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Planning A Railroad Online Lesson
Students plan a route across Donner Summit using topographical maps in order to understand the challenges involved in constructing the railroad in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this history lesson, students first discover how to read...
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Exploration of Scale Models
Students consider the concept of scale models. In this scale lesson, students compare the sizes of various every day toys to the sizes of the larger objects they represent.
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Ancient Egypt: Connecting Literature and Geography
Students brainstorm prior knowledge of Ancient Egypt, locate Egypt on map of Africa and on world map, watch King Tut film, discuss term biography, and map geographical information mentioned in stories and documentaries about Ancient Egypt.
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Climb a Mountain, Raft a River on Your Own Land
Learners are introduced to the characteristics of a map. As a class, they discuss the uses of public lands in their community and develop symbols for each feature. They use the symbols to create a map showing the recreational uses of...
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The Bread of the Sandwich
Students create relief maps of Canada and Mexico out of everyday objects like dried macaroni, dry rice, sand, etc. They create a clue card for a location game and try to stump their classmates. They host a travel fair to display their...
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Finding Your Way
Students work in small groups to practice basic map skills. They take turns giving directions and tracing a path from one location to different destinations on the map.
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Continents and Oceans
Pupils identify oceans and continents and their locations on a map. They color-code and label their own map of the world's continents and oceans. They play the game Continents and Oceans to identify specific areas.
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Spatial Connections
Students use maps, scales, and describe locations in order to learn about spatial sense. In this spatial sense lesson plan, students participate in many activities for this spatial sense unit that should last throughout the year.
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Arthur's Tooth
Learners practice their reading comprehension by reading a story in their class. In this story map lesson plan, students read the Marc Brown book Arthur's Tooth and discuss the story, characters and setting. Learners create a story map...
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Follow the Light
Students investigate the role of lighthouses in navigation and practice the use of cardinal directions through reading activities, discussion, locating geographical features, and mapping lighthouses along the east coast of the United...
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Multimedia Book Reports
Young scholars read a chapter book of 100-200 pages in length. They create a story map and multimedia book report. Pupils review the elements of a story map such as: characters, setting, problem, important events, solution, etc.)...
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Do You Know Your Story Grammar?
Students are introduced to the concept of story structure as a way to aid in reading comprehension. They identify the main parts of the story as they read. Students create a story map of the main plot points of their reading.
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Latitude on World Maps - World Map Activity 2
Students explore the concept of latitude. In this geography lesson, students discover the global grid system and complete a map activity which require them to record the latitude of various cities in the world.
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Globe Lesson 4 - Intermediate Directions
Students explore the concept of intermediate directions. In this geography skills lesson, students use map skills in order to identify intermediate directions as they complete a map activity.
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Watershed Investigations
Students explore the components of a watershed and the factors that affect it. They read a topographical map and use geometry to determine the area of a watershed. Students estimate the volume of a body of water and perform runoff...
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Changing Images of Childhood in America: Colonial, Federal and Modern England
Students compare and contrast maps of New Haven, Connecticut from today and the past. After taking a field trip, they draw sketches of the types of architecture and discuss how the buildings have changed over time. They read journal...
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The Hopi Indians
Fourth graders read and look at maps of the Hopi Indians and compare and contrast their lives with the Hopi Indians. In this Hopi Indians lesson plan, 4th graders learn about different cultures and answer short answer questions.
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Community Building
Seventh graders discover the similarities and differences between cities, towns, and rural communities. Using a Neighborhood map Machine, they create a Venn diagram and map of their own community. Students build a 3-D representation of...
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Colonial Vacation Planner
Looking for a good lesson on the Colonial Period for your upper-elementary class? Then, this lesson is for you! They use website designs, U.S. travel publications, and maps to plan a family vacation to states which were part of the...
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How Do I Get There? Planning a Safe Route to School
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...
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Indian Trust Lands
An important aspect of studying Native American history is understanding the nature of trust lands. Budding historians will learn that as Native Americans were removed from their home lands, trust lands were provided in the form of...
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Christopher Columbus
Help first graders gain an understanding of the beginnings of our nation by learning more about Christopher Columbus. They begin by listening to a read aloud of Christopher Columbus and His Voyage to the New World (another title...
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Orienteering - Lesson 7 - Compasses
More compass practice! This activity has your scholars practicing getting their bearings. They will participate in a schoolyard compass game where they will have a specific starting point and then navigate through the course according to...
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Introducing Literacy Elements in Nonfiction
Explore nonfiction writing with your class. They will identify elements in nonfiction by reviewing elements of fiction. Then they use biographies, memoirs, menus, Time for Kids, and text books to identify elements of nonfiction. They...