Curated OER
Discovering Places & Regions
Fifth graders research physical and cultural features of a place. They practice skills in gathering information from various sources, using tools such as graphic organizers, word processing, multimedia, and use of the Internet.
Curated OER
Postcards from California: A Unit on Geography, Social Studies, History and California's Resources
Fourth graders examine patterns that influence population density in the various regions of California. The unit's three lessons utilize graphic organizers for the interpretation and presentation of data.
Curated OER
Australia: the Land Down Under
Students give a solid history and geographic explanation of the country of Australia and explain why it is important. They use some creativity in designing their own island, by using the physical features of this particular country.
Curated OER
Climate Systems - Which Location Is Best For Me?
Students study the difference between weather and climate. In this climate systems instructional activity students search the Internet for the parts of the Earth's system, gather climate data and complete a challenge scenario.
Curated OER
Local and Global Sustainability Unit
Students examine the characteristics that define a sustainable community at the local and global level. They create and prioritize a list of traits, read and discuss a magazine article, and create a poster.
Curated OER
The Historical Geography of Mesopotamia
Students show how the geography of the Mesopotamia region has impacted the beginnings of civilization. They show how this area has long been the site of the rise and fall of great empires, and how the geography of this region has a lot...
Curated OER
Studying the States!!!
Students explore the fifty states of America. They also learn the capitals and locations of the states. They also study the population, mottos, flags, and interesting historical facts about each state.
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Lesson 2: The Story of Flagstaff
Students, in groups, write and perform a skit that retells the story of the flooding of Flagstaff.
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The Panama Canal, The World's Most Important Shortcut
Students, through teacher lecture and online activities, study the Panama Canal. They discuss how it was made and the hardships the workers encountered while building it. Through the eyes of one of these workers, they write a short...
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Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion
Students discover how manifest destiny and westward expansion are related. Using the Internet, they research the beginnings of the movement of manifest destiny and how it influenced people moving westward. They discuss the expectations...
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Themes of Geography in the News Contest
Learners discuss current events in the world today. After choosing one to focus on, they identify the themes of Geography present in them and practice using new vocabulary. They use the internet to find all of the themes present in...
Curated OER
Find a Cave
Students locate their own communites and the nearest caves on a United States map. They calculate the distance to the nearest cave using rough scale.
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Rivers Run Through It
Using a relief map of New York State, learners answer questions about the distance between different cities, identify bodies of water, and more. First, they discuss vocabulary related to the Hudson River area. Then, they complete a...
Curated OER
What's Your Temperature?
Learners take a look at the local newspaper and focus on the weather section. They get into small groups, and each one looks at the same map, but of a different part of the country. They must prepare a presentation that shows how...
Curated OER
Edible Resource Maps
Third graders work in groups to create an edible resource map showing locations of at least five resources in the United States. Students research on the internet different regions and the resources that are found in those areas. They...
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People and Parks in the U.S.A.
Fifth graders explore the National Parks in the United States. After locating specified states, 5th graders predict which states have the most National Parks. Given the population of each state, students determine the average acre per...
Curated OER
Road Trip
Learners explore a state, create a travel plan for visiting that state, write postcards from an imaginary trip there, and research selected points of interest in that state.
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Crossing the Border: Practicalities
Students plan a trip for a citizen of Mexico to travel within various regions of the US. Another group plans a trip for a citizen of the US to travel to a non-tourist area of Mexico.
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The Colony of Virginia as Far as the Mississippi
High schoolers study George Washington's map and journal of his 1754 expedition to the French. They draw conclusions about the importance of western lands and the problems involved in tapping the resources of the West during that era.
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A Dollar Goes A Long Way
Investigate life along the Old Spanish Trail! They visit websites and identify the history and environment. They create journals, dramatic enactments, and maps to discover the role individuals played in society. They also explore the...
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Map-A-Buddy
Young scholars investigate the concept of tracking and spatial movements of animals in relation to the environment in which they live. They participate in an interactive activity by tracking one another over a pre-defined region, record...
Smithsonian Institution
American Sabor Crossword
How much do you know about Latin American music? A crossword puzzle challenges learners to answer 24 questions about the history, genres, performers, and instruments of Latin American music.
Curated OER
Genetically Modified Organisms
High Schoolers complete a variety of activities as they examine the ethics of (and take a position concerning) genetically modified organisms in the field of agriculture. They complete a PowerPoint demonstration to go along with the unit.
Curated OER
Coming to America
Fifth graders listen to the song America by Neil Diamond, view pictures of Ellis Island, and role play as processing officers who evaluate, classify and recommend which immigrants can stay in America.