir place of origin and examine export/import...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

Citizen Photojournalism

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Matt Black's photo essay, "The Geography of Poverty" provides a shocking reminder of the poverty that exists in the United States. The resource not only focuses attention on poverty but also conditions that have given rise to situation...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Four" Goodness Sake

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders recognize that ethnicity, religion and geography are reflected in the food choices we make. In this food choices instructional activity, 4th graders discuss different types of food from different places. Students compare a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

High Five Burger

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate agricultural sources. In this agricultural instructional activity, 5th graders read the book Have a Hamburger and See the U.S.A. and record each component of a hamburger. Students use a map of the U.S.A. to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Personal Stories of the National Parks

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore historical information about U.S. national parks using the stories of Edward and Margaret Gehrke as a primary source document. In this United States geography, history, and literacy lesson, students view the diary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Role of Geography -- The United States and the Republic of Turkey

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Preteens review the five themes of geography. In groups, they examine the United States and Turkey to discover how geography can impact the way people live. They create a foldable for each country, listing information for each of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Touring the Regions of the United States

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the regions of the United States. In this geography skills instructional activity, 5th graders examine the landforms, climates, and economies of the regions of the United States. Students conduct Internet research...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapmaker, Make Me a Map!

For Teachers K - 1st
Here is a well-designed, very thorough lesson plan on mapping for very young children. Within the six-page plan, you will find everything you need to implement the lesson plan. They will identify various landforms found in Colorado on a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japan: Land of the Rising Sun

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students locate Japan on a globe, name the major physical features, and describe the physical environment. They survey the differences and similarities between the life and culture of Japanese young people and American young people.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Inventions Change the World: The Enigma Machine

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore WWII by analyzing technological advances. In this invention instructional activity, 3rd graders discuss the use of the Enigma machine which decoded private German messages that communicated with U-boats. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Arkansas State Rock

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Here is a lesson which shows the value of a mineral called bauxite to Arkansas during the early 1900's. Learners relate the five themes of geography to the history of bauxite and aluminum production in Arkansas. For teachers of...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Ring of Fire

For Teachers 6th Standards
Over a period of 35 years, earthquakes and volcanoes combined only accounted for 1.5 percent of the deaths from natural disasters in the United States. The 15th lesson in a 20-part series connects the locations of earthquakes and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tears of Joy Theatre Presents Anansi the Spider

For Teachers 4th - 6th Standards
Accompany the African folktale, Anansi the Spider, with a collection of five lessons, each equipped with supplemental activities. Lessons offer multidisciplinary reinforcement in English language arts, social studies, science,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jamestown Celebrates 400th Anniversary

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students view a world map and identify the locations of England and Virginia and discuss what kinds of things they would take with them on this kind of trip. They read the words in the news box on the student page and fill in the blanks...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Louisiana Purchase

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students use maps, lecture and discussion to explore the unique contributions to the U.S. resulting from the purchase of the Louisiana Territory. They complete worksheets, label maps and participate in discussion groups.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geography: Mapping Newspaper Coverage

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners examine the locations of stories appearing in newspapers and determine where to assign reporters. Using various maps, they connect the stories to the correct maps and create charts of the story locations. Students explain their...
Lesson Plan
Global Oneness Project

A Collapsing City Skyline

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Have your high schoolers learn about the modern history of Myanmar by close-reading an article about the city and people of the city Yangon. As they'll learn, the country is going through some dramatic transitions. After...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"Go West, Young Man!"

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine reasons why people migrated west. They describe how the geography of the U.S. changed in the 19 th century and design a PowerPoint presentation to convey factors for westward expansion.