Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sand Explorations

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students experiment with different samples of sand from Maui leeward and windward beaches. They create a sand map to suggest at least one contributing factor for the formation of each beach sample. They test the samples to determine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Barrels and Buckets: Access to Water - What Would It Be Like to Live in Africa?

For Teachers 4th - 6th
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....
Lesson Plan
Agriculture in the Classroom

A Holiday Tradition: Which Christmas Tree Will You Choose?

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Different varieties of Christmas trees provide an interesting way to combine social studies, science, math, and technology. Class members not only research the history of the Christmas tree holiday tradition, they compare and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Literature to Introduce the Five Themes of Geography

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students listen to a read aloud of "If You Grew Up With Abraham Lincoln". Using the text, they identify examples of the five themes of geography and write them down. Using a map, they plot the places mentioned in the book and sort facts...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

U.S. Geography: The Northeast

For Teachers K - 5th
Students investigate U.S. Geography by creating a map in class. In this natural resource instructional activity, students create a map of the United States and research the Northeast based on their resources and recyclable...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Sweet Connection

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students use maps to find what crops are dominant in areas where honey bees are raised and discuss possible correlations. They mark the top ten honey- producing states on a US map.
PPT
Curated OER

The Brief American Pageant: American in World War II

For Teachers 8th - 11th
From the home front to the middle of Europe, America's presence in World War II was forever transitioning with the strain of war. The variety of maps and charts offered in this presentation helps to contextualize the 1940's. The amount...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Lewis and Clark's Journals Come Alive

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students are presented daily excerpts from Lewis and Clark's experiences. The dates and activities are tracked on a classroom map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

End of the Line: What Happened to the Blue Ridge Railroad?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders study the westward expansion and the role of railroad construction to the expansion. In this railroad history activity, 6th graders complete KWL activity for the topic. Students view a PowerPoint about the growth of...
Worksheet
Curated OER

State and National Parks

For Students 5th - 8th
In this insects worksheet, students 7 questions regarding state and national parks. A print out version of this worksheet is available, but the online version contains links to various webpages with information on the topics, so...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Delicate Balance - Iowa's Natural Resources

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Discover the natural resources in Iowa by studying it's history. In this environmental instructional activity, your students will observe a topographical map of Iowa and identify where its most valuable resources are. They complete an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People Change the Landscape

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine ways in which humans have brought change to the natural environment. In this ecology and literacy instructional activity, students listen to the book Island Boy by Barbara Cooney. Students observe and define map-reading...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Around the Town

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students explore reading maps. In this map reading lesson plan, students compare distances fom place to place. Students work in groups and predict the distance then find the actual distance using string or rulers.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Countries of South America

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers focus on the geography of the countries of South America. Using a map, they identify the European countries who claimed the South American countries and research the influences they had on South America. To end the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Factors Contributing To the U.S. Dominance of the Pacific Northwest

For Teachers 6th - 11th
Students examine the painting Columbia by John Gast. They discuss the concept of Manifest Destiny and the role of different groups (miners, missionaries, fur trappers, farmers, etc.) in the Americanization of the West. In groups, they...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

President Who? Forgotten Founders and Their Capitols

For Teachers 7th - 11th
Students explore the beginning of the United Colonies that were formed in 1774.  In this history lesson, students discuss the Articles of Confederation and then answer questions about the events surrounding the development of the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fun With Pacific Northwest Cities and Towns

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Intended for fun only, learners play with the names of cities common to their region or state. This lesson includes a list of cities in Oregon and not much else. What you and your class choose to do with your list of cities is up to you.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Our Fifty States

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders identify and locate all fifty states in the United States and their capitals. Individually, they research one state identifying when it became a state, its motto, song, flower and nicknames. To end the lesson, they are...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Come Visit My State!

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders conduct research on a selected state in the United States. They complete a WebQuest and conduct research on a variety of websites. Students then organize and present a visual display about their state that includes a...
Worksheet
Curated OER

United States Prepositions

For Students 3rd - 4th
In this prepositions worksheet, learners use the clues to help them locate the positions of the state according to the prepositions given in each sentence.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Anne Frank: One of Hundreds of Thousands

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students show on a map territorial changes to Germany as a result of the Treaty of Versailles, then identify European countries that came under German control before and during World War II.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Welcome to New York State

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students choose one region of New York state, and create a travel brochure that includes information such as geographical features, tourist attractions, accesibility, economic features, and historical events that occured in that region.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Displacement of the Native Americans

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders comprehend the interaction and conflict between Native Americans and white settlers in the years following the Civil War. They examine how those conflicts impacted the Native American way of life on the Great Plains.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Tale of Two Speeches

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students view and read portions of John F. Kennedy's Cuban Missile Crisis speech from October 22, 1962. Later in the year, students recall what they remember about the speech and use a Venn Diagram to compare it to Patrick Henry's...