Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Language Arts: Five Senses Walk

For Teachers 1st
First graders take a discovery walk around the school. They use their observations to compose a class book about their school.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Studies: Westville Through the Years

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students research the history of Westville, Connecticut by investigating three main areas of study. They begin with the town's early history, examine its industrial era, and conclude with its influence in the arts. The lesson includes...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Peru's Earthquake

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students identify the patterns of earthquakes by mapping USGS data and comparing it to mapped tectonic plates. They discover the relationship between earthquakes and the moving plates of the Earth's crust.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

On the Road Again": Moving People, Products, and Ideas

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
In this lesson students learn how to identify modes of transportation and communication for moving people, products, and ideas from place to place. Students also study the advantages and disadvantages of different modes of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Kanaka Village at Fort Vancouver: Crossroads of the Columbia River

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students study the interaction between Native American and European cultures in the Pacific Northwest in the 1800s. They focus their study on the Hudson's Bay Company and Fort Vancouver.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Enlightening Explorations, Part II

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders review their results from the previous experiments. After viewing a kaleidoscope, they make their own pattern on paper and describe the role of light. To end the lesson, they examine light being relfected and refracted and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Missing Masterpieces

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Pupils investigate a fictitious crime involving stolen art masterpieces. They work collaboratively in teams to solve the fictitious crime. Students return the stolen paintings in a Microsoft PowerPoint "portfolio" to their owner. They...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Twister Redux

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students pick up science knowledge as they track and examine natural disasters. They keep a daily journal of results and reflections. Students get to follow a real tornado chaser and learn thunderstorm formation. They incorporate how...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lewis and Clark

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders research the Lewis and Clark expedition and the Corps of Discovery. They explore a variety of websites and complete a WebQuest, analyze maps, and answer comprehension questions. Students also write journal entries and...
Lesson Plan
PE Central

Pe Central: Pe Lesson Ideas: Geographical Distance Skating

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This is a fun gym-class activity that requires students to apply simple geography, mathematics, and writing skills. As a class, students skate (or run or walk or bike) around the gym in hopes of gaining mileage. Lesson idea includes...
Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Measuring Distances on a Map

For Students 2nd - 6th
Activities will enhance students' understanding of how to read the map scale and apply it to measuring distances between locations.
Activity
National Geographic

National Geographic: Planetary Size and Distance Comparison

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students review the sizes of planets and their order relative to the Sun. They then learn about astronomical uses and create a model of the solar system that reflects planetary distances. Includes handouts and worksheets as well as a...
Unit Plan
Other

Ordnance Survey: Map Zone: Measuring Distance

For Students 3rd - 6th
Read how to measure distance on maps using straight lines, string, or a ruler in order to strengthen students' mapping skills.
Activity
University of California

Ucmp: Island Biogeography and Evolution

For Students 9th - 10th
This is a lesson designed by a biology teacher. In it, students use maps and evidence of island age, molecular genetics, morphology, and distance apart to determine how the islands came to be occupied by different species of lizards. It...
Activity
TeachEngineering

Teach Engineering: The North (Wall) Star

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Celestial navigation is the art and science of finding one's geographic position by means of astronomical observations, particularly by measuring altitudes of celestial objects - sun, moon, planets or stars. This activity starts with a...
Website
City University of New York

Earth and Environmental Sciences: Treasure Hunt

For Students 9th - 10th
Looking for enrichment? Here's an online treasure hunt requiring skill with directions, distance, contour maps, latitude, and longitude. Also supplementing the activity are interactive quizzes on latitude, longitude, and other related...
Graphic
Other

University of Connecticut: The Geographer's Craft: Map Projection Overview

For Students 9th - 10th
An advanced overview of map projections with illustrative graphics. Created by Peter H. Dana, Department of Geography, University of Texas at Austin in 1995.
Website
Other

College Profiles

For Students 9th - 10th
Features in-depth profiles with information about academic programs, athletics, campus life, and financial aid, along with geographic search, directories for honors programs, women's colleges statistics on minority enrollment and...
Handout
Other

Ellinogermaniki Agogi: Eratosthenes Experiment

For Students 9th - 10th
A profile of the ancient Greek mathematician, geographer, and astronomer, Eratosthenes. Looks at his many accomplishments, including measuring the circumference of the Earth and the distance to the Moon and the Sun. Includes links to...
Unit Plan
BBC

Bbc: Bitesize Geography: Os Map Skills

For Students 6th - 8th Standards
A short tutorial on mapping tools and how to read maps. Covers features of maps, symbols, the compass, scale, distance, how height is represented, and grid references. Includes multiple-choice quiz at the end.
Website
Other

Lookups

For Students 9th - 10th
Search the U.S. for information you might need or want just for the fun of it. Look up everything from addresses, zip codes, distances, phone numbers, radio stations, schools, labor statistics, crime statistics, demographics, and much...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: Where in the World Am I?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
A collaborative distance learning project on world geography.Two classrooms will interact while solving clues about "mystery" counties.
Article
Other

Ggmap: Spatial Visualization With Ggplot2 [Pdf]

For Students 9th - 10th
In spatial statistics the ability to visualize data and models super imposed with their basic social landmarks and geographic context is invaluable. ggmap is a new tool which enables such visualization by combining the spatial...
Graphic
University of California

University of California Museum of Paleontology: Distribution in Time and Space

For Students 9th - 10th
The Understanding Evolution site provides evidence for evolution in biogeography utilizing relative dating, geography, and plate tectonics.