Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Weather With a Latitude

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students read the temperature from a thermometer. For this weather lesson, students read a thermometer and record the temperature at twenty minute intervals. Students discuss results.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

GPS Treasure Hunt

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore geography by participating in a treasure hunt activity. In this Global Positioning System lesson, students define the terms latitude and longitude while utilizing an electronic GPS device. Students view a PowerPoint...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do Cartographers Find Points on a Map?

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders describe latitude and longitude and how they may be useful to find things on a map.  In this cartography lesson students divide into groups and devise a coordinate system that can be used to communicate a position. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Celebrating the Solstice and Equinox

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders graph the number of daylight hors throughout the year and examine why day length varies. They discover that seasonal changes and latitude on Earth affect the number of hours of daylight in each day. Students listen to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

GPS Sports Field Activity

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students practice using GPS receivers and explore how knowing the coordinates of two locations allows them to determine the distance between those two points. They use the theory that they already had knowledge of and apply it to a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Your Expedition of Discovery

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Young scholars study GPS and see how it is used to determine points on the Earths surface.  In this expedition lesson students use GPS to find given coordinates. 
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Tracking a Drifter

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Be shore to use this drifter resource. The third installment of a five-part series has learners using the NOAA's Adopt-a-Drifter website to track to movement of a drifter (buoy) in the ocean. Graphing the collected data on a map allows...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rubber Duckies and Ocean Currents

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore marine life by conducting a rubber duck experiment. In this water currents lesson, students practice identifying latitude and longitude coordinates on a map and define the currents of major oceans. Students discuss the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sounds of Samba

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research the origins of Samba in Brazil using the internet. After defining new vocabulary, they locate the cities in Brazil using latitude and longitude which practice the Samba. In groups, they compare and contrast the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Science: Hurricanes As Heat Engines

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Learners conduct Internet research to track the path of Hurricane Rita. They record the sea surface temperature of the Gulf of Mexico during and after the hurricane and draw conclusions about how hurricanes extract heat energy from the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Topographic Map Unit Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students examine topographic maps and discover how to decipher contour intervals, use contour lines and apply information to complete a topographic map lab. Working in groups, they identify the scale of the map, latitude and longitude,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plotting Plates

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students investigate plate tectonics and their correlation with natural phenomena like earthquakes and volcanoes. They use the internet to see real-time data about earthquakes and volcanoes. Students plot latitude and longitude points on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating Climographs

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students use satellite data to compare precipitation and surface temperatures on different islands.  In this satellite lesson students create graphs and explain the differences between weather and climate. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing the Effects of El Nino and La Nina

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine the differences between an El Nino and La Nina year.  In this investigative lesson students create maps and graphs of the data they obtained. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Solar Cell Energy Availability From Around the Country

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students determine areas that are the most likely to produce solar energy by using NASA data.  In this solar energy lesson students analyze plots and determine solar panel use. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sundials and Shadows - What Can They Teach Us About Seasons?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students collect and analyze data relating to seasonal changes. They view a video, research web sites and build a sundial to collect their data.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Understanding Topographic Maps

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Human Effect

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate changes in air quality. In this science lesson, students compare data to determine the air quality. Students explore how humans affect the air quality.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Calculation the Cricumference of Earth using "Google Earth"

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate properties of circles.  In this eight grade mathematics lesson, 8th graders apply proportional reasoning to data gathered with “Google Earth” to calculate equatorial and polar circumference of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Modeling Earthquake Data

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners evalute evolutionary theories and processe of Geology. They examine evidence that the movement of continents has had signicicant global impact, major geological events. Students evaluate the forces which shape the lithosphere...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Navigation Across the Seas

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Young scholars examine nautical navigation and discover the differences between nautical charts and other types of maps or charts. Students practice setting a course, taking a bearing, and dead reckoning. This gives young scholars an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Typhoon Project

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students graph and outline the path of a typhoon. In this algebra lesson, students measure the path of the typhoon and create a graph with their data. They analyze the data and make predictions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Seasonal Cloud Cover Variations

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students recognize different cloud types. They determine the seaonality of various types of clouds. They graph the data and determine if a correlation exists between season, cloud cover and type of clouds most prevalent during each season.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Trackers

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Learners use space technology to monitor migratory species, map their movements, and gather data about their habitats and possible responses to climatic shifts.