Curated OER
Quick-Sketch Artist Tips on Mind Mapping the Urban Landscape
Students interpret maps. They also create mental maps of regions in which they are studying. Students then explain the historical or cultural significance of map features orally or in written form. Students take a walking field trip...
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Interior of the Earth
Sixth graders identify and describe the composition and physical properties of the layers of the Earth. They also explain how scientists used the scientific process to know about the center of the Earth. Finally, 6th graders read a...
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Attu Battlefield: U.S. Army and Navy Airfields on Attu
Learners use maps, readings, drawings and photos to research the World War II Battle of Attu. They explain the importance of the battle, discuss the valor and loyalty of both American and Japanese troops and analyze sources of historical...
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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...
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The Pilgrims
Students use distance measuring tools to follow directions and chart the path the pilgrims made from Plymouth, England to Boston, Massachusetts. In this Pilgrim voyage lesson plan, students use a map to chart the distance traveled by the...
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Candy Bar Subsurface Geology
Students are introduced to drawing and interpreting topographical maps. They each cut through there Jell-o mountain at regular height intervals, and trace around the shape of the Jell-o cut off at the height, overlaying the different...
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Salad Tray 3D Topographic Model
Students explore the characteristics of topographical maps. They examine the relationship of contour lines and vertical elevation. Students create a three-dimensional model of a landscape represented by a topographic contour map.
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Tracking Satellites Using Latitude and Longitude
Students investigate how to track satellites using latitude and longitude. They investigate what man learns from all the satellites currently being studied today. Students analyze the four basic types of satellite orbits.
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Dough Lake Topology
Students practice coordinates and measurements, develop 2D, 3D topological map, construct grid with string on real surface, establish "level" fixed point for measurements, take and record data points of elevation, and enter data on...
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Location, Location
Third graders draw and interpret simple scale maps, use maps to move around efficiently or plans to propose actions. They use of a compass to specify and find directions. They display and discuss a map of the local region.
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Geography: Map Making
Students, working in groups, share notes and maps collected during a study of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They draw large composite maps of the western United States on butcher paper including land formations, bodies of water, and...
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Translating Traditions
Students analyze art reflective of traditions and cultural heritage. In this art analysis lesson, students complete image based discussion.
Physics Classroom
As the Crow Flies Lab
A simple, yet memorable, way of practicing with displacement vectors is described here. Divide your class into groups and assign each a different landmark on campus. They measure smaller legs of the path from the classroom to their...
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Mining in a Nutshell
Your class will love this geology-inspired set of activities that demonstrate the processes through which we are able to use mineral resources. They describe the major steps that a company must follow from initial discovery of a mineral...
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Volcano Contour Models Activity
Learners experiment with water levels and plastic topographic volcano models to determine the contour lines that would be used to create a topograpohic map of a volcano. They use the traced lines to actually develop the map.
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TE Activity: The Trouble with Topos
Students study the uses of topographical maps including the many forms that they take. They discover that the map features show its intended use such as city maps, wilderness maps, and state maps. They complete a worksheet in which they...
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How do we measure global earthquakes?
Students examine three seismograms of a recent South American earthquake recorded by USGS stations. They measure the S-P distance and use a P and S wave travel-time graph to find the epicenter distance for each seismogram. In addition,...
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Estimating Distances
Students investigate distance measurement. In this middle school mathematics instructional activity, students find the average length of their pace and use their pace to measure various unknown distances in feet and miles. ...
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Evaluating an Illinois Earthquake
Students examine the frequency of earthquakes in Illinois. They discover the distribution of earthquakes in the Midwest. They also practice reading measurements from the Richter scale and Mercalli Intensity scale.
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Canada...a Visual Journey
Students, in groups, research Canada's six natural regions (ecozones). They create a visual representation of each region on a large wall map of Canada and present it to the rest of the class.
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Searching the Attic
Students conduct field research, including the use of a grid system, in order to discover important or interesting family artifacts.They map discoveries of important artifacts on a grid map in order to track and better analyze...
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Science: Draining the Land - the Mississippi River
Students use topographic maps to identify parts of rivers. In addition, they discover gradient and predict changes in the channels caused by variations in water flow. Other activities include sketching a river model with a new channel...
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Discover the Rain Forest
Students research tropical rain forests through the use of trade books, encyclopedias, rain forest videos, and computer searches to determine the effects that human use has on the rain forest.
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Landscapes
Students explore landforms and landscapes. They demonstrate an appreciation for and examine how to recognize the attributes of landforms and landscapes. Students create a landscape and reflect on their painting.