Fifth graders prepare a television briefing reflecting on their experiences in an earlier lesson in which they simulated surviving a crash into the Amazon and using maps to achieve rescue. They develop and present a summary of their...

Students practice map reading skills through a reinforcement game of bingo. They select any 24 of 30 listed cities to write on blank bingo cards. Then using atlases, locate a city based on the latitude and longitudinal coordinates...

Students read and discuss background material on several key decisions that played a role in the Civil War including the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dredd Scott Decision. They create a timeline and write an essay.

By utilizing a graphic organizer called a bubble map, young readers work toward developing their vocabulary. After reading a story, a word that has something to do with the story is put in the middle circle. Then, other words that have...

How much do you know about the holidays around the world? Second graders put their knowledge to the test with a 14-day lesson about global celebrations. They read informational text, employ KWL charts, and compare and contrast the many...

Eighth graders discover how the location of restaurants affects the future location of different restaurants. Using a fictionous town, they map the locations of all current restaurants and analyze the data to determine what type of...

Students analyze life in a village of Tanzania including its language, geography, health, and hygiene issues. In this African village lesson plan, students locate Tanzania and its capital city on a map. Students compare aspects...

Two of the best words any one can hear– treasure hunt! Your class will be excited to practice graphing on a coordinate grraph as they identify and write coordinates for landmarks they see on a treasure map. They trace their route to the...

Using Google Earth, Google Docs, and other Google Tools, collaborative groups of seventh graders research and then create and share online newspapers reporting on the early development, geographical features, political issues, and...

On a topographic map, learners identify the scale bar, north arrow, and contour interval. They then locate a hill on the map and make note of the contour lines. Students then locate other places with similar contour line patterns....

Use a Visual Thesaurus to compose word association poems. Discuss poetry and word association, create word maps, then practice creating poems based on playful word associations. A perfect way to celebrate "Poem in Your Pocket Day" (April...

Students examine cold, warm, and stationary fronts. They also examine the roles of relative humidity and the way air masses move. They are to create forecasts based on the information they collect. Tapes are shared with the class.

In order to read and respond to Toni Morrison's A Mercy in this figurative-language lesson, students discuss the differences between a literal and a figurative interpretation of a text.  They explore figures of speech using a...

A reading of vignettes written by Peace Corps Volunteers serving in Lesotho and Madagascar launches a study of the difference between narrative and expository texts. As final products, young writers craft both a narrative and an...

Explore the concept of the European Union interactively. Young travelers go on a European Union scavenger hunt through the "Panorama of the European Union" map publication. The scavenger hunt worksheet provides answers and detailed...

Learners research background information about Hawaiian agriculture in a variety of resources, then read and collect newspaper ads marketing local produce. They suggest food preparation ideas using local produce.

Students use the Internet to research current and past snowpack levels and river gauging station readings. They determine the relationship between snowpack and river flow. They predict future river flow.

Partners create oral presentations about a short story or poem incorporating audiovisual aids. Then they make presentations to their classmates. Linked story map will help guide readers' organization of their presentation;...

Students examine cultures, traditions, and feeling throughout cultures. For this cultural lesson, students use literature, maps, and cultural information to examine how people have universal feelings despite their different cultures and...

Fourth graders explore family histories. In this social studies lesson plan, 4th graders identify the countries from which their ancestors came and locate them on a map. Students discuss the role that Ellis Island played in immigration...

Students study the volcanic history and the wildlife of Tanzania. They examine how most Tanzanians live on a subsistence agricultural economy.

Students identify and describe the aquatic exotic species found in Illinois. Using the internet, they research the species origins and discover their effects on native species in the area. They discuss how appropriate it is to introduce...

Emerging orators distinguish between effective and ineffective public speaking strategies. They read a text that fits in with a Native Americans unit and speak about the text with both ineffective and effective volume, tone, phrasing,...

Students conduct Internet research on weather and weather conditions in South America. They read a weather report in Spanish, and answer worksheet questions on South American countries and their weather conditions.