Curated OER
Black & White Drama
Learners explore Ansel Adams's dramatic black and white mountain landscape photographs. They identify common geographic elements and animals indigenous to the Sierra Nevada and create original art in black and white to depict light and...
Curated OER
Planning A Railroad
Students use topographical maps students explain the challenges involved in building the railroad in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Curated OER
The Edge of the Lake
Second graders explore the geography of Nevada. In this map-making lesson, 2nd graders use salt dough to create a relief map of Nevada. Students label the landforms and bodies of water that are studied and specified in the lesson.
Curated OER
Planning a Railroad Online Lesson
Students design a train route using a topographical map. In this historical and spatial thinking lesson plan, students must plan a route through the Sierra Nevada mountains that a train could physically travel. Links to printable student...
Curated OER
Planning A Railroad Online Lesson
Students plan a route across Donner Summit using topographical maps in order to understand the challenges involved in constructing the railroad in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In this history lesson, students first discover how to read...
Science Matters
Up and Down Fault Blocks
The Sierra Mountains in Nevada and the Tetons in Wyoming originally formed as fault block mountains. In order to visualize these fault blocks, pupils use construction paper to create layers of earth. They cut the paper models and form...
Curated OER
All Aboard- Central Pacific Railroad
Second graders explore the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad. In this U.S. history lesson, 2nd graders discuss vocabulary and events that occurred in the 1860s pertaining to the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad....
Curated OER
Westward Expansion : Mapping
Fifth graders travel along exploring the expeditions of John F. Fremont. In this Westward expansion lesson, 5th graders gain understanding of the events that shaped the west through the use of maps. Students use mapping skills to...
Curated OER
Environment: John Muir Day
Students observe John Muir Day by visiting Websites containing fact sheets, excepted writings, as well as songs, pictures, and educational sources. They use April 21 as a day to reflect on Muir's accomplishment and environmental legacy....
Scholastic
Perfect Postcards: California
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...
K12 Reader
United States Geography
Encourage reading for information with a text about United States geography. Kids read a short passage about the landforms in the United States, including mountain ranges and natural resources, and answer five reading comprehension...
Curated OER
Utah Weather
Fourth graders diagram the weather in Utah through the use of a glyph. In this Utah weather instructional activity, 4th graders create weather glyphs of different areas in the state. Students answer questions about the weather and then...
Curated OER
You Can Die Here
Students examine Death Valley including the amount of precipitation and winds that it gets. In this climate based lesson students explain the reasons for the amount of precipitation and windward patterns in Death Valley.
Curated OER
Glaciers
Seventh graders summarize how Earth processes today are similar to
those that occurred in the past. They read excerpts from John Muir's "Yosemite Glaciers" and explain how slow geologic processes have large cumulative effects over long...
Curated OER
Dragon's Gate
Students read Dragon's Gate as a shared literature book. This lesson plan provides excellent extension activities students can engage in while they are reading, and after they have finished the book.
Curated OER
Geography Journey
Fourth graders examine the geographic features that define places and regions and answer questions about the state of California. They discuss the components of a map legend and answer worksheet questions using a map of California as a...
Curated OER
U.S. Geography: California
In this map skills about the state of California worksheet, students locate and label specific places and areas and create a map key and symbolize the economy and areas of personal interest. Students answer 5 questions.
Curated OER
Lesson III: Crisis, Pearl Harbor, Internment
The third in a series of lessons introduced by “A Fence Away From Freedom,” uses the Smithsonian website, “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution” and focuses on the section of the presentation devoted to the...
Curated OER
Rainfall Measurement
Students are introduced to rainfall measurement and develop a network of rain gauges. Students measure rainfall, plot rainfall maps and calculate total rainfall volumes during rainstorms.
Curated OER
Graphin' and Glyphin' Utah Weather
Fourth graders use glyphs as a way to visually represent information about Utah weather. These nonverbal representations help students collect and interpret data in a visual format.
Curated OER
Earthquakes
Sixth graders explain that earthquakes are sudden motions along breaks in the crust called faults. They list the major geologic events including earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and mountain building, which are the result of crustal plate...
Curated OER
Picnic Possibilities
Fourth graders plan a picnic using weather data. Using accumulated weather data from various sources, they create a graph of the weather conditions in their region for a given period of time. Students interpret this data to predict the...
Curated OER
America the Beautiful
Students analyze the physical geography of the United States and how we have adapted to or altered the land to create the country we know today. Students complete maps with physical features, states and cities of interest.
Curated OER
The Gathering Season
Students examine the traditional Washoe gathering season, and the importance of pine nuts and the goom-sa-'bye ceremony in the fall. They roast pine nuts and dance a traditional circle dance. They explore some of the Washoe vocabulary...