Middle schoolers participate in an activity that replicates the creation of sea floor bathymetry by taking a simplified form of soundings in the classroom. They discuss sea floor mapping technologies, sonar, soundings, and remote...

Is GIS the real manifestation of Harry Potter's Marauders Map? Introduce your class to the history of geographic information systems (GIS), the technology that allows for easy use of spatial information, with a resource that teaches...

Second graders identify a historical figure, his or her societal contributions and basic biography using a Kidspiration graphic organizer and library resources. They use the Internet to conduct an historical treasure hunt in groups.

Students investigate the changes of their environment by experimenting with photography.  In this environmental observation lesson, students compare historic photographs of areas with pictures they have just taken.  Students...

Students, in groups, research and map the effects of a proposed airport three miles outside of town. They prepare a presentation based on a set of maps they make and explains its different points of view from the viewpoints of the town...

Working with a map that does not have a coordinate system on it, small, collaborative teams must come up with a coordinate system for their map. Groups then explain their coordinate structure to the class.

Students analyze hurricanes. In hurricanes lesson, students use the Internet and GIS to analyze hurricanes. Students view the National Atlas of Maps to discuss the direction hurricanes move. Students study the wind and pressure fields to...

Learners study South America's Itaipu Dam and Power Plant in order to gain an understanding that hydroelectric power is a major means of generating electricity throughout the world. They also look into the environmental impacts that...

Students research, brainstorm and analyze the events that lead up to the Revolutionary War. They critique a piece of artwork depicting a scene from the Revolutionary War. Each major battle is plotted on a map to show a visual...

Students complete a WebQuest in which they research ancient Egypt and King Tutankhamun. They determine the difference between historical fact and interpretation before using their research to develop an essay or PowerPoint.

Students create a map illustrating the three branches of goverment. They identify the branches of government and the shared or exclusive powers of each. Students use mapping as a prewriting stategy. They discuss our national...

Young scholars, when given a microscope or a camera, write two observations they have seen using technology that they did not see with just their eyes with 100% accuracy. When given a blank map, they mark the location of Mammoth Cave...

Sixth graders investigate ancient civilizations by creating a research project.  In this world history lesson, 6th graders investigate historic civilizations developed close to important rivers of the near East.  Students...

You don't have to be a Minecraft wiz to know that this app has great playability for your learners! As afterschool programs and classroom projects around the world demonstrate, this game goes well beyond placing blocks and traditional...

Young scholars examine Africa from a regional perspective. They appreciate the historic and geographic relationships that unite and divide the regions of Africa. Students create a comprehensive document outlining problems in the assigned...

Seventh graders research how the Industrial Revolution impacted people. In this Industrial Revolution lesson, 7th graders examine how the change from shop or cottage industry to the factory affected people, how the railroad affected...

Fourth graders investigate the Civil War by researching the state of Virginia.  In this US History lesson, 4th graders identify Abraham Lincoln, James Chestnut and Fort Sumter, and discuss their roles in the start of the Civil...

Students explore what the European Union is by looking at the historical steps that have revitalized European nations as an economic competitor in global trade. They design three illustrated and comprehensive time line murals to show the...

Students, after analyzing an overview of the history of the Jefferson Valley, bridge from the past to the present the realization that while we are today all citizens of the country, inequalities still exist. They examine treaties, legal...

Students break into families of 4 members. They brainstorm issues that they would encounter as an immigrant family by creating a web. Students are given roles to research focusing on that perspective: father, mother, grandparent, and child.

Investigate the growth and development of New York City with the final lesson in this four-part series on skyscrapers. Learners first explore the concept of urban growth by looking closely at a series of three paintings made of Wall...

Students research an animal of the rainforest. They create a computerized claymation to present their research.

Students explore animal habitats.  In this cross curriculum animal survival and writing lesson, students view a website about wild horses on Shackelford Island and discuss ways in which the horses have changed to this...

Ninth graders research, analyze, and orally defend an issue related to the use of geologic resources. They defend their position in written form by composing a letter to an appropriate source.