Curated OER
Old World and New World - Why Contact Took So Long
Students use a globe to determine why contact between the old world and the new world took a long time. In this map skills lesson, students analyze routes between regions to determine why it took so long for the old world and the new...
Curated OER
Cartography Project
A instructional activity involving mapping, the use of a compass, writing and following directions, and exploring the first two themes of geography is here for you. Learners create original maps that show the routes they take through...
Curated OER
The Mekong River
Junior geographers explore the region through which the Mekong flows, its pathway, the landscape, how people depend on the Mekong, and future uncertainties. They apply the five themes of geography to examine the region. They create a...
Curated OER
Living in the Desert
Conduct an investigation on the plants used by the Hohokam tribe. To survive in the harsh desert environment the Hohokam used many natural resources. Learners read, research, map, and graph multiple aspects of Hohokam plant use as a...
Curated OER
A Contouring We Go
Students examine the built environment and infrastructures of their community by constructing contour equipment, using the equipment, and comparing their results to current topographical maps of the same area
Shakespeare in American Life
Tom Hanks and Caliban: Survivor Superstars
Here’s a clever way to combine language arts and social studies. Shakespeare’s The Tempest is believed to have been inspired by the wreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda in 1609. The class views a brief scene from Castaway in which Tom...
Curated OER
Trash Talkin
Students investigate recycling at several scales, including local, state, national and global. They become aware of recycling, re-use, reduce efforts and policies. Students read the article Where Does Your Garbage Go. They look up where...
Curated OER
Climate Change in My City
Students investigate the climate changes occurring locally, regionally and globally over the last one hundred years. They brainstorm and predict whether the current year's weather was warmer or colder than last year then check the...
Curated OER
Putting Pitch In Its Place
Young scholars focus on reading musical notations. They see, hear, practice and write notations in the lessons to become more independent readers of music. They complete a Rubric for Pitch Worksheet.
University of Wisconsin
Follow the Drop
Young surveyors look for patterns in water flow around campus. Using a map of the school (that you will need to create), they mark the direction of the path of water. They also perform calculations for the volume that becomes runoff. The...
NOAA
Sediments
Calcareous ooze ... what an interesting name! The 15th installment of a 23-part NOAA Enrichment in Marine sciences and Oceanography (NEMO) program focuses on sediments found on the ocean floor. After viewing the slideshow lecture,...
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...
Curated OER
Enough To Make Your Head Spin
Students examine body language in the United States and Bulgaria. They also discover other forms of communication. They also examine a map of Bulgaria.
Curated OER
Changing Planet: Melting Glaciers
Resource links to a video, satellite images, data, and photographs of glaciers provide emerging earth scientists the opportunity to examine how the ice has been retreating over the years. A data table is included for pupils to record...
Curated OER
Where Is Japan? How Far Is That?
First graders use literature and hands-on activities with maps and globes to explain distance and tools used to measure distance. They select tools to measure various objects in the classroom, then apply those concepts to their map...
Curated OER
The Mathematics of Space and Place
Students investigate the measurements and geometry of the school grounds. They conduct inquiry while measuring the campus and some of the city blocks. Then students draw a map to scale and categorize property types using a pie graph.
Curated OER
Measurement and the Illampi Mound Colony
Young scholars comprehend the basic units of measurement, scale, plotting, and basic grids. Students practice their estimation
and measuring skills and will demonstrate their ability to work well in groups.
Curated OER
Current Events, Geography
Students read the newspaper to become aware of what is happening in their city, state, nation, and world. They summarize, find locations on a map and ask thought-provoking questions.
Curated OER
Create a Full-Scale Layout of the International Space Station
Students work together to convert scale dimensions to determine the true size of the International Space Station. They create a full-scale outline of the station. They share their layout with the class.
Curated OER
Navigating Your Community
Students draw a map from memory describing the route between their classroom and the gym including a legend, a compass rose, a map scale, symbols, and a landmark at every change of direction. They then retrace their steps in their maps...
Curated OER
Off to College
Students jog to where their classroom teacher went to college using a scale that best fits their situation. They log miles on a chart until students reach their destination. Students use the colleges mascot as the graph indicator as to...
Curated OER
Searching the Attic
Students investigate an attic or basement to "discover" family artifacts. They develop a grid map using string, create a naming system for the grid, and analyze items of interest.
Curated OER
On the Road Again": Moving People, Products, and Ideas
In this lesson students learn how to identify modes of transportation and communication for moving people, products, and ideas from place to place. Students also study the advantages and disadvantages of different modes of...
Curated OER
See the State
Fourth graders are given a map of Indiana and have to plan a road trip including at least two major points of interest with 100% accuracy. The students estimate the distance between their two chosen locations with 100% accuracy.