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When Rice Was King
Students examine the origins of rice production in the South. They identify the steps involved in rice cultivation, examine photos of plantation life, conduct interviews, and research the economic base of their own community.
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Working for Water
Learners examine the ways that government works to help improve aquatic habitats. In this water habitats instructional activity students view a video and plan a school restoration project.
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Give Me Back My School: A Back to Basics Approach to Ecological Restoration
Ninth graders research local geography to create successful, ecological school landscaping. They determine soil type, average weather patterns and temperature graphs and use the information to select ideal plants and plant maintenance...
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Idaho Earthquakes
High schoolers examine the types of earthquakes that occur in Idaho. In groups, they compare and contrast the types of energy released and how they affect the movement of the Earth. To end the instructional activity, they analyze a map...
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Can You Dig It?
Learners investigate a fossil site and diagram a site map. They role play as paleontologists.
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If You Build It, Will They Come?
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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Students Become Mapmakers
Young scholars practice making a map of a continent and correctly plotting five cities on that map. They place latitude and longitude lines on a map, determine the need for various map projections and explain why map scales are necessary.
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How Much Further Is It?
Fifth graders use estimation to solve problems and assess the reasonableness of their answers. They may use an odometer, a map with a legend, MapQuest, or a map without a legen. They estimate 4 to 5 different scenarios.
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Where Is Hoku?
Students are introduced to map making and reading. Using maps, they identify the cardinal directions and discuss the importance of a legend. They analyze the human characteristics of the classroom and create overhead view maps of the...
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Big Apple, Here We Come
Students role play the role of immigrants coming to America for the first time. They complete an imaginary trip with their family and must rent a car and make seven stops along the way. They calculate distances and use maps to...
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America the Beautiful
Young scholars listen to a read-aloud discussing the landmarks of the United States. In pairs, they use the internet to research a landmark of their choice. They create a visual aid to be given with a presentation sharing the...
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What Does a Quarter Weigh?
Students study the historical figures and symbols of U.S.
patriotism depicted on the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter coins. They
create a balance scale from common materials to measure the approximate weight
of a quarter.
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Alaska the Elephant
Students explore an Internet website, locating and matching the shape of an elephant's head to a state in the U.S. They complete an Alaska worksheet, identifying other geographical locations surrounding Alaska.
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Exploring History Through Photographs
Fifth graders compare and contrast photographs from the 1800s to those of 2003. In groups, they create drawings of how society has changed over time and use maps to locate local streets. Individually, they practice measuring the...
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Exploring Infrared Image Technology
Young scholars view infrared images of a blowing hair dryer, a Popsicle, and a toaster. They discuss the images and ways they are different than visible light images. Students view a temperature scale and discuss which parts of the item...
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Activities to Enhance STEDII Data
High schoolers develop an understanding of related weather processes such as wind, cloud cover, and temperature using STEDII data and instrumentation. In addition, they integrate mathematical calculations to produce a forecast map.
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Oceanography
Fifth graders study the topography of the ocean floor. They determine its ever changing nature as they examine currents and trade winds. They write paragraph describing how the winds might affect land formations after the discussion of...
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The Big O
Students investigate the characteristics of a community. They investigate the characteristics of the Omaha community through internet research and discussion. Students create books about their community.
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Town Planning
Seventh graders consider factors in making road transport planning directions. They write a short speech for a presentation at an inquiry. They debate and analyze the information presented in the debate.
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Ridgerunner
Students jog for three minutes at the beginning of the class, increasing one minute per week for ten weeks. They count each lap as one mile on the Appalachian Trail, computing the class average and plotting their progress on a class map.
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Site vs. Situation: Location! Location! Location!
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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Researching the World's Oceans
Students research and compare important features of the oceans based on current data. They examine the globe or map, determine the major oceans of the world, and record their names on the data sheet.
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A Capital Idea
Students write a description of the spatial organization of the former and present location of New Hampshire's state capital. They analyze maps, participate in a class discussion, and calculate the distance of Concord from the borders...
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Peru's Earthquake
Students identify the patterns of earthquakes by mapping USGS data and comparing it to mapped tectonic plates. They discover the relationship between earthquakes and the moving plates of the Earth's crust.