Curated OER
Finding Meaning in the Badge
Children who are three to five years old study two rank badges from the Qing dynasty to develop an understanding of social rank, language skills, and symbolism. The lesson is discussion-based and requires learners to compare and contrast...
Sea World
Whales
A whale of a lesson is sure to intrigue your elementary oceanographers! Learn about the mammals of the sea with a series of activities about whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Kids complete worksheets about the anatomy of a whale, create a...
Curated OER
Latitude and Longitude
Fifth graders study latitude and longitude. They estimate the latitude and longitude of their hometown and find the latitude and longitude of other cities using a map. They use a website to find out the cities' actual latitude and...
Curated OER
Lost at Sea: The Search for Longitude
Students research and chart the shortest course to circumnavigate the globe.
Curated OER
New Perspectives
Young scholars examine maps that are designed to give different perspectives. They create mental maps that illustrate their own perspectives and those of people from other parts of the world.
Curated OER
Where In the World Are You?
Fourth graders fill in blank copies of the United States Map and then the World Map.
Curated OER
Nina Bonita: Culture and Beauty
Students read Nina Bonita by Ana Maria Machado. In this reading comprehension/ geography lesson, students recall various parts of the story and create a map of where the rabbit traveled throughout the story. They participate in group...
Curated OER
Weather/ Seasons Chart
After reviewing weather expressions with your Spanish scholars, have them do some research: what is the weather like in different parts of the world? They can choose up to four different cities to compare with the local weather of their...
Curated OER
Snow Cover By Latitude
Students create graphs comparing the amount of snow cover along selected latitudes using data sets from a NASA website. They create a spreadsheet and a bar graph on the computer, and analyze the data.
Curated OER
Matthew Henson
Discuss the work of Matthew Henson, an African American who traveled to the North Pole with Robert Peary. After reading the story "Matthew Henson" by Maryann N. Weidt, learners answer questions by drawing inferences and conclusions,...
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.
Curated OER
Japan
First graders investigate the similarities and differences between Japan and the United States. They develop a KWL chart, locate Japan and the U.S. on a globe, conduct Internet research on life in Japan, conduct an interview, and create...
Curated OER
Native American History
Fourth graders use a previous and current map of the state of Michigan to compare cities and roads. They look for names that come from the Native American culture. They participate in a class discussion to compare findings.
Curated OER
Day to Day Life in a Small African Village
Students analyze life in a village of Tanzania including its language, geography, health, and hygiene issues. In this African village activity, students locate Tanzania and its capital city on a map. Students compare aspects of...
Curated OER
Rain Forests: A Disappearing Act?
Learners examine and locate rainforests on maps, and research the patterns of their destruction. They develop a bar graph of rainfall and temperature data, write a journal entry, and research the people, animals, and plants/products of...
Curated OER
Expanding Children's Geographic and Economic Worlds
Young scholars learn their addresses and gain a sense of connection between their neighborhood and the rest of the world and the universe.
Curated OER
Researching the World's Oceans
Pupils 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.
Curated OER
Weather in Your City
Students observe weather conditions of a particular city. Multiple intelligences are explored within this lesson. They locate their particular city on a United States map. Each student writes about their discoveries in his/her journal...
August House
The Clever Monkey Rides Again
Use a West African folktale to practice several different skills in your first grade classroom. Learners read The Clever Monkey Rides Again and focus on rhyming words, reading comprehension, measurement, art, movement, and word...
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: Sixth Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
Here is a set of pre-lab, lab, and post-lab lesson plans on plate tectonics. After completing the previous labs on volcanoes and earthquakes, sixth graders use the gained knowledge to explore plate boundaries and the movement of...
Peace Corps
Community
What is a community? Find out with a lesson plan that sheds light onto the different types of communities—school, local, and global. Scholars read informational text detailing the life of a young girl from Cape Verde and take part in a...
Peace Corps
Family
Family traditions are the focus of a lesson that explores the lives of children in India and those in your classroom. Scholars examine their own family roles and traditions, then respond to an informative text detailing a young...
Curated OER
Learning to Swim in Swaziland
Young scholars explore everyday life in Swaziland and compare and contrast it to their own everyday life.
Curated OER
Exploring the World's Geography
Students discuss the seven continents of Earth and the diverse geography. After discussion, they create their own paper-mache globes which properly display all seven continents, the equator, and the prime meridian. They conduct research...