Curated OER
Arkansas State Rock
Here is a lesson which shows the value of a mineral called bauxite to Arkansas during the early 1900's. Learners relate the five themes of geography to the history of bauxite and aluminum production in Arkansas. For teachers of...
Curated OER
Weather Pals
Students study maps of the United States to locate weather pals from a list of schools. They communicate with Weather Pal schools through the use of closed circuit TV. Using weather data collected in their area, they exchange the...
Curated OER
Regions and Habitats
Fourth graders identify the different habitats found in the seven regions of the United States. In this ecology lesson, 4th graders write an essay about how humans affect the ecosystem and vice versa. They discuss how changes on one...
Australian Government
The Great Artesian Basin
Covering 23% of the continent and holding 64,900 cubic kilometers of water, the Great Artesian Basin is the primary source of water for much of inland Australia. Using detailed student worksheets, experiments, and case studies,...
Global Oneness Project
Living with Less Water
Did you know that California produces two thirds of the fruits and nuts consumed in the United States? That it produces almost one third of the vegetables? Did you know that scientists warn that California is facing the onset of a...
Curated OER
Will There Be a White Christmas This Year?
Students examine historical weather data, and create map and color key that illustrates the likelihood of a white Christmas in different locations across the United States.
Curated OER
Barrels and Buckets: Access to Water - What Would It Be Like to Live in Africa?
Students compare water access in the United States with that of Africa. In this water access lesson, students located Ghana and Kenya on a globe before reading Peace Corps Volunteer accounts of the difficulty of accessing clean water....
Association of American Geographers
Project GeoSTART
Investigate the fascinating, yet terrifying phenomenon of hurricanes from the safety of your classroom using this earth science unit. Focusing on developing young scientists' spacial thinking skills, these lessons engage...
Curated OER
Mapping Electricity
Students complete Internet research and use their map reading skills to learn about how the United States creates and uses electricity in different states. In this energy sources activity, students study the mini map of energy usage...
National Wildlife Federation
Hot, Hotter, Hottest: Extreme Weather's Impact on Our Resources
How dry is it? It's so dry, the river only runs twice a week! Through an analysis of maps and discussions, pairs learn about droughts across the United States in the ninth of 12 lessons. They then read about, answer questions, analyze...
California Academy of Science
California's Climate
The United States is a large country with many different climates. Graph and analyze temperature and rainfall data for Sacramento and Washington DC as you teach your class about the characteristics of Mediterranean climates. Discuss the...
Curated OER
Climate Types
For this weather worksheet, students identify the type of vegetation found in particular regions across the United States. Then they list the six groups of climates in the Köppen Classification System. Students also describe the...
K12 Reader
Taiga Ecosystems
Introduce your class to another type of ecosystem, the taiga ecosystem, through a reading passage. Class members read the text and then respond to five reading questions about the content of the passage.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services
The fourth activity in a series of five has classes participate in a jigsaw to learn about global impacts of climate change and then share their new information with a home group. Groups then research impacts of climate change (droughts,...
K12 Reader
Chaparral Ecosystems
Explore the impact of wildfires with a reading passage about ecosystems. Pupils read the passage and respond to five questions related to the content of the text.
Curated OER
The Five Life Zone Research Project
Students study five of the seven life zones in North America. In this journalism lesson students use the Scientific Method working in teams. They use lab equipment and technology to create a presentation on five of the seven life zones...
Curated OER
Weather Watchers
Students are introduced to an Underground Weather Stations. In groups, they use the internet to research the weather in different parts of the United States locating each city. To end the lesson, they summarize the information they...
Curated OER
Explore the Arctic: A Scavenger Hunt
Students explore the Arctic region using the internet. They identify characteristics of animals that live in the Arctic and locate the Arctic region using a map of the United States.
Curated OER
Temperature Line Graphs
In this temperature learning exercise, students create 3 line graphs from data tables showing dates and recorded temperatures. This learning exercise includes an answer key.
Montana Natural History Center
Studying Grassland Ecosystems
At first glance, grassland ecosystems might seem dull and uninteresting, but once you start to explore it's amazing the things you'll find! Through this series of engaging lessons, activities, and experiments, elementary students examine...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Accessing Prior Knowledge: Global Climate Change Survey
Begin a unit on weather and climate change by assessing prior knowledge of the topic. Learners respond to a survey with questions that ask what they think causes climate change, the effects of climate change, and if it is important...
Curated OER
Eye on the Storm
Students discover the way geologists collect information about past hurricanes to determine patterns that may help with storm prediction. They then research the history of natural disasters in different regions of the United States and...
Curated OER
Monumental Disappearance
Fourth graders compare the emissions listed on the EPA isopleths over the past five-year period for ten key states. They use this information to rank each region according to the degree of acid rain problem in those parts of the United...
Curated OER
Exploring the USA and the World with Cartograms
Learners investigate cartograms in order to explore the different countries on Earth. In this world geography lesson, students use the Internet to analyze data on different cartograms. Learners compare data, such as population density,...