PBS
What's In a Name?
What is in a name? Eager historians trace the geographical history of places in the United States with Spanish names. Using a worksheet activity, clues, and web research developed in conjunction with the PBS "Latinos in America" series,...
Curated OER
What State Are You In?
Students identify the major U.S. cities. In this U.S. geography lesson plan, students work in pairs and use game cards to name various cities in the United States.
Curated OER
Simple Symbols
Have your class learn about Texas and the uses of a glyph. After listening to stories about Texas, they identify state symbols and engage in a glyph activity.
Annenberg Foundation
Contested Territories
United States expansion into Western territories impacted much more than just lines on a map. The seventh installment of a 22-part series about America's history puts scholars into the lives of those making the journey westward as well...
Curated OER
Data Comparison And Interpretation: North Korea, South Korea, And the United States
Ninth graders brainstorm "what they know about North Korea and South Korea." They determine the approximate distance from the United States to North and South Korea and create a graph comparing the birth rates, death rates, infant...
Curated OER
Creating a Topographic Map
In this topographic map instructional activity, students add contour lines to a topographic map using instructions provided. Once topographic map is finished, students complete 2 follow-up short answer questions.
University of California
Containing Communism Abroad
Learn more about the policy of the United States to contain communism during the Cold War. The fifth installment of an eight-part series looks at primary and secondary materials about a challenging time in history. After analyzing the...
University of Richmond
Foreign-Born Population 1850-2010
If America is a nation of immigrants, where are they from and why did they come? Demographic data and interactive maps help pupils consider answers to these questions by examining the statistics of foreign-born Americans. Features allow...
Curated OER
Mapping Electricity
Students complete Internet research and use their map reading skills to learn about how the United States creates and uses electricity in different states. In this energy sources lesson, students study the mini map of energy usage in the...
Curated OER
Maps
Maps, globes, and computer software aid young explorers as they locate state capitols, major cities, geographic features, and attractions for states they are researching. They then use desktop publishing software to create a map to share...
Curated OER
Mapmaker, Mapmaker, Make Me a Map!
Learners evaluate the different types of historical and geographical information that one can gather through close study of historical maps from the 16th through the 19th centuries. They create their own maps.
Curated OER
Mapping Population Changes In The United States
Students create a choropleth map to illustrate the population growth rate of the United States. They explore how to construct a choropleth map, and discuss the impact of population changes for the future.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's Steps to Statehood
To demonstrate their understanding of the steps Alabama took to become a state, groups create a poster that identifies what the United States Constitution and the Northwest Ordinance required of a territory to become a state.
Curated OER
Making Cents of Independence
Have your class explore the history of Texas using this comprehensive lesson! They read about Texas' march toward statehood, the Alamo, and more. There is a series of worksheets, graphic organizers, and a rubric which make this activity...
Curated OER
Exploring Arizona's Biotic Communities Lesson 1: Mapping Biotic Communities
As part of a unit on Arizona's biotic communities, young ecology learners create a map. They describe how humans and animals adapt in their habitat. They take notes and create graphic organizers from articles they read. Beautiful maps,...
Curated OER
Grid Frame Mapping
Students map and describe small area of the schoolyard and discuss habitats.
Curated OER
Mapping West Virginia
Fourth graders explore West Virginia. In this Unites States geography lesson, 4th graders discuss the type of land and the cities in West Virginia. Students create two overlays, with transparencies, that show the natural land and the...
Curated OER
An Introductory Lesson on Maps
Students identify what a map is. They draw their own map using a simplified overhead view. After hearing the book, "Nikk's Adventure," students create their own maps.
Curated OER
U.S. Puzzle Map Bulletin Board
Students create cutouts of each state. They research different states noting their similarities and differences. They describe each state's location in relation to the state's surrounding them.
Curated OER
"Place the State" Game
Students participate in a computer game in which they locate and place the U.S. states on a blank outline map. In small groups, they take turns dragging and dropping the states in the proper location on a map.
Curated OER
Creating and Comparing Climographs
Students are introduced to the importance and usefulness of climographs. In groups, they create a climograph of two cities on about the same latitude. They compare and contrast the locations and climates of the two cities and write a...
Carolina K-12
Who the People? Representative Democracy in North Carolina and Congress
Our elected officials are supposed to represent us, but what does it mean when they aren't like us? Budding citizens explore the demographic makeup of the US Congress, the role of money in political elections, and the Citizens United...
Scholastic
Perfect Postcards: California
It's time to hear about some adventures in travel! The Transcontinental Railroad changed life and travel in the United States during the 1800s. Practicing online research skills, pupils discover the features they would like to visit on...
Curated OER
The Great Military: Map of Texas
The battle at the Alamo may be one of the most famous military campaigns in Texas history, but it is by no means the only one. As part of their study of the military history of Texas, class members research less-well-known sites, locate...