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Students Become Mapmakers
Students practice making a map of a continent and correctly plotting five cities on that map. They place latitude and longitude lines on a map, determine the need for various map projections and explain why map scales are necessary.
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Social Studies For Elementary School
Fourth graders become familar with maps and work in groups to get an overview of what Europe is like. The real assignment is in the form of students creating their own trip if it could really be taken.
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What Are The Characteristics of Your Neighborhood?
Students make a mental map of their neighborhood. Using a software program, they make an aerial and digital map of their school and locate their school on given maps. In groups, they calculate the distances to various locations and...
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Get Ready for the Great Outdoors!
Students discuss what is a map and what they already know about maps. They brainstorm together to compile a list of responses for the board and observe a map of the United States, including states, capitals, and some of the National Parks.
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An American Spy with Money To Spend
Sixth graders use their imagination, math, reading, computer, geography, and social studies skills in this unique, innovative, and fun instructional activity where students pretend to be international spies!
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Give Me The C and D Canal!!!
Young scholars estimate the distance from Baltimore to Philadelphia via the water route before the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal was built. Students study canals and how transportation and economic necessities dictate the building of a...
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The Arctic and Taiga Ecozone of Canada
Students examine the various sub-regions of the Arctic and Taiga zones in Canada. Using the online Canadian Atlas, they locate and describe the characteristics of each zone. They organize their information into a chart and share it with...
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On the Road Again": Moving People, Products, and Ideas
In this lesson learners 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...
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A Capital Idea
Students write a description of the spatial organization of the former and present location of New Hampshire's state capital. They analyze maps, participate in a class discussion, and calculate the distance of Concord from the borders...
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Lewis and Clark
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...
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Body and Mindscapes
Third graders view artwork by Robert Harris of landscapes and mountains. Using a map, they locate and identify the physical features of the Canadian province they live in. In groups, they use one of his paintings and add music to...
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India and Pakistan: Rivals from Birth
Seventh graders, after being divided into two groups, are assigned either Pakistan or India. They conduct research using the Internet, reference books, and magazines. The class compares and contrasts the two countries to find sources of...
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Human Impacts on Major Rivers of the World
Young scholars explore motivations behind human intervention in the stream flow of selected rivers, infer kinds of interventions and their results, and evaluate level of success of such interventions of stream flow as well as...
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The Tennessee River: The Tie That Binds
Seventh graders examine the Tennessee River to see why it is still a major transportation artery in lieu of the age of modern transportation such as interstate highways, air cargo, and elaborate railway systems.
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Where in the United States Are We?
Learners spend the lesson identifying the location of the fifty states and the capitals. Using a software program, they retrace te outline of each state numerous times. To end the lesson, they write a story about a state and city of...
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Discover the Rain Forest
Students research tropical rain forests through the use of trade books, encyclopedias, rain forest videos, and computer searches to determine the effects that human use has on the rain forest.
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Town Planning
Seventh graders consider factors in making road transport planning directions. They write a short speech for a presentation at an inquiry. They debate and analyze the information presented in the debate.
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Alaska's Physical Systems and History
Students read about Alaska's physical systems and determine how Alaska's physical makeup has impacted its history. They create timelines of their particular physical system.
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Sandscapes to Landscapes
Students explore landscapes and create their own in a creative project.
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Sam Houston for President...Again
Fourth graders discover the political career of Sam Houston. For this Texas history lesson, 4th graders research primary resources and create a modern-day version of Sam Houston's political campaign of the 1840s.
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Microclimates of Our School
Students read the story "Weslandia" by Paul Fleischman, define the term microclimate, gather and record data in various places on school grounds to establish the presence of difference microclimates, analyze and compare microclimates,...
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Conflicting Views
Students complete a Venn diagram comparing the United States and Afghanistan. They research the history of the Taliban and how they relate to the United States and its foreign policy. They write a paper on possible solutions.
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Castle/Fort Unit
Students compare and contrast castles and forts. They observe buildings in their community and consider how castles and forts are similar. They design their own castle or fort and brainstorm materials to build with, discuss how the...
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Understanding Latitude, Longitude, and Time Zones
Students take an imaginary world tour by locating cities with latitude and longitude. They plan an itinerary and calculate the time zones from which they would call home. Then they construct word problems involving travel across time zones.