Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Your Spot in the World

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Young scholars learn the concept of movement by locating their house and the houses of their ancestors.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Valentine Village

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students build a small city by using a half-gallon milk or juice carton to "build" a miniature home. They decorate their buildings with construction paper, yarn, beads, or whatever they have and become mailmen, delivering Valentine's to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Port Portrait

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students research and identify exciting places to visit and plan an imaginary cruise, using maps, to study other languages, climates and geography and draw scenes from your trip. They make a portrait of your group waiting to leave one...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Science 4 Inquiry

Edible Plate Tectonics

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Many people think they can't observe plate tectonics, but thanks to GPS, we know that Australia moves at a rate of 2.7 inches per year, North America at 1 inches per year, and the Pacific plate at more than 3 inches per year! Scholars...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Your Spot in the World

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Learners investigate a world map, a United States map, a state map, a county map and a city map. They locate each student's house on the city map and put a length of yarn from their house to a country of one of their ancestors.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Where are the Watersheds in San Francisco?

For Teachers 6th - 9th
Students create a mental map of San Francisco. They compare it with actual topographical maps of the city. Then they label various locations on the San Francisco Hillshade map and locate watershed boundaries.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dreaming of a Healthy City

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders design a healthy city. They identify the essential elements of a city and describe how climate and geography can determine the layout of a city. They create a blueprint of their design and share in small groups.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spatial Understanding of the Cities and Towns

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students engage in a fun stand up, move around activity that teaches some basics of geography. They develop concepts of distance between community locations and practice giving and taking directions in an organized manner.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Did You Feel That? Earthquake Data Chart

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Students plot earthquakes on the world map using coordinates of longitude and latitude. They designate the earthquakes magnitude with a symbol which they include in the map key.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Are the Good & Bad Aspects of Regional Shopping Centres?

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders study the impact of regional shopping centers and local ones, and create a TV/ video expressing the results of the research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map-Making Basics

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study maps. In this geography and art lesson, students create their own map of the classroom.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Down on the Farm

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students are introduced to a map of an Illinois farm. They determine whether the map is of the past, present, or future by looking at features on the map. They also use the map to make a three-dimensional model.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Do You Know Where You Are?

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders are introduced to geographic thinking, setting the stage for the creation of a map showing distance, direction, location and symbols from their residences to school.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Haiti

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students engage in a instructional activity that is about the island of Haiti. They conduct research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to help students locate the island on a map. They answer questions while...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

San Francisco Bay Watershed

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars locate important landmarks on a map and explore the watersheds in California. In this watershed lesson students complete a worksheet and discuss what they learned. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Communicate with a Truck Driver

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders complete activities to learn about the trucking industry. In this truck driving lesson, 6th graders explore websites for positive trucker images and learn about their contributions to society. Students communicate with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Medieval Times: Castles, Knights, and Heraldry

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students demonstrate the ability to use the computers for research and exploration of castles and any other sources needed and locate web sites for various needs. They explain what a coat of arms was and make their own .
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Four Corners Mystery: Where In The World Are We?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research and describe various locations around the world using five fundamental themes of geography.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Around the World in 5 Days

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore continents, draw map, discuss cultures, use research to learn geography, and investigate cultures.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Geographic Features and Human Settlements

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders examine geography and settlements. In this geography instructional activity, 3rd graders participate in classroom activities that center on the idea that people settle where there are geographical features that sustain life.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Renaissance Trade and Exchange

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders map out trade routes. In this Renaissance time period lesson, 6th graders complete a Christopher Columbus Map Activity, discuss and identify the parts of a map, and locate Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Create the Ideal City

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers examine the significance of city planning. They analyze maps, develop a crossword puzzle using vocabulary terms, and create a diagram of an ideal city and describe the features that make it healthy for the economy, the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What Do We Learn From the Repartiation of Alaska Native Artifacts?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students observe and evaluate evidence of Alaska Native cultural symbols and artifacts. They research historical data from a variety of primary resources, including the Harriman expedition journals, related web sites, oral accounts,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Off to the Future

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read a handout and predict the position of the San Andreas Fault far in the future. In this future world instructional activity, students use a map worksheet to demonstrate the path of the Pacific Plate millions of years from now.