Curated OER
Investigating Latitude and Longitude
Students examine the lines of latitude and longitude on a map, and explain why these lines might be useful. In this lesson students also explore websites that provide information to improve their understanding of how and why latitude and...
Curated OER
Where in the World? :Understanding Latitude and Longitude
Students play a grid-based game and devise clues to help classmates locate spots on the globe in order to recognize the value of using longitude and latitude for identifying locations.
Curated OER
Where in the World? The Basics of Latitude and Longitude
Students are introduced to the concepts of latitude and longitude. In groups, they identify the Earth's magnetic field and the disadvantages of using compasses for navigation. They identify the major lines of latitude and longitude on a...
Cornell University
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Continuing their study of beneficial insects, young entomologists discover where in the world some of these bugs are. By labeling, coloring, and using the scale on a map, pupils explore the territories and arrival of the Asian lady...
Curated OER
Through the Forest and Home Again: Maps Help Us Find Our Ways
Students read Little Red Riding Hood, focusing on her path home to Grandma's house. In this language arts and geography lesson, students perform a reader's theater, re-creating the walk home and possible routes that could have been...
Curated OER
Map Scaling
Second graders use a map scale to determine distances between cities in the state of Florida.
Curated OER
Finding Latitudes and Longitudes
Students analyze Columbus' rationale for sailing west, and find the latitude and longitude of modern and ancient place names.
Curated OER
Countries of the World
Students identify countries on a world map. In this map skills lesson, students define the word "country" and use post-it notes to locate several countries on a world map.
Curated OER
Map Making
Young scholars use a tennis ball and paper to construct a student-made globe. They sketch in continents and major map features and then compare a flat map to a globe.
Curated OER
Barrels and Buckets: Access to Water - What Would It Be Like to Live in Africa?
Students compare water access in the United States with that of Africa. In this water access lesson, students located Ghana and Kenya on a globe before reading Peace Corps Volunteer accounts of the difficulty of accessing clean water....
Curated OER
Finding Meaning in the Badge
Children who are three to five years old study two rank badges from the Qing dynasty to develop an understanding of social rank, language skills, and symbolism. The lesson is discussion-based and requires learners to compare and contrast...
Curated OER
Searching for Stars
Positive character traits in literature are explored in this character development and literacy instructional activity. Learners listen to Cinderella by Charles Perrault and Little Gold Star by Robert D. San Souci, followed by a...
Curated OER
The Gold Rush
Learners identify the routes involved in the Gold Rush on a map. In this map skills lesson, students use a United States map to locate the routes used to travel to California during the Gold Rush. Learners demonstrate how to use the map...
Curated OER
An Early American Culture
Young scholars identify the locations of the Hopewell culture. In this map skills instructional activity, students use a globe to mark several locations of the Hopewell culture.
Curated OER
The Continents and Oceans of the World
Students explore world mapping skills. In this world geography lesson, students identify and label the continents and oceans on a world map using the Visual Thesaurus. Students generate mnemonic devices to help memorize these terms.
Alabama Learning Exchange
The Sun and the Earth
Third graders study and diagram the positions of the Earth and sun during the four seasons. They predict weather for cities in the northern and southern hemispheres.
Curated OER
Where Is Japan? How Are We Alike And Different?
First graders use literature, maps, and globes to explain how physical environments in various parts of the world are similar to and different from one's own, and that certain areas have common characteristics and can be called regions.
Curated OER
Navigation
Students explain that globes are the best way to show positions of places, but flat maps are portable and can show great detail. They make a mercator projection of the route Lewis and Clark took on their journey.
Curated OER
Strawberry Girl: Lesson 3 - Trains, Sails, and Trails
Learners read two chapters of Strawberry Girl by Lois Lenski and complete activities about Florida's transportation history. In this literacy and economics lesson, students read two chapters of the book, talk about their journal entries,...
Curated OER
"Trails, Rails, and Roads" Lesson 2: Road Tripping
Students practice map skills and take a virtual road trip through Maine examining the history of transportation. They create questions from the information they learned and play a game against other groups.
Curated OER
Lesson Ten: Direction
Learners explore the concept of relative location. In this map lesson, students read I Hate English by Ellen Levine and consider how maps and globes help people to familiarize themselves with an area.
Curated OER
The Global Grapefruit - Representing a 3-Dimensional Globe on a 2-Dimensional Map
Students compare and contrast world maps and globes. They convert a 3-dimensional globe to a 2-dimensional map. They are introduced to the Mercator map projection. They observe map distortions of shape, area, distance, directions and angle.
Curated OER
World Projections
Young scholars identify map projections and examine polar maps. In this map skills lesson, students use a flat world map to identify various projections and calculate the distances between locations by using a map scale.
Curated OER
Storm Clouds-- Fly over a Late Winter Storm onboard a NASA Earth Observing Satellite
Students study cloud data and weather maps to explore cloud activity. In this cloud data activity students locate latitude and longitude coordinates and determine cloud cover percentages.