Curated OER
Rain Forests: A Disappearing Act?
Students 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
Weaving a Story of Cooperation: The Goat in the Rug
Weaving is an important part of Navajo culture. Read The Goat in the Rug to your fourth and fifth graders, and give them a glimpse into the process of rug making from the point of view of a goat! They will learn new vocabulary words and...
Curated OER
Map Exploration
Are you looking for a terrific instructional activity on map activities for your second graders? Then, this resource is for you! The activities range from decoding, to fill-in-the-blank, to read-and-search. There is a website activity...
Curated OER
Integrated Lesson Plan
An ambitious and engaging instructional activity on the Westward Movement for your young scholars to enjoy! Groups of learners rotate between learning tasks such as learning about the Chislom Trail, Lewis and Clark, and the Gold Rush. A...
Curated OER
Traveling with Flat Stanley
students use the internet to gather geographical data about a state of their choice. Using new vocabulary, they describe the features present in the state, its climate and attractions. They develop a PowerPoint presentation to share...
Curated OER
Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica Today
Students explore the importance of research in Antarctica, then explain how snow becomes part of the Antarctic ice cap. They explore Antarctica's harsh environment and discover how scientists drill ice cores and what information ice...
Curated OER
South Asia Today: India
Students use information from the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India Web site to explore the Indian economy and environment for business investment, then write a business proposal.
Curated OER
Home in the Desert: Lesson for Use with This House is Made of Mud
Third graders examine how a family modifies their environment to create a home out of mud. They read the book "This House is Made of Mud" by Ken Buchanan, and write a description of their own home that compares the home of mud to their...
Royal Geographical Society
An Introduction to Maps
First graders are introduced to a variety of maps such as globes, street maps, atlases, and different types of floor plans. The focus of the lesson requires individuals to create their own plan of the classroom using the PowerPoint...
Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Eyes on Dissolved Oxygen
Learn about the factors that affect the way oxygen dissolves in salt water with a chemistry lab. After studying the molecular structure of water, young scientists figure out how aeration, temperature, and organic waste affect dissolved...
Curated OER
Regional Landforms and Native People
Third graders study the Native American tribes of Maidu and Miwok by studying Internet artifacts, culture, language, music, storytelling, architecture, food, clothing, crafts and geology.
Curated OER
Don't Call Me A Pig
First graders explore wildlife and habitats in the Arizona desert. Throughout a classroom discussion, 1st graders observe pictures of the desert and animals that live there. As they go on a nature walk around the school, students...
Curated OER
Erosion
Students are able to identify the causes and effects of erosion. They hypothesize ways to help curb erosion. Students are able to identify ways being used now to curb erosion. They are shown two different types of erosion, by putting...
Curated OER
The Gift of the Nile: Egypt and its River
Students begin with a piece of a puzzle that shows an artifact from ancient Egypt. They find others who have pieces that go with their puzzle piece. Students work in these groups to construct a relief map of the Nile River Valley.
Curated OER
How To Make an Apple Pie and See the World
Students have a class discussion on how the variety of foods we use on a daily basis come from all over the world. They identify foods that they are familiar with that come from other places.
Library of Congress
Investigating the Building Blocks of Our Community’s Past, Present, and Future
As Ken Jennings said, "There's just something hypnotic about maps." Certainly, the longer you look at them the more you can learn. In this project-based learning lesson plan, individuals study both historic and present-day maps of their...
Curated OER
Country Cookbook
Students, in groups, create menus for five traditional meals from a country of their choice. They create a cookbook that includes all the recipes and describes when the traditional dish would be served.
Curated OER
Kosovo: A Thousand Year Old Border Conflict
Students present proposals and negotiate with other representatives to bring lasting peace to the area through a simulated "Summit Conference."
Curated OER
Journey to America
Fifth graders carefully analyze the artwork, Les Emigrants, and explore the reasons that people emigrated to the United States, and what life was like for new arrivals. They discuss what things immigrants were able to bring with them and...
Energy for Keeps
The Energy Times
Extra! Extra! Read all about past and present energy use in a classroom-made historical newspaper. Useful as a cross-curricular assignment between science, history, and language arts, the project is sure to get young journalists...
Curated OER
The Silk Road, An Ancient Internet
Pupils examine how goods and ideas moved along an ancient trade route between China and Europe. They make charts of items, ideas, etc. that were transported along the Silk Route.
Curated OER
Where Am I, and How Do I Get Where I am Going?
Students describe geographical places through art, music, writing, and math. They compile information in booklets which may be published.
Curated OER
America Grows - Trailblazers Pave the Way
Learners study the time period after the Revolutionary War when people were striving to move away from the coastal areas and look for pathways to the west. Westerward expansion is a central theme and students use a variety of resources...
Curated OER
How Mountains Shape Climate
Students use raw data to make a climatograph; they explain the process of orographic precipitation and the concept of a rain shadow.