Curated OER
If You Were a Pioneer on the Oregon Trail
Students examine what it was like to travel west on the Oregon Trail. They develop a list of questions about the trip, explore various websites, and create a story about the experiences of a 19th century family travelling on the Oregon...
Curated OER
"Whose (Is)land is This?": topics in Immigration and The Tempest
Class members compare the ways the subject of immigration is treated in The Tempest, Act I, scene ii, Act II, scene i and Act III, scene ii with patterns in American history. After tracing their own family’s journey, a series of...
PBS
Myth of the West: The Battle of the Washita
Go West, young man! Scholars use PBS video clips, slide shows, and interactive materials to create a picture of Manifest Destiny in the American West. Using a variety of primary and secondary sources, young historians learn about the...
Curated OER
Identifying and locating the continents and oceans of the world.
Third graders physically construct a balloon replica of the world globe by coloring, correctly labeling, and cutting out the seven continent shapes from the worksheet, gluing them onto their correct locations on an inflated blue balloon....
Curated OER
Plate Tectonics: First Grade Lesson Plans and Activities
A set of first grade geology lessons focuses on plate tectonics and movement of plate boundaries. During the pre-lab, learners experience three types of plate movement through a kinesthetic demonstration. The lab...
NOAA
Please Pass the Salt
Salinity is the focus of two experimenters that work to answer the question, How does salt change the physical properties of water? Super scientists compare the freezing rate of salt and fresh water, combine the two waters to...
Geographer Online
Restless Earth
In less than 25 years, the continent of Australia moved 4.9 feet thanks to plate tectonics. The presentation introduces the idea of the layers of the earth as well as plate tectonics. It goes into why the plates move and where we believe...
Curated OER
Exploring the World's Geography
Students discuss the seven continents of Earth and the diverse geography. After discussion, they create their own paper-mache globes which properly display all seven continents, the equator, and the prime meridian. They conduct research...
Curated OER
Comparison of Snow Cover on Different Continents
Students use the Live Access Server (LAS) to form maps and a numerical text file of snow cover for each continent on a particular date and analyze the data for each map, corresponding text file to determine an estimate of snow cover for...
Curated OER
Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Americas
Native American studies is fun, educational, and highly motivating. Fifth graders will gain a deeper understanding of the six major pre-Columbian culture areas on the North American continent. They will choose one group and conduct...
Curated OER
Continents on the Move
Students examine the tectonic plates of the Earth and how the landforms of Earth have changed position over time. In groups, they identify the evidence that the continents are still moving. To end the instructional activity, they...
NOAA
Mid-Ocean Ridges Interactive
Your class will be on top of their game when it comes to mid-ocean ridges! The second installment in a 13-part series focuses on the 65,000-km underwater ridge system that spans our globe. Junior oceanographers practice placing the...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
The Great Elephant Census Modeling Activity
They say elephants never forget—and your class won't forget an insightful modeling activity either! Junior zoologists take part in a mock elephant census using the sample count and total count methods. The included materials provide...
K12 Reader
Traveling to the Distant West
If you build it they can come. After reading a short article about the impact of western expansion, middle schoolers cite evidence from the article to explain how this expansion forced changes in transportation.
Olympic Museum
The Olympic Symbols
Get into the Olympic spirit with a resource about the values and symbols of the Olympic Games. With sections about prominent images of the Olympics, including the flame and the interlocked rings, the packet supplies engaging information...
Curated OER
World Continents
Students identify the continents of the world. In groups, students create a three-dimensional clay representation of their assigned continent. Using KidPix software, they draw and color their continent. Students research their continent...
Curated OER
Let's Write Around the World
Students participate in an ongoing writing project about the seven world continents. In this continents writing lesson, students work on an interactive game to write about the seven continents. Students locate the continents on the map....
Curated OER
Putting the World in Perspective
Students work in small groups to: make a mental map of the world by tearing paper shapes of the seven continents and locating them on a flat surface in their relative positions, compare their finished mental map to a reference world map,...
Curated OER
Mastering the Keyboard
Sixth graders view an animated program showing how the continents fit together millions of years ago. In groups, they compare and contrast the distribution of rocks and fossils based on how the continents fit together. After reading a...
Curated OER
Africa, A Look Through the Eyes of A Child
Second graders read literature about Africa, examine physical characteristics of the continent, explore animals native to Africa, and discuss distance between Africa and locations in the United States.
Curated OER
The Geography of Africa
Hop a flight to Africa in this presentation, which includes brilliant and appealing photographs of the continent as well as maps and graphs about its geography, topography, and climate. Those who are researching Africa for a project or...
Curated OER
The Volcano Factory
Collaborative groups work together to report on the volcanic activity leading to island formation and construct models to demonstrate the process. Consider having each group present their project to the rest of the class. There are many...
Curated OER
What Makes The Good Life
What makes a good life? What makes life hard? Get your class thinking about the global picture with this extensive packet. They read quotes from around the world, analyze statistical data from every continent, then read and answer...
Compton Unified School District
How Can We Locate Places?
How can we locate places? Maps, of course! Expose second graders to the tools available in maps and discuss how these tools can help people find locations. Students also look at communities, including what makes a community and the...