429 geography-us-world results | sort by:
Hopper the Explorer - Google Arts & Culture Experiments
Grades
2 to 8tag(s): map skills (67), maps (222)
In the Classroom
Share Hopper the Explorer with students to help them find summaries of several global locations and increase their understanding of world geography. Be sure to demonstrate how to find any destination and drop Hopper in to take a look around. Students can take a picture of a location they explore, then use that image as a basis for further research about the area. Ask students to share Hopper's story using Canva Docs, reviewed here and use Canva's templates, images, and videos as a storytelling project. Extend learning using Google My Maps, reviewed here and have students create maps that feature a virtual visit to locations relating to their current studies, places featured in novels, or significant events in history.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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PamPam - PamPam
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): artificial intelligence (254), map skills (67), maps (222), virtual field trips (135)
In the Classroom
Teach map skills by creating interactive maps of locations near your school or of famous cities located around the world, then add pictures to highlight areas of interest. Create maps featuring historical locations, literary settings, or plot areas with active volcanoes. Ask students to create maps featuring a virtual guide to your town that highlights favorite places, including restaurants, parks, and other activities.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Enrique's Journey-The True Story of a Boy Determined to Reunite with His Mothe - TeachersFirst
Grades
4 to 7tag(s): diversity (52), immigrants (49), immigration (82), maps (222), point of view (8)
In the Classroom
Step into a real-life journey of courage, sacrifice, and hope through activities that help students connect deeply with Sonia Nazario's Enrique's Journey. Begin by introducing the story to the whole class, with the Reading Trek map displayed on an interactive whiteboard, and guide students through its layers to preview the countries, routes, and challenges Enrique will face along the way. Next, have students use Google My Maps, reviewed here to plot Enrique's journey from Honduras through Mexico to the United States, adding a short description, an image, and a meaningful quote from the text at each stop to help visualize the danger, emotion, and resilience required at every stage. Extend learning by inviting students to create a short scene from Enrique's journey using Witty Comics, reviewed here, such as riding atop La Bestia or crossing the border, encouraging them to capture dialogue, determination, and risk in a visual format that deepens comprehension and builds empathy for Enrique's lived experience.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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MapMaker - National Geographic
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): critical thinking (162), data (199), map skills (67), maps (222)
In the Classroom
Have students create a personalized digital map of their local community. They can mark locations such as their school, library, parks, and cultural landmarks with pins, shapes, and labels. Explore global climate patterns by turning on different data layers (e.g., temperature, precipitation, vegetation). Students can compare regions, make observations, and write claims backed by map evidence about how geography influences climate. Have students research a historical event or time period (e.g., westward expansion, ancient civilizations, migration routes) and create a map showing locations from that time, with modern overlays to compare past and present geography. Have students choose a topic (such as a natural disaster, an explorer's journey, or a cultural region) and create a digital map that tells a story using pins and custom labels. Each pin includes facts, images, or student-written summaries to encourage research and multimedia integration.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Amelia Earhart FREE Unit Study - Peanut Butter Fish
Grades
2 to 5This site includes advertising.
tag(s): aviation (50), women (183), womenchangemaker (79)
In the Classroom
Have students cut out and sequence key events from Amelia Earhart's life using the printable timeline. Put students with a partner to read the included biography and complete the note-taking sheet together. Check answers by using the provided answer key. Extend the unit by researching another female aviation or STEM pioneer. Students can create mini-presentations using Google Slides reviewed here or Canva Edu reviewed here to share what they've learned.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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America, A Home for Every Culture - The Kennedy Center
Grades
3 to 5tag(s): africa (154), cultures (266), immigrants (49), immigration (82), ireland (13), jews (63), latin (22)
In the Classroom
Have students identify and collect words in everyday use that come from different languages. They can create word cards and pin them to a large classroom map to show each word's origin. Ask students to interview family members about traditional recipes and fill out the "My Recipe" and "My Family Member" handouts. Compile them into a class recipe book to celebrate cultural diversity. After reading "Face to Face" by Anita E. Posey, students can write poems about identity, heritage, or their family's cultural background and share them during a classroom poetry circle. Organize a classroom or school-wide multicultural festival. Students can create displays, performances, or food samples representing a culture they studied and share their research on traditions, music, and customs.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The 50 States Digital Breakouts - Peggy Reimers
