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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Revolt of Juan "Cheno" Cortina

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders examine the social and cultural impact of immigrant groups and the oppression of ethnic minorities with a focus on the role of Juan Cortina in Mexico. In small groups they discuss what a revolutionary is, read and discuss...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Living Swamps, Bayous and Forests

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore interesting environments by exploring Louisiana. In this wetland lesson plan, 3rd graders utilize the web to research the State of Louisiana, the bayous in the area, and the Gulf of Mexico. Students write a journal...
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Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Winter Holiday Activities Extravaganza

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students define culture and explore elements that are part of the custom or culture of a place.  In this holiday lesson, students identify the cultures they participate in.  Students identify the differences in people's cultures....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Westward Expansion

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students locate California and New York on a map and explore available means of travel in the 19th century. Students explore the role of trade in pioneer America and simulate various barter transactions.
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Lesson Plan
National Gardening Association

Migration Mishaps

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Elementary ecologists pretend to be migratory hummingbirds. They fly between wintering and nesting grounds, trying to reach a habitat haven. In a musical-chair fashion, some birds will miss out, and are removed from the game. To further...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create a World

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars combine imaginative powers with known map-making techniques to create a whole new world.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Formation and Value of Temperate Grasslands

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Learners study the Temperate Grasslands biome of North America. They explain that it is an endangered ecosystem because the rich soils have been converted to farming in most areas. They view videos imbedded in this plan, then complete...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Drought Threatens Huge Man-Made Lake

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students locate Lake Mead, then read a news article about Lake Mead drying up and how that would effect water and power supplies to the region. In this current events lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with a map and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Four Corners Region of the United States Cultures, Ruins and Landmarks

For Teachers K - 8th
Students who live in the inner city are introduced to the four corners region of the United States. In groups, they examine how the region differs compared to where they live and their culture. They develop maps of the area and locate...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Communications: To the Rescue!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students role-play as soldiers rescuing lost mountain climbers. Working in teams, they interpret maps to locate the climbers and use flashlights to send and receive coded messages about the rescue. Their goal is to complete the task in...
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Lesson Plan
Agriculture in the Classroom

Design 'Y'er Genes

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
How do changes in DNA affect an organism? Scholars explore chromosomes, genes, DNA, and mutations by modeling the DNA of a strawberry. They build a DNA model, then manipulate it to show how changing the genes transforms the strawberry...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Aztec Myths 1

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Young scholars write a diary entry or a letter from the viewpoint of a character in a myth.  In this Aztec myths activity, students define myths and read "The Heart of Copil" and "The Eagle of Tenochtitlan" and find the land of the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Four Immigrant Groups: Their Lives and Music

For Students 4th
Fourth graders examine the experiences of four immigrant groups. Class members brainstorm a list of misconceptions of those groups and discuss if these perceptions are still present today. Using maps, groups locate the countries of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trading Up?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore the benefits and drawbacks of free trade from the perspective of the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile and Mexico. For homework, they each write a letter to the editor expressing their personal...
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Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Perfect Postcards: California

For Teachers 4th Standards
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...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dancing Rainbows: A Pueblo Boy's Story

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students read the book "Dancing Rainbows," and complete a variety of activities across the curriculum. In this Native Americans lesson plan, students create pottery, discuss Pueblo traditions, discuss the importance of rain, and learn...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Volcanoes:How Safe Are They?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore volcanoes, locate them on maps, record general information about volcanoes, and organize information on a fact sheet.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Possible Locations

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers create maps with cutout pieces of paper that represent caverns. They develop a scale for their map and decide where the best location is to live. They discover the importance of map reading skills.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Founding of Los Angeles, California

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders examine the social and cultural impact of settler groups in California and the origins of the founding of Los Angeles, California. They read and discuss an informational handout, and discuss what it is and was like to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Conquering North America

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students create a study guide on colonization of North America. In this American Colonization lesson, students complete a chart of explorers and their conquests. Students complete a crossword puzzle using explorer facts. Students read...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

States of Fitness

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students participate in physical activities coordinating to divisions on a map.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

An Excursion to Cities of Mysterious Pasts

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Learners use the encyclopedia sources on the computer or in the library to research the historic sites and history of Mexico City. They make notes of what they find to be the most interesting for their visit. They make a large map of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Effects of the Spanish Conquest

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders read and research the effects of the Spanish Conquistadors on the New World. Then they break into small groups and play a game of Jeopardy, using the facts that they have learned.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Regions of the US: Gulf Stream, States and Their Capitals

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders identify one way of dividing the US into geographical regions and then consider alternate ways of doing the same. They locate each of the fifty states and their capitals on a map. They research the Gulf Stream region.