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As the Kids Come and Go: Mapping a Classroom

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Map the classroom with your kids to help them understand how maps work and how to read them. The lesson starts off with a story about animals living and moving around the globe, and then kids create maps of their classroom to show how...
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A Walk Around the School: Mapping Places Near and Far

For Teachers K - 1st
After reading Pat Hutchins’ Rosie’s Walk, have your young cartographers create a map of Rosie’s walk. Then lead them on a walk around the school. When you return class members sequence the walk by making a list of how the class got from...
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Countries Involved in World War II

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students create their own floor map of Europe, Northern Africa, and the Pacific. They locate, identify, and speak for one of the countries involved. In addition, they classify the country they represent as an Axis Power or as an Allied...
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Paint My Counties: Map Coloring the Counties of Arizona

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders identify the counties of Arizona. In this social studies lesson, 4th graders color a county map of Arizona using the fewest number of colors possible. Students write a persuasive paragraph.
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Through the Forest and Home Again: Maps Help Us Find Our Ways

For Teachers K - 1st
Students read Little Red Riding Hood, focusing on her path home to Grandma's house. In this language arts and geography lesson, students perform a reader's theater, re-creating the walk home and possible routes that could have been...
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Me on the Map: Homes, Neighborhoods, and Communities

For Teachers K - 1st
Young scholars read a book about maps and identify the differences between a picture and a map. In this maps lesson plan, students also label maps of their home, neighborhood, and community.
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Rock Around the Map

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research the geographical histories of various musical genres and make maps that note important places in music history. They Write geographical biographies about one of their favorite musical artists.
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About Life: The Photographs of Dorothea Lange Going to the Promised Land

For Teachers 8th - 12th Standards
To better understand the migrant experience during the Great Depression, pupils analyze two primary resources: photographs by Dorothea Lange and a U.S. Map that shows the Dust Bowl. They compare and contrast Lange's images to Steinbeck's...
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Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Map for Me: An Original Story

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students read Blackbeard and brainstorm their knowledge of maps. In this language arts and geography lesson, students use landmarks on their playground to review north, south, east and west and discuss the compass rose. Students read...
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Mapping Roxaboxen

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read Roxaboxen and draw a map of the Roxaboxen community. In this language arts and geography lesson, 4th graders use specifications given, adding features to the map as described in the book and creating a legend.
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Map Your State: Regions of Arizona

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders define vocabulary and locate physical features on maps.  In this mapping lesson plan, 4th graders explore regions of Arizona through landforms found on topographic maps.  Students research the history and culture...
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Put Me in My Place: Using Alphanumeric Grids to Locate Places

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Learners practice locating points on a large wall grid and create and label a neighborhood map. In this geography lesson, students spell and discuss places as the teacher places them on the map. They discuss the concept of an...
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Leapin' Landmarks: Locating 10 Man-made Landmarks Around the World

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders label continents, oceans, and major mountain ranges on maps and use the maps to write an informational report about landmarks. In this landmarks lesson plan, 3rd graders write about 1 major landmark.
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How Do I Get There? Planning a Safe Route to School

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
One much-needed skill for young learners is direction giving. Have your class plan and draw a safe route for them to travel from home to school. They will also draw places and items that are in between home and school in order to build a...
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Where is the Trail? The Journey of Lewis and Clark

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the trail followed by Lewis and Clark on their journey across the United States. In this United States History lesson, students complete several activities to establish the Lewis and Clark Expedition, including a class...
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Physical Features

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students draw physical land features using ClarisWorks or Kid Pix, write their definitions, create slideshow, and create class geography book.
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Nina Bonita: Culture and Beauty

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Pupils read Nina Bonita by Ana Maria Machado. In this reading comprehension/ geography lesson, students recall various parts of the story and create a map of where the rabbit traveled throughout the story. They participate in group...
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"Planet" Vacation

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students research a location of their choice using the internet. They list the characteristics of the location and why they chose it as their ideal vacation spot. Using maps, they pinpoint their destination and trace their route. They...
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Once Upon a Castle

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students complete a variety of activities surrounding castle communities and fairy tales. They write a letter to a fairy tale character, write a fairy tale, create a model of a castle, and draw a map of a castle community.
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5 Themes Awareness of Current Event Issues

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners identify the 5 themes of geography as being location, place, human-environmental interaction, movement and region. They explain a current event from the perspective of each theme and their interrelationship..
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Giants Of The Past

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students create a paper sculpture based on ancient Greek and Roman statues in the Getty Museum. In this paper sculpture lesson plan, students read the story The Mysterious Giant of Barletta by Tomie dePaola. They then make a sculpture...
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Maize to Maquiladoras: Movement from Mexico to Arizona

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students label maps of Arizona and Mexico of the products that moved from one place to another. In this Arizona and Mexico lesson plan, students also summarize the effects of the movement on life in Arizona.
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Making a Globe

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students examine the mercator projection or nautical chart and observe how global maps do not have the same distance as flat maps. They design handmade globes using the meridians and equator as guides to draw in the land. They paint and...
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Reading the Coyote School News: Lives of Ranchers in Southern Arizona

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders examine the effects of Mexican-American ranching on life today.