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): digital escapes (29), game based learning (281), gamification (95), puzzles (158), states (126)
In the Classroom
Share these escape rooms with students to introduce them to interesting facts and information about each state. Extend learning by asking students to select a state to explore further and then create a presentation to share their knowledge. Offer options to create presentations using Google My Maps, reviewed here, Adobe Express Video Maker, reviewed here, and Canva Docs, reviewed here. As a class project, compile a digital book using Book Creator, reviewed here, including pages for each state sharing images, videos, and audio. As another option, ask students to create books about individual states using this template from Book Creator.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Earth Day Explorers - Van Andel Institute for Education
Grades
K to 8tag(s): earth (192), earth day (60), environment (247), recycling (45), STEM (340)
In the Classroom
Students can create a public service announcement using Buzzsprout, reviewed here while completing the "Take Action" lesson. Students can upload their "art" to Seesaw, reviewed here after completing their "Found Art" artwork. Students can use Book Creator, reviewed here to create a book on all the animals that they learned about from the "Wonderful World Scavenger Hunt" activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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OK2Ask: 3 Cool Tools for Timelines - TeachersFirst
Grades
1 to 12Timelines are powerful visual tools that can transform how students understand chronology, cause and effect, and the evolution of ideas in any subject area. In this hands-on workshop, we'll explore three versatile, free timeline creation tools you can implement at any grade level. You'll learn how to use timelines not just as presentation tools, but as dynamic frameworks for student inquiry, collaboration, and assessment. Discover strategies for scaffolding student comprehension from introduction to assessment while empowering learners to make connections between events, identify patterns, and visualize change over time. Whether you're teaching history, science, literature, or another subject, you'll leave with practical approaches to integrating interactive timelines that engage students and provide valuable insights into their understanding. As a result of this session, teachers will: 1. Design learning experiences that use timelines to scaffold student comprehension in any subject area. 2. Evaluate three free timeline creation tools based on their specific classroom needs and learning objectives. 3. Create an implementation plan that integrates timeline activities into their curriculum. This session is appropriate for teachers at all technology levels.
tag(s): OK2Askarchive (83), professional development (295), timelines (58)
In the Classroom
The archive of this teacher-friendly, hands-on webinar will empower and inspire you to use learning technology in the classroom and for professional productivity. As appropriate, specific classroom examples and ideas have been shared. View the session with a few of your teaching colleagues to find and share new ideas. Once registered, find additional reference materials, tutorials, and how-to information to help you review or extend your knowledge from the session in the handout posted on the session landing page. Resources may include additional ideas and examples on integrating the tools and strategies shared in classroom instruction. Learn more about OK2Ask and upcoming sessions here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Let's Learn Social Studies - Let's Learn
Grades
K to 3tag(s): civics (127), communities (36), family (53)
In the Classroom
Students can use Book Creator reviewed here to create a book about their family and/or family history (or other Social Studies topics). Students can complete activities posted in Seesaw reviewed here. Students can use Google My Maps reviewed here to learn about different communities and locations.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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My Life Elsewhere - Jason Horsley
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): countries (71), cultures (266), demographics (14)
In the Classroom
After researching a country on MyLifeElsewhere, students can write a first-person narrative imagining a typical day in that country. They can incorporate details about school, food, climate, transportation, and daily routines. Students can compare the cost of living between two countries and create a monthly budget for an imaginary person living in both places, taking into account housing, food, transportation, and entertainment. Each student can pick a country and research key cultural elements, including language, customs, and education. Have them write a friendly letter as if they were a student in that country, describing their life based on their research. Students can choose a country to compare with their home country using MyLifeElsewhere. They create a visual aid (such as a chart, poster, or slide) that highlights key differences in population, economy, geography, and lifestyle.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Native Americans' Contributions to American Culture - TeachersFirst
Grades
K to 12tag(s): native americans (131)
In the Classroom
Explore this collection featuring the fascinating impact of Native Americans. Look at each resource's "Classroom Use" section for creative ideas on weaving these materials into your lessons.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Oh Pioneers! Interactive Westward Expansion Game - Mr. Nussbaum Learning and Fun
Grades
3 to 7This site includes advertising.
