Students observe slides of U.S. coastal geography. They study topography and vegetation maps for one region. They gather geographic facts on a guided worksheet. Students pretend to be colonists. They decide what kind of economic system...

High schoolers explore an ancient Mayan city. In this world history instructional activity, students watch a video about the ancient Mayan civilization, discussing information prior to and after watching the video. High schoolers then...

First graders are introduced to a variety of maps such as globes, street maps, atlases, and different types of floor plans. The focus of the lesson requires individuals to create their own plan of the classroom using the PowerPoint...

Agriculture, deforestation, and urbanization. How have human's changed the planet and how might we mitigate the effects of human activity on the planet? To answer these questions class members research the changes in human land use from...

Show your class how to read a map and decipher all of the markings and features. Start out by connecting maps to their homework from the night before and their current reading, in this case That Book Woman, and a related informational...

Class members are transformed into explorers as they work in groups to locate hidden items and map their journey along the way. They then leave clues for other groups of students to follow, and ultimately discover how past explorations...

Explore online profiles and social media with your middle and high school classes. Use blogs to inspire your class to craft a well-written, thoughtful response to a prompt you give.  A few example prompts are given. 

Young learners research and present information about a chosen subject to their peers, parents, instructors, and community. This instructional activity has a strong research and public speaking component, and would be ideal for your...

Students examine how Christopher Columbus determined his latitude.

Imagine having to give up cell phones, computers, and TV? What would be lost? What gained? An examination of the Drokpa, a nomadic people who live in the grasslands of Tibet, provides class members an opportunity to consider how access...

Currently, only 2.1% of global warming is felt on continents, while over 93% is felt in the oceans. The fourth lesson in the series of 21 on global warming is composed of three activities that build off one another. In the first...

Students investigate a way to sail a boat around the world without touching land while learning about the Panama Canal. In this Panama Canal lesson plan, students learn about the relationship of socio-political continents and how the...

Students examine water issues in Africa. In this global issues lesson, students complete a webquest that requires them gather information. Students use the information to prepare for a World Water Summit simulation.

First graders read and discuss several stories. They share information about different types of shelter around the world. They explain that lifestyles and shelter depend very much on where people live and how they use the resources...

Students interview a person who recently visited a country they are interested in knowing more about. Using the Internet, they research the country noting the geography and economic situations of the country. In groups, they import the...

Students study the time period after the Revolutionary War when people were striving to move away from the coastal areas and look for pathways to the west. Westerward expansion is a central theme and students use a variety of resources...

Learners explain the significance of population trends on world regions. They define relevant population vocabulary and examine age-gender patterns at various scales.

Students study populations throughout History.

Fifth graders investigate the journey that Magellan took around the world. Small groups conduct research on a ship that went on Magellan's voyage, write the story of their ship, and create a class dance that demonstrates the route taken...

The photograph, Nellie and her Italian Soda is viewed and discussed by the class. They are instructed to use the photograph as inspiration to write a poem about non-events, or things that are beautiful in every day life. Pupils use...

Young writers use technology and other media to research information on a chosen topic. They explore countries where keypals and e-mail friends are located. Using their writing skills, they correspond with their e-mail friend and...

Learners predict how a pandemic would affect aspects of South Africa's society. In this world issues and geography lesson, students read a letter outlining the problems affecting South Africa. Learners discuss and analyze how resource...

Map maker, map maker, make me a map! Your class can sing this tune as they work to create their own regional maps by taping paper to the wall, projecting an overhead transparency image, and tracing. Where this lesson plan intends for the...

Students create a travel agency from favorite vacation destinations. The skill of reading and using a database is covered. Profiles of travelers are used to teach sorting into different categories during inquiry.