National Wildlife Federation
Quantifying Land Changes Over Time Using Landsat
"Humans have become a geologic agent comparable to erosion and [volcanic] eruptions ..." Paul J. Crutzen, a Nobel Prize-winning atmospheric chemist. Using Landsat imagery, scholars create a grid showing land use type, such as urban,...
Curated OER
Hide and Seek with Bones: A Mapping and Scaling Comparison
Students examine and simulate how paleontologists map objects. They hide and find objects using a grid to map the objects' placements.
NOAA
To Explore Strange New Worlds
It's time to boldly go where your class has not gone before! The introductory lesson in a five-part series takes young oceanographers aboard the NOAA Ship Okeanos to begin a study of ocean exploration. The lesson includes a comparison of...
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...
Curated OER
Where Am I: How to Read a Map
Third graders develop an understanding of maps. They explore what a map is, who uses maps, and how to use maps. Students investigate the compas rose. They create a compose rose which illustrates the cardinal directions. Students practice...
Curated OER
Top to Bottom
Marine science classes read about the 2005 North Atlantic Stepping Stones Expedition and review climate change. They use maps to locate the seamount chains. In collaborative groups, they research how climate change may be altering the...
Curated OER
Footprints: Take a Step into Estimation
Compare sizes of student footprints with those of elephants and sauropod dinosaurs! Upper graders make estimations of the areas of irregular shapes; students use grids to make and explain estimates within low and high ranges.
Curated OER
Stadiums in America
Let's play ball! A great springtime activity to learn about ratios. This activity challenges learners to draw stadiums to scale on standard letter paper and also on construction paper. This three-day lesson plan includes a pre-assessment...
Curated OER
Zipping Through Our Solar System and Beyond
Launch your class on an exploration of the solar system. Learners construct solar system models to scale and get a better understanding of our place in the vast void of space. This is a great way for them to cement their understanding of...
Curated OER
Draw To Scale The E-Z Way
Fourth graders draw a rough floor plan of a house to scale without using a ruler to determine measurements. They see how architects use scale to draw blueprints, and solve math problems using scale.
Curated OER
North Carolina Salt Dough Map Social Studies Project
In this lesson, North Carolina Salt Dough Map, 4th graders create a salt dough map of North Carolina, Students use dough to form the shape of the state of North Carolina. Students label the three regions of North Carolina and all of...
Curated OER
Proportions and Scale Factor for Measurement
Students explore the concept of proportion. In this proportion lesson, students use google maps to find the distance the their school is from home. Students discuss what a scale factor is through teacher led discussion. Students...
Curated OER
Scaled Rubber Band Drawings
Students demonstrate the process of creating a scaled rubber band enlargement of a simple drawing. They observe and discuss a teacher-led demonstration, and create a scaled rubber band enlargement of simple drawings and their invention...
Curated OER
Mapping Puerto Rico
Students use maps to discover where Puerto Rico is located. In groups, they use the internet to research the vegetation. They also compare and contrast the relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico's government.
Curated OER
Rivers, Maps, and Math
Students use maps to locate and label the major rivers of North and South America. Using the internet, they identify forests, grasslands, mountain ranges and other landforms on the continents as well. They compare and contrast the...
Curated OER
Make a Classroom Map
Learners map the items in their classroom to explain the importance of coordinate systems.
Curated OER
Mapping the Bone Field: An Area and Scale Exercise
Here is an excellent cross-curricular lesson. Learners relate multiplication to area by making a grid on graph paper, and then creating the same grid in real space outside in the school yard.
Curated OER
Exploring Biomes Lesson 4: Mapping Arizona
Once junior ecologists are familiar with Earth's major biomes, they hone in on Arizona's biomes. Using a website about Arizona's natural resources, learners will identify biotic communities. Beautiful maps and worksheets are provided for...
Science Matters
Finding the Epicenter
The epicenter is the point on the ground above the initial point of rupture. The 10th lesson in a series of 20 encourages scholars to learn to triangulate the epicenter of an earthquake based on the arrival times of p waves and s waves....
Curated OER
Map Scale
Third and fourth graders are introduced to the concept of map scale. Using an illustration, they discuss if it shows the actual size of the object and why scale is used to represent areas. They use some items in the illustration to...
Curated OER
Learning Ratios and Proportions Through Scale Drawings
Middle and high schoolers explore the concept of scale drawings. They discuss what a scale is and that scales provide a ratio. Pupils construct a scale drawing of their classroom using graph paper.
Curated OER
Scale Drawing Lesson Plan
Students calculate actual building measurements from a village map using concepts of ratios and scale in this ten lesson plan mini-unit. They practice measuring angles, multiplying decimals, estimating height and length, and converting...
Curated OER
Maps and the Pictures in Our Heads
Geographers of all ages examine different types of maps. They draw maps of their environment, utilizing both three-dimensional and picture maps. They interpret map information, noting how it can sometimes be misleading. Some good...
Curated OER
Mapping Perceptions of China
Students discuss what types of things are included on a map. They compare and contrast maps of China with a map they create and practice using different types of maps. They write analysis of their classmates maps.