Curated OER
Home Ties
Young scholars explore the reasons people choose to migrate including political, economic and familial motivations. They interview family members and compare their ancestors own reasons for migration to those of African American urban...
Curated OER
Land of Plenty, Land of Want
Students view a video about the state of the environment. They discover the topic of sustainable agriculture. They identify problems and how to solve them.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Calculating Your Carbon Footprint
Unplugging from technology for one day per week will decrease your carbon footprint—are you up to the challenge? Part two in a series of three allows individuals to explore their personal carbon footprints. By first taking a quiz at home...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Personal Choices and the Planet
The last activity in the series of four has individuals determine steps they can take to reduce their carbon footprints and then analyze their schools' recycling programs. Through a sustainability audit, they identify how and where their...
Curated OER
Create the Ideal City
Middle schoolers examine the significance of city planning. They analyze maps, develop a crossword puzzle using vocabulary terms, and create a diagram of an ideal city and describe the features that make it healthy for the economy, the...
Curated OER
Habitat Choice in Woodbugs
Students investigate woodbugs. For this scientific investigation lesson, students explore the steps scientists take when conducting an investigation using live specimens. Students explore habitat preferences for woodbugs in various...
Curated OER
Growth of a City
Students evaluate aerial photographs of Beverly Hills taken in 1923 and 1932, and examine the effects of rapid growth of a region. They discuss the needs of city planning, compare the two photographs, and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
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...
Michigan Sea Grant
Water Quality
Learners observe water samples and measure the samples' water quality. Students develop their own criteria for measuring water quality and test for temperature, acidity, oxygen levels, turbidity, conductance, sediment and hardness.
Curated OER
City Upon a Hill: Urban Centers and African-American Migrants
Young scholars examine why fugitive slaves migrated to cities and towns rather than rural areas. In this instructional activity, students consider the social, economic, and political benefits provided by cities and towns in comparison to...
Curated OER
Save Our Soil
Pupils explore the need for good farm land and reasons for the disappearance of agricultural areas. They brainstorm environmental friendly decisions and soil conservation. In their community, students explore new land developments that...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Got Park? Or if you build it, they will come!
Young scholars use GIS and GPS technology to evaluate, research, locate, and recommend where a new park should be located that benefit the community.
Curated OER
Green Space in the City
Young scholars identify the different kinds and uses of green space that exist in an urban area. They create maps of local parks and research the history of each park. They conduct a survey of residents near the park and interview a park...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Introducing Ecosystem Services
Purifying air and water, providing soil in which to grow crops, and moving water through its natural cycle are all services an ecosystem provides that benefit humans. Lesson four in a series lets learners explore and discuss the value of...
Curated OER
A world of oil
Students practice in analyzing spatial data in maps and graphic presentations while studying the distribution of fossil fuel resources. They study, analyze, and map the distribution of fossil fuels on blank maps. Students discuss gas...
Kenan Fellows
Sustainability: Learning for a Lifetime – The Importance of Water
Water is essential for life—and understanding the importance of clean drinking water is essential in understanding sustainability! Show your environmental science class the basics of water testing and treatment through a week-long...
Curated OER
Location, Location, Location: Civilization's Ultimate Advantage
Students discover how geographical advantages, locational and regional, ultimately led to western Eurasian societies' disproportionate accounting of world power and innovation. They utilize a workbook which can be downloaded within this...
Curated OER
Estuarine Habitats
Sixth graders study the important habitats, flora, fauna, and physical factors of coastal habitats. They compare the aquatic habitats to terrestrial habitats by researching and completing tables with the information.
Curated OER
Settlements in Belfast
In this Belfast geography instructional activity, learners arrange the names of places in order by size, color a map, match important dates and events, and write a plan for redeveloping Laganside.
Cave Creek Unified School District
Crusades and Culture in the Middle Ages
The Crusades sounds like a glamorous time period in the Middle Ages full of glory—but was it? Scholars find and review the truth of the Crusades' influence on the world through the resource. The study guides, separated individually by...
Curated OER
The High Cost of Chemical Dependency
Sixth graders explore, analyze and study the effect and impact that humans have on the environment based on their choices as individuals, businesses and governments. They assess the balance between human activities and aquatic pollution.
Curated OER
Forestry Background
In this environment worksheet, students read the background information of forestry and focus upon harvesting and forest management.
Curated OER
Earthquake!
Students gain an understanding of earthquakes. They examine vocabulary associated with earthquakes, how earthquakes happen, and preventive measures taken to diminish damage or harm in the event that an earthquake should happen.