Changing Geography

Investigate the growth and development of New York City with the final instructional activity in this four-part series on skyscrapers. Learners first explore the concept of urban growth by looking closely at a series of three paintings...

This teaching packet is for grades five through eight, and it is organized around geographic themes: location, place, relationships, movement, and regions. There are four full lessons that are complete with posters, weblinks, and...

Young explorers examine the route that Marco Polo and his father traveled to reach China. They examine online maps of the Silk Road and harsh terrain of Afghanistan to determine challenges that may have been encountered during travel.

Young scholars investigate the concepts that are related to the Silk Road trading route. They conduct guided research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to use a shoebox and draw a map of the Silk Road upon it.

Students review various contour maps, including local ones, to identify landforms such as mountains and plains. They create a 3-D contour map of an imaginary location that shows at least 10 changes in elevation. Afterward, they write a...

Students investigate how maps can provide useful information about health issues. They study a map to draw conclusions about cholera death in London.

Can you read a map? Scholars use an interactive technology tool to analyze maps of various kinds to gather evidence and data to better understand their meanings and usefulness. Using newly obtained knowledge, they form an interpretation...

Learners examine cultural diffusion. In this Silk Road lesson, pupils research primary sources to compare and contrast the religious beliefs encountered and shared by those who traded along the Silk Road route.

Students examine geography through the themes of place, human/environment interaction, and region. They create a mental map of their own neighborhood, analyze their role in the world, and design a neighborhood that reflects their needs.

Walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as they discover the wonders, beauty, and dangers of the American frontier. After gaining background knowledge about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase, young explorers use primary...