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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cartography Project

For Teachers 1st - 8th
A instructional activity involving mapping, the use of a compass, writing and following directions, and exploring the first two themes of geography is here for you. Learners create original maps that show the routes they take through...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Land Plan Challenge

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Links to two different versions of this mapping activity are available. In "The Small Version," youngsters design a town, keeping the water supply in mind. In "The Large Version," they also design a town, but they consider services and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Layers with Lines

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students examine topographical maps and the challenges faced by cartographers when drawing the maps. While creating collages, they use contour lines to add dimension much in the same way they are used on maps to show elevation.
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Worksheet
Curated OER

Map Keys

For Students 5th - 8th
In this geography worksheet, students identify who a cartographer is and what they do specifically. They study an outline map of a fictitious island and then, respond to the three questions that follow. Finally, students add three more...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Reading in the 21st Century

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Learners interact with MapPoint tools to view maps of the past and the present in multiple ways. They participate in mini-lessons aimed at locating certain points of interest or famous routes taken in history.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding: Geography

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore their neighborhoods. For this geography lesson, students make a map of their neighborhood. They must include a key, natural terrain, buildings and streets. They also write a descriptive paragraph about their neighborhood.
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

What is GIS?

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Is GIS the real manifestation of Harry Potter's Marauders Map? Introduce your class to the history of geographic information systems (GIS), the technology that allows for easy use of spatial information, with a resource that teaches...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cartography

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Learners follow directions to draw a map of an island. They complete the island map adding their own details using symbols and a legend.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

FUN WITH MAPS

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders receive a general overview about how maps are made and used, how specific information can be derived from them, and how a student can gain personal information about their surroundings from examining them.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do Cartographers Find Points on a Map?

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders describe latitude and longitude and how they may be useful to find things on a map.  In this cartography lesson students divide into groups and devise a coordinate system that can be used to communicate a position. 
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Lesson Plan
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Teach Engineering

Projections and Coordinates: Turning a 3D Earth into Flatlands

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Introduce your class to map projections and coordinates, the basics for the work done in a GIS, with an activity that uses Google Earth to challenge learners to think about the earth's shape. 
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Map for Me: An Original Story

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students read Blackbeard and brainstorm their knowledge of maps. In this language arts and geography lesson, students use landmarks on their playground to review north, south, east and west and discuss the compass rose. Students read...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping Roxaboxen

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read Roxaboxen and draw a map of the Roxaboxen community. In this language arts and geography lesson, 4th graders use specifications given, adding features to the map as described in the book and creating a legend.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Regions of Utah - Mapping

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders draw a rudimentary map of the state of Utah, dividing it into the three regions: the Great Basin, the Colorado Plateau, and the Rocky Mountain Region.
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Lesson Plan
Edgate

Great Grids

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Learners use grid boxes as a measurement tool and discover how grids are used for mapmaking and scaling down an area. They begin by attempting to draw a model shape drawn by the teacher by using the gridding process. At the conclusion of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping My World

For Teachers K - 1st
Students are introduced to simple maps and view a map of a classroom and compare distances of items shown.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Maps in Kindergarten: Rosie’s Walk

For Teachers K
Students are read, Rosie's Walk by Pat Hutchins. In this sequencing lesson, students discover the importance of knowing how to create a map and read it. They listen to the story and complete various map making activities.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

For Teachers 1st - 5th
Students watch a portion of "The Wizard of Oz" and discuss how a map could be useful to Dorothy. They identify key components of maps and design a map of their classroom, including a key.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

CLASSROOM MAPS

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students do a blind tour of their school by responding to verbal commands. They look and discuss various maps in the classroom. They locate the direction of the sunrise and discuss the compass directions of North, South, East, and West.
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Mapmaking

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Students examine the craft of cartography and how the Lewis and Clark expedition created and used maps. They analyze maps, read a handout, create a map, participate in a mini expedition and map out a route based on travel directions,...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Making

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students use a tennis ball and paper to construct a student-made globe. They sketch in continents and major map features and then compare a flat map to a globe.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cartography

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students research about cartography and how to be a cartographer. In this math lesson plan, students draw a map of their classroom. They use a robot to explore navigation using a compass rose.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Exploring with Cartography

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students are introduced to the topic of cartography. Using the internet, they research the paths and goals of early explorers. They create a PowerPoint presentation of the information they collected. They also develop a...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Silk Roads Big Map

For Teachers 5th - 11th
Students create an oversized map from Europe to East Asia. They include information such as Silk Roads, geographical features, major cities and cultural information on their map.