Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Earth from Space Maps

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Students use photo images from space to create a large map of the United States or the world, find where they live and label other places they know. They are exposed to a Web resource that allows them to view photo images of Earth taken...
Lesson Plan
Space Awareness

Let's Map the Earth

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Before maps went mobile, people actually had to learn how to read maps. Pupils look at map elements in order to understand how to read them and locate specific locations. Finally, young cartographers discover how to make aerial maps.
PPT
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Curated OER

Mapping

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Introduce middle or high schoolers to topographic maps with this PowerPoint. After a review of longitude and latitude, display and describe contour lines and intervals. Also explain map scale. This is a useful presentation for a social...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creating a Thematic Map

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Students create and analyze a weather-related data table and a thematic map based upon information provided.
Activity
DiscoverE

LIDAR: Mapping with Lasers

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
We would be lost without maps! How are they made? Introduce junior topographers to LIDAR technology with a fascinating activity. Set up a mock city, then have learners operate a laser measure to determine the shape of the landscape using...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Map as a Tool

For Teachers 4th - 9th
Students study the concept of using a map as a tool with the usage of a balloon designed to mimic the features of the Earth with the major features marked and shown on the balloon.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Play Doh Map of Your State

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners create a state map using Playdoh. In this hands-on state geography lesson, students work in groups to form a three-dimensional  map of their state using Playdoh made at home following a (given) recipe. Learners use four...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mapping Exercise

For Teachers 7th - 9th
In this mapping worksheet, students are given data of children exposed to health risks and their geographical location. Students plot each child's home and the risk factors using an (x, y) grid. They answer 2 questions about the...
Lesson Plan
NOAA

Into the Deep

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Take young scientists into the depths of the world's ocean with the second lesson of this three-part earth science series. After first drawing pictures representing how they imagine the bottom of the ocean to appear, young scholars...
Lesson Plan
Cornell University

Too Much of a Good Thing?

For Students 4th - 5th
Continuing their study of beneficial insects, young entomologists discover where in the world some of these bugs are. By labeling, coloring, and using the scale on a map, pupils explore the territories and arrival of the Asian lady...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Ring of Fire

For Teachers 6th Standards
Over a period of 35 years, earthquakes and volcanoes combined only accounted for 1.5 percent of the deaths from natural disasters in the United States. The 15th lesson in a 20-part series connects the locations of earthquakes and...
Worksheet
Living Rainforest

Finding the Rainforests

For Students 2nd - 6th Standards
From Brazil to Indonesia, young scientists investigate the geography and climate of the world's tropical rain forests with this collection of worksheets.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Natural History of Costa Rica

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students use outline maps to become acquainted with Costa Rica. They see how it was formed and how its origin has created very diverse environments. Students then use atlases and compare their physical maps with maps of climate and the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Continents and Oceans

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students 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.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Where Do Hurricanes Happen?

For Students 6th - 12th
In this hurricanes worksheet, learners label the 6 different regions that hurricanes and tropical cyclones occur around the world.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Plotting Earthquakes and Volcanoes

For Students 8th - 10th
In this earthquakes and volcanoes worksheet, students are given the latitude and longitude of earthquakes and volcanoes and they plot them on a world map. They answer questions based on their results.
App
Midnight Martian

Moon Globe

For Students 3rd - 9th
Not just a simple globe of the moon, this interactive version allows you to choose lighting according to the location of the sun, views from different positions on Earth, and more! Satellite images and topographic data have been combined...
Lesson Plan
National Wildlife Federation

Massive Migrations

For Teachers K - 4th Standards
Turn your students into flocks of migratory birds for this fun activity on animal migration. Prior to the activity, the teacher creates four different migration routes in the classroom or any available open space, labeling nesting...
Lesson Plan
Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi

Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young scholars observe a presentation on plate tectonics, layers of the earth, and plate boundaries. They then use the Internet to research major plates and label them on a world map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Locating Patterns of Volcano Distribution

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students examine patterns of volcanic distribution worldwide, use tables to plot and label location of each volcano on map, lightly shade areas where volcanoes are found, and complete open-ended worksheet based on their findings.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Do You Know About Oceans?

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Learners brainstorm and discuss what they know about oceans and seas, read poem My Ocean Speaks by Olga Cossi, discuss narrator's feelings about ocean, write reflective journal entries about their experience or inexperience with the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Plotting the Ocean Floor

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders plot points on a graph, connect the dots to make the ocean floor profile and label the topographical features. They utilize a worksheet and a website imbedded in this plan to plot the ocean floor.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geography and Climate

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars investigate geographical locations and their own personal experiences with the environment.  In this environmental identification lesson, students participate in a match game using certain environmental and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climatic Zones

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders recognize and locate Frigid, Temperate, and Torrid climatic zones on the word map or globe. They explain that plants, animals, and human societies display adaptations to the climates they live in .