Curated OER
Build a Model Watershed
Collaborative earth science groups create a working model of a watershed. Once it has been developed, you come along and introduce a change in land use, impacting the quality of water throughout their watershed. Model making is an...
California Academy of Science
Which Way is North?
Who needs a compass to find cardinal directions? Just place a stick in the ground and record the movement of its shadow over the course of a day. Then, measure the shadow lengths in order to determine a north-south line. A simple...
Curated OER
Radiation Comparison Before and After 9-11
Using the NASA website, class members try to determine if changes could be detected in cloud cover, temperature, and/or radiation measurements due to the lack of contrails that resulted from the halt in air traffic after the attacks...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 1: On the Road with Marco Polo: A Boy in 13th Century Venice
Learners investigate Marco Polo's life as a young boy in 13th century Venice. They analyze maps, explore various websites, complete a chart and answer discussion questions, and create a travel brochure about visiting 13th century Venice.
Teach Engineering
Earthquakes Living Lab: Locating Earthquakes
There are patterns in nearly everything — even earthquakes. Pairs research current earthquakes to see if there are any patterns. They determine the mean, median, and mode of the earthquake data, along with the maximum and...
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Fading Corals
Show the six-minute video, "Changing Planet: Fading Corals," and then demonstrate how calcium carbonate forms a precipitate in the presence of carbon dioxide. Separate your scientists into small groups to gather information about coral...
Curated OER
India and Pakistan: Rivals from Birth
Seventh graders, after being divided into two groups, are assigned either Pakistan or India. They conduct research using the Internet, reference books, and magazines. The class compares and contrasts the two countries to find sources of...
Curated OER
The Seven Continents Scavenger Hunt
Who doesn't enjoy an engaging scavenger hunt? Here, scholars listen to, and discuss, the informative text, Where is my Continent? by Robin Nelson. They then explore the seven continents and four major oceans using...
Curated OER
A Comparison of Cloud Coverage over Africa
Students identify different climate regions and local weather patterns. In this cloud coverage lesson students use NASA satellite data and import it into Excel.
Space Awareness
How Light Pollution Affects the Stars: Magnitude Readers
Did you know light can decrease visibility? Light pollution absolutely makes it more difficult to see stars. Scholars build a simple magnitude reader to determine the magnitude of stars. They use these data to estimate the impact of...
Curated OER
Making a Globe
Students examine the mercator projection or nautical chart and observe how global maps do not have the same distance as flat maps. They design handmade globes using the meridians and equator as guides to draw in the land. They paint and...
Curated OER
Where Do You Live?
Learners identify their state and city on a map. After completing a reading of Zoom, students identify various landmarks on a globe and on a map. They begin by identifying the United States and refine their identification until they have...
Curated OER
Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude
Middle schoolers research and chart the shortest course to circumnavigate the globe.
Curated OER
Walking that Line
Students attempt to describe and use longitude and latitude. They will identify different countries, their neighbors, and borders around the world. Included in the lesson the students identify natural features that control the borders of...
Curated OER
The Bozeman Trail
Eighth graders are introduced to the Bozeman Trail. Using the internet, they research the trail to discover the forts located on its path. They must also locate and label landmarks on a map using symbols they create. They answer...
Curated OER
China: Dim Sum: 3 Mapping Lessons
Fourth graders, after studying maps, draw a very large outline map of Asia and then a large map of China on it in the appropriate place. They label the appropriate information.
Curated OER
Geography: Continents
First graders identify basic geographical facts about the world they live in and distinguish between land and water on a globe. They research the continents and information associated with each one focusing on building their map skills.
Curated OER
Discovering the Past Using the Future: Remote Sensing and the Lost City of Ubar
Students use a video, maps, worksheets and Internet research to explore the role that sensing played in locating Ubar - the lost city of Arabia.
Curated OER
Breads Around the World
Pupils read about bread. For this lesson studying bread, students read about the history of bread and it's significance around the world. Pupils identify the three main crops used to make bread and ten common types of bread from...
Curated OER
I Can Compass, Can You?
Young scholars discover how to use geographic tools. In this compass lesson, students identify cardinal directions by appropriately using compasses along with a number of various maps.
Curated OER
The World (With an emphasis on the United States)
Fourth graders recognize the different continents. They are introduced to longitude and latitude and how to find locations using these measurements. This series ends with an emphasis on the fifty states of the United States and their...
Curated OER
My Community
Students identify how their school has changed. In this local community lesson, students listen to a brief history of their town and school and interview someone that graduated from their school. Students then create a map of their...
Curated OER
Cities of the World
Students identify the symbol for cities on a political map. In this world map activity, students identify specific cities on the World Political Map. Students should identify the country in which the city is located. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
Charting Neptune's Realm: Profiles
Students identify and describe the importance of nautical profiles in early navigation. They draw a profile of a street or mall and explore the effectiveness of different types of directions.