Start a whole new life in a land known as the Wild Wild West! Learners analyze maps, personal accounts, the Kansas-Nebraska Act, songs, and video clips to uncover life under the Homestead Act. Using their new skills, class members role...

When studying artifacts, especially tools, how do archaeologists determine what the devices were used for? In what ways might researchers' previous experiences influence their perception of an artifact? An article about researchers'...

Students practice their geography skills. In this geography skills lesson, students locate, plot, and label places on maps and globes.

In this geography skills activity, students respond to 37 multi-part questions that require them to read and interpret topographic maps.

Ninth graders investigate the country of Canada by examining their media in this geography instructional activity. They use the Internet to research Canadian newspapers and analyze a topic covered by both US and Canadian media sources....

In a perfect marriage of social studies and science, groups work together to research and create a travel guide presentation to share with the class. Not only do kids learn about the climate and geography of a biome, but also the...

Here is a very interesting infographic that compares the average life expectancies, per capita incomes, and population sizes of every country in the world in 2012.

The Le Moyne brothers, Jean-Baptiste and Pierre, were among the first explorers of the Gulf Coast. Class members read biographical information and journal entries about these men, study maps showing where the settlements they established...

Students complete many activities including mapping, reading books, and Internet research to learn about European exploration. In this European lesson plan, students study geographical mapping, trade, and colonization.

Students explain that globes are the best way to show positions of places, but flat maps are portable and can show great detail. They make a mercator projection of the route Lewis and Clark took on their journey.

In this geography worksheet, students read an excerpt on what directions tell someone. They respond to 6 short answer questions related to the neighborhood illustration found on the second page of the worksheet.

Students examine how to read maps for historical information. They listen to a lecture on the history of D-Day, analyze a historical map of the invasion of Normandy, and answer discussion questions.

For the warm-up in this cool climate lesson, you will need to click on "Mapping" and then "US Mapping" once you arrive at NOAA's "US Climate at a Glance" page. Earth science explorers realize that 2012 was a warm winter for us. They read...

Interpreting text is vital. Middle schoolers read a 1 page passage describing why Europe was so interested in colonizing India. After reading, they answer 8 comprehension questions. 

The Mexican-American War created social borders—not just physical ones. Scholars learn about the effects of the Mexican-American War on the people living in the borderlands using text excerpts, maps, and partnered activities. Academics...

Students map data on employment in wood products manufacturing in Oregon counties. In this Oregon forest lesson, students discover the percentage of people employed in the forest manufacturing industry. Students create a box and whisker...

Young scholars explore South America. In this geography skills lesson, students watch a video about the geographical features of the continent. Young scholars complete worksheets on the topic.

Young scholars study geographical maps and their functions.  In this geography lesson students work in groups to build a map to scale.

Students explore the goals of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission as a springboard to exploring the topographical features of their own state or region. They synthesize their understanding of landforms and topography by mapping their...

Students explore world geography by participating in a family history project. In this U.S.S.R. activity, students read assigned text regarding the Stalinist era of Russia and the intolerance that thrived there. Students answer a list of...

What is the cost of change? Roberto Guerra's photo essay "La Carretera: Life and Change Along Peru's Interoceanic Highway" asks viewers to consider the impacts of the 1,600 mile-long highway through Peru and Brazil that connects Pacific...

Students develop maps, tables, graphs, charts, and diagrams to depict the geographic implications of current world events, and analyze major human conflicts to determine the role of physical and cultural geographic features in the...

Students examine the descriptive science dealing with the surface of Earth, its division into continents and countries, climate, natural resources, inhabitants and industries of the various divisions and analyze the political geography...

How did the expansion of the Roman Empire during the first century contribute to its downfall? Using a map of the Roman Empire in 44 BC and one of the Roman Empire in 116 AD as references, class member use critical reading skills to...