Curated OER
Giving Students a Little Latitude
Young scholars use a world outline map to locate places using coordinates of latitude and longitude. They answer questions about places based on their knowledge of the map and on their research and make up more questions of this sort...
Curated OER
Equadorian Rainforest: The Tropical Supermarket
Young scholars study the concept of sustainable agricultural practices through cocoa farming and the lives of the people who are the producers. Students watch a slide show and read a story which helps them understand the origins of...
It's About Time
Present-Day Climate in Your Community
So what exactly is climate? This first installment of a six-part series introduces the concept of climate using real-world data tables and topographic maps. The timely lesson includes a comprehensive overview of climate, as well as...
National Geographic
Australia, Antarctica, and Oceana
Go on a traveling adventure throughout Australia, Oceana, and Antarctica! This textbook excerpt offers a full unit of study that can easily be supplemented by extra projects or research materials. Learners study maps, read about native...
Curated OER
Shizuko's Daughter: Concept of Definition Word Map
Help your class use critical thinking when it comes to unfamiliar words. With vocabulary from Kyoko Mori's Shizuko's Daughter, kids write the word in the center of a graphic organizer, and find its category, comparisons, examples, and...
Curated OER
Discover the Rain Forest
Learners research tropical rain forests through the use of trade books, encyclopedias, rain forest videos, and computer searches to determine the effects that human use has on the rain forest.
Curated OER
The Earth's Rain Forests
Middle schoolers study the importance of the world's rain forests. In this rain forest lesson, students read about the role of the rain forests in the world's environment. Middle schoolers then write a formal letter to a member of...
Curated OER
A Geography and Ecology Lesson for Grades 4-7
Students explore many of the unusual geographical features of the Amazon River region, and explain the importance of preserving the tropical rainforest.
Center Science Education
Hurricanes and Climate
Feeling under the weather? This lesson on hurricanes can whip things up! With professionally designed maps and handouts, teach your future weathermen (or women) where, when, and how hurricanes occur. They identify hurricane regions and...
Curated OER
The Tropical Supermarket
Third graders explore the sources of the various foods they eat. They examine how everyone is intricately connected to the ecosystems in which natural resources are produced. Students observe how the lives of people living in those...
Curated OER
Climate in the Pacific Region
Students examine the main features of the climate of the Tropical Pacific region by looking at maps and charting the tracks of one or more recent cyclones. After a brief discussion, they answer questions bout convergence zones and the...
California Academy of Science
Discovering Rainforest Locations
How many rainforests are there, where are they, and do global factors effect their locations? These are great questions that have great answers. Children in grades four through eight use several different maps to determine why...
Curated OER
Create Your Own Country Project
Young scholars demonstrate their knowledge of geography with this fun, collaborative social studies project. Working in small groups, students develop their very own countries, writing descriptions of their physical location, social...
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies
Schoolyard Biodiversity Investigation Educator Guide
In 1980, in the tropical rainforests of Panama, scientists discovered 1,200 species of beetles living in and around just 19 trees, with most of the species new to science—that's biodiversity! In the activity, learners work in teams to...
Curated OER
Hurricanes Are They Coming to Your Neighborhood?
Learners study weather systems, hurricanes and tropical storms. They predict landfall of hurricanes and tropical storms.
Curated OER
And the Rains Came Down: A South American Rainforest
Students examine the characteristics of a South American tropical rainforest. They analyze maps, develop graphs, listen to the book, The Great Kapok Tree, and create a rainforest mural.
Curated OER
World Climate Growing Zones
Students create a map showing where crops would be grown around the world. In this crops lesson plan, students show how the world climate would produce different parts of the world at different times. Students fill out worksheets.
Curated OER
Living Through Fire
Students investigate the poverty found in Haiti. For this current events lesson, students research the noted Web sites to study Haiti's geography, history, and civil war.
Curated OER
Migration of the Neo-Tropical Songbirds
Fifth graders plot the migration of birds using Google Earth. In this lesson on bird migration, 5th graders work in groups to plot the migration of a group of birds using Google Earth. Students present and discuss their findings and look...
Curated OER
Plotting A Hurricane Using latitude and Longitude
High schoolers explore map and plotting skills by tracing the movement s of hurricanes through the Earth's systems. a hurricane map is developed from daily media reports.
Curated OER
Brazilian Animals
Students research the animals of Brazil. In this animal science lesson, students locate Brazil on a map and discuss the types of animals that can live in its tropical climate. They research a Brazilian Carnaval and see the roll the...
Curated OER
Tour Of South America
Students explore South America. In this geography lesson, students research landmarks of historical or national significance and use their findings to create slideshows.
Curated OER
Rain Forests: A Disappearing Act?
Students examine and locate rainforests on maps, and research the patterns of their destruction. They develop a bar graph of rainfall and temperature data, write a journal entry, and research the people, animals, and plants/products of...
Curated OER
Climatic Zones
Third graders recognize and locate Frigid, Temperate, and Torrid climatic zones on the word map or globe. They explain that plants, animals, and human societies display adaptations to the climates they live in .