McREL International

Lesson Plan Library - Geography

These lesson plans and activities are organized under topics. Click the found next to the topic to see the related knowledge and skill statements from Content Knowledge, 4th edition.

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Characteristics of places

• Exploring Our National Parks (Grades 6–8)—McREL

Cultural regions

• Celebrating Diversity (Grades K–2)—McREL
• Six Paths to China (secondary social studies) Tom March, 2010

Environmental issues

• Environmentalism: Then and Now (HS geography)—McREL
• One Forest, Many Options (HS geography)—McREL
• John Muir Day Study Guide (Multiple grades; multiple lessons)—Sierra Club; San Francisco, CA
• Wilderness Preservation (Grades 10-12)- NationMaster.org; Australia

Maps, globes, and atlases

• Flat Earth Society (Grades 6–8)—McREL
• The Globe Game (Grades 3–5)—McREL
• Weather Watch (Grades 6–8)—McREL
• Improving Map Skills (Primary geography)—NationMaster.com
  
• Mapmaking (Grades 4–6)—Linda Bauck; Wallowa Elementary; Oregon
• Orienteering: Map Skills (Grades K–4)—Donna Johnson; Wallowa Elementary; Oregon
  
• Plotting a Hurricane Using Latitude and Longitude (HS geography)—Kathy Mendoza; Redemptionist High School; Louisiana
• Using Grids (Grade level not given; elementary & middle school geography)—Education Place®; Houghton Mifflin
• Using the Mileage Key on Maps (Grades 4–6)—Faun White; Utah
• What Do Maps Show? (Grade level not given; elementary geography)—U.S. Geological Survey; Washington, D.C.
• You Can Find It! (Grades 3–12)—Carl White; Chignik Lake, AK

Natural resources

• Understanding Energy Concerns (Grades 11–12)—NationMaster.com

Population density, distribution, and growth rates

• Making a Cartogram (Grades 4–12)—Chuck Dwelley; Fortuna Elementary; Fortuna, CA

Transportation and communication networks

• Trains, Planes, and Automobiles (Grades K–2)—McREL

Types of regions

• Regions: A Hands-on Approach (Grades 6–12)—National Geographic Society; Washington, D.C.
• Regions of the United States: a geographic perspective (Grades 6–12)—National Geographic Society; Washington, D.C.

Interactive activities for kids

• GeoNet Game (Grade level not given; elementary geography)—Education Place®; Houghton Mifflin

General geography resources

• Lesson Plans and Teaching Strategies for Social Studies (Multiple grades; multiple lessons)—Dr. Marty Levine; California State University, Northridge
• PBS TeacherSource (Multiple grades; multiple lessons)—PBS Online®
• Social Studies Activities (Grades 2–7)—Dr. Scott Mandel; Teachers Helping Teachers
• Xpeditions Archive: Lesson Plans (Grades K–12)—National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.