Curated OER
Land Use and Lawmaking in California
Students read writings by Ralph Waldo Emerson to analyze transcendentalism and analyze photographic essays depicting environmental issues. In this art and history lesson, students read excerpts of Nature by Emerson to identify...
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Land Use Change Over Time
Students use historical aerial photographs and current aerial photographs to compare the change over time to the land. In this land changing lesson plan, students analyze, compare, contrast, and list the land change in their own community.
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Ecosystems
Students role play as members of interest group with a stake in a local land use issue. In preparation for the town hall meeting, students research their issue and gather pertinent information to persuade their audience.
Nature Works Everywhere
Recording the Rainforest
Animals have evolved to communicate in different frequencies so they can hear each other throughout the rainforest. The first lesson in a three-part series begins by exploring an interactive story map online about the Borneo rainforest....
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Writing Serendipitous Fairy Tale Tabloids Using Fairytale News
Young scholars create tabloid articles based on the story Fairytale Land. In this tabloids lesson plan, students read the story Fairytale Land, discuss the newspaper in the story, and then create tabloid stories.
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Land Art
Students use natural materials outside to create a work of art. For this land art lesson plan, students plan their sculpture inside in one day and create it outside over a period of 2 days.
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Understanding Topographic Maps
Underclassmen create a cone-shaped landform and then draw a contour map for it. Then they examine a quadrangle (which was easily located with an online search), and relate it to what they experienced. The accompanying worksheet is...
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Establishment of Plainfield
Eighth graders analyze documents and maps of Plainfield, CT from different time periods, then, working in a small group, create a map for a giventime. In this Plainfield instructional activity, 8th graders read primary and...
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The Beaufort Scale: A Local Model
Students study the Beaufort Scale and use it to study wind in their community. In this wind study lesson, students watch a DVD about climate change and learn about the Beaufort Scale. Students complete a worksheet for the topic.
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Lizard Lab
In this detailed and comprehensive multi-day activity, budding evolutionary biologists use real data from lizard populations in the Canary Islands to examine evolution and natural selection.
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The 400-acre wood
For this forest planning lesson plan, students visit the 400-acre wood website and work in groups to learn about the specific aspects of forest development. Students create, label and color a forest planning map and present their...
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Early Explorers
Fifth graders study early explorers. In this World history lesson plan, 5th graders draw an outline of a map labeling each part, build geographical features out of dough, and paint each of the land and water features.
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I Can Find that Where? - A Study of Landforms
First graders make landform maps of the United States. In this landform lessons, 1st graders participate in a discussion of local landforms and make a landform map of the United States. They follow the teacher's directions to add plains,...
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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
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Wildflower Beautification Project
Students, in cooperative groups, design and create a wildflower garden for the community. They write letters to property owners requesting use of their land and then write invitations to their parents and to local, state, and federal...
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Desert Fever: A Student-Centered Approach to Learning About the Middle East
Explore the exciting and diverse geography, people, history, governments, and economies of the Middle East. Curious minds develop a basic vocabulary of Arabic terms and work with various materials to create an aesthetically pleasing,...
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Sequence of Events: The Watershed
Class members simulate a watershed with a painters drop cloth, placing objects underneath to create landscape variation, making "rain" with a watering can, and using red drink mix powder to track the path of precipitation. They observe...
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How Does Your Soil Stack Up?
Students examine the soil in their local area and create a soil profile. They record observations in the field and the classroom. They create their own display of the soil profile as well.
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A Fishy Tale
Eighth graders do a research project on a particular species of Atlantic seafood and record and graph information pertaining to commercial landings of that species of seafood. They use a website and an Appleworks spreadsheet.
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Designing a Tropical Reserve System
Students explain the complexity of resource, land use, and conservation decisions.
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The Land is Changing: Stories from Across the North
Young scholars explore the changing environment in their community. They interview elders about the issues, impacts and potential ways of adapting to climate change in the north. Students post pictures and information on the student...
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Writing the Wind
Students make a windmill. In this wind lesson, students learn background information about the windmill, complete an activity where they create a windmill, discuss using wind as a natural resource and brainstorm other inventions...
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Surveying and Assessing the Environmental Compatibility of a Building Construction Site
Students examine an area of land and assess its suitability for construction purposes. This project requires a vast amount of hands-on experimentation, data analysis, community involvement, and job shadowing/career awareness.
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Geography and Culture in South Carolina
Students explore South Carolina. In this cultural heritage lesson, students investigate the topography of South Carolina using maps. Students are engaged in identifying the different regions of the state and examine the cultural heritage...