Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MALI TO MECCA, MANSA MUSA MAKES THE HAJJ

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners explore the historical event when Mansa Musa, Ruler of Mali, made the Hajj (or holy pilgrimage) to Mecca in 1324 AD. They create Web pages or PowerPoint presentations maps, charts, posters, and oral presentations with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Grocery Store Field Study

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students visit a local grocery store (not a community market) to gather information about where some commonly eaten produce items come from. Once they have collected this information, locate the countries of origin on a map and research...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map It!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders collect and explore different maps and their uses before using the program Pixie to create maps of geographic features, political features, and economic information for the state in which they live.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Research Report on Earth Science Topics

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders are given a variety of Earth Science topics which be covered during the year. They select one of their choices to research and work in class and at home to meet the guidelines for their report.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Maps with a "Spin"

For Teachers 5th - 9th
Learners, 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...
Lesson Plan
K20 Learn

Filling Our Land with Landfills: Solid Waste Disposal

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Though it comprises only 5 percent of the world's population, the US generates 40 percent of the world's waste. Scholars learn about landfills, their safety, and other solid waste methods. They use experiments and research to learn more....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Search and Research

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders participate in a scavenger hunt on the internet trying to develop a general overview of content and how to locate specific information. They also explore how to receive, store and send electronic information.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Latin American Relief Map

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students, in groups, research, design and construct a relief map of a section of Latin America using papier-mache. They show major landforms, elevations and notable bodies of water. They present their maps to the class.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Maps and Local History

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students study old and current maps of their town. They make connections between the geography of a town and the activities of its inhabitants.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MAPPING A RESEARCH SITE AND COLLECTING AND PRESENTING POPULATION DATA

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders are to answer research questions based on data they collect.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reading Maps Critically

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students discover that maps represent different values of the cultures who make them. Using the internet, they research the role of a cartographer and how their culture affects them. In groups, they are given examples of maps in which...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Waldseemuller's Map: World 1507

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders analyze various maps.  For this Geography lesson, 7th graders create a large map as a whole class.  Students write a letter to Mr. Waldseemuller. 
Lesson Plan
Scholastic

Perfect Postcards: California

For Teachers 4th Standards
It's time to hear about some adventures in travel! The Transcontinental Railroad changed life and travel in the United States during the 1800s. Practicing online research skills, pupils discover the features they would like to visit on...
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Civil War Soldier: Experiencing the Battle of Franklin

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Fighting a war over home soil makes a living nightmare even more real. Class members describe the experience of a Civil War soldier during the Battle of Franklin, poised right at a major turning point of the war, after researching the...
Lesson Plan
US Holocaust Museum

Defying Genocide

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Defying death. Defying those who want to do harm. Defying genocide. Pupils research the events in Rwanda to gain an understanding of what it takes to survive a horrific event like a holocaust. They use video, time lines, and Holocaust...
Lesson Plan
Edgate

Native Americans of the Lewis and Clark Trail

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
As part of a study of the Corps of Discovery expedition, class groups research the different Native American tribes Lewis and Clark encountered on their journey and share their findings with the class.
Activity
It's About Time

Volcanic Hazards: Airborne Debris

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Pupils interpret maps and graph data related to volcanic ash. Then they analyze the importance of wind speed and the dangers of the ash to both life, air temperature, and technology. 
Worksheet
Curated OER

Project Organizer: Follow an Explorer

For Students 5th - 7th
This is both a great idea and a great way to help your class organize a themed project. They use these worksheets to assist them in writing a creative historical narrative about the life and travels of an explorer. They'll compare and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Hispanic World

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Go on an electronic field trip. Discover Spanish-speaking countries through Internet exploration. Students participate in a whole group discussion to general knowledge about the location, cultural background, independence and current...
Activity
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Teach Engineering

Searching for Bigfoot and Others Like Him

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Individuals create a GIS data layer in Google Earth that displays information about where one might find seven different cryptids. The class members research to find data on cryptid sightings they can include in their data...
Unit Plan
Annenberg Foundation

A Nation Divided

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Can a presidential election cause a civil war? Learners research the events surrounding the presidential election of 1860 in a lesson that explores America's history. Using maps, videos, and primary sources, they uncover, brainstorm, and...
Unit Plan
Columbus City Schools

What is Up Th-air? — Atmosphere

For Teachers 7th Standards
Air, air, everywhere, but what's in it, and what makes Earth's air so unique and special? Journey through the layers above us to uncover our atmosphere's composition and how it works to make life possible below. Pupils conduct...
Activity
Prestwick House

The Grapes of Wrath

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
At over 450 pages, John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize winning novel The Grapes of Wrath can be a challenging choice for full-class, book circle, or independent reading. The activities in a 10-page sample The Grapes of Wrath...
Lesson Plan
US Mint

Rename That State!

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
As Shakespeare famously wrote, "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but can the same be said for a state? In this elementary geography lesson, students are assigned specific states to research using the information...