tag(s): gold rush (18), simulations (45), westward expansion (41)
In the Classroom
Before playing the game, have students work in small groups to create a packing list for their journey west. They must choose a limited number of items (ex., food, tools, clothing, medicine) and justify their choices. After playing the game, they can reflect on whether their selections would have helped them succeed. Provide students with real pioneer diary entries, letters, or photographs. Have them compare these firsthand accounts to their game experience, identifying similarities and differences in challenges, decisions, and daily life. Have students trace the California Trail in Google My Maps, reviewed here. They can mark key landmarks, rivers, and danger zones they encountered in the game. Then, discuss how geography influenced travel decisions and survival rates.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mali Empire History - Cool Kid Facts
Grades
2 to 7This site includes advertising.
tag(s): africa (154), archeology (26), cultures (266), maps (222), medieval (38)
In the Classroom
Set up different learning stations representing subjects studied in Timbuktu (astronomy, medicine, math). Students can rotate through the stations, completing mini-activities related to each subject. Students can research and build 3D models of Mali's famous structures, such as the Great Mosque of Djenne, using materials like clay, cardboard, or digital tools like Delightex (formerly CoSpaces) reviewed here or Tinkercad reviewed here. Have students compare the Mali Empire to another historical empire, such as the Roman Empire or the Incas, using a Venn diagram on paper or Venn Diagram Creator reviewed here, focusing on government, trade, culture, and legacy.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Early American Civilizations- Maya, Aztec, and Inca - Core Knowledge
Grades
4 to 6tag(s): critical thinking (162), literacy (123), maps (222), south america (80), vocabulary (249)
In the Classroom
Make a Mystery Box by placing pictures or replicas of Maya, Aztec, and Inca artifacts (ex., a quipu, a pyramid, a codex) in a box. Have students pull an item, describe it, and infer its use before reading about it in the text. Students create a visual comparison such as a Venn diagram, poster, or digital infographic using Venn Diagram Creator reviewed here or Canva Edu, reviewed here showing similarities and differences between the Maya, Aztec, and Inca. They can list areas like government, religion, architecture, and daily life. Students can write a first-person journal entry as a Maya scribe, an Aztec warrior, or an Incan messenger, describing a day in their life while incorporating factual details from the reader.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Writings of Ancient Maya - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
4 to 8This site includes advertising.
In the Classroom
Provide students with a chart of Mayan glyphs and their meanings. Then, give them a short "coded" message using real Mayan glyphs and challenge them to decode it. Doing this introduces them to the complexity of the Mayan writing system in a fun, interactive way. Hide "glyphs" around the classroom or school and have students work in teams to "excavate" and analyze their findings. They must hypothesize what the symbols might mean based on context clues and prior knowledge, like real archaeologists decoding ancient texts. In small groups or individually, students can create a mini "Maya codex" by folding paper in accordion style and illustrating a short story using glyphs and pictures. They can write a key to explain their symbols, like archaeologists do when deciphering ancient texts!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Ancient Egypt Map Lesson Pack - Twinkl
Grades
3 to 7tag(s): asia (135), egypt (59), map skills (67), maps (222)
In the Classroom
Give students a blank map of Ancient Egypt and have them label key locations like the Nile River, Giza, Thebes, Memphis, the Red Sea, and the Sahara Desert. Add a challenge by having them color-code fertile land, deserts, and water sources to understand Egypt's geography. Students role-play as Egyptian traders or travelers journeying along the Nile. They will use a map to plan their route, deciding where to stop for food, trade, or religious ceremonies. They can write a travel diary entry describing their experiences. Make the travel diary online using a tool like WriteReader, reviewed here or Book Creator, reviewed here. Cut out sections of an Ancient Egypt map and mix them up. Have students work in groups to reassemble the map, identifying key landmarks as they put it together. Using clay, paper mache, or even a digital tool such as Delightex (formerly CoSpaces) reviewed here, students create a 3D model of Ancient Egypt, highlighting the Nile River, major cities, and famous landmarks.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Tourism collection - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
K to 12tag(s): careers (196)
In the Classroom
Students can participate in the lessons that are available on the website. Students can use Google My Maps reviewed here to be a tour guide on a specific piece of land/area. Finally, students can use Book Creator reviewed here to create a tourism guide to the land/area that they are studying in social studies.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mayans - Teacher Planet
Grades
3 to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): mayans (32), mexico (50), south america (80)
In the Classroom
Make a 3D model of a Mayan pyramid. Consider using technology such as Delightex (formerly CoSpaces), reviewed here. Have students make a Mayan calendar. Students can use Mayan glyphs and write messages to each other to decode. In ELA class, students can write short stories mentioning daily activities they learned in class for a cross-curricular activity. Create and share the stories using Sway, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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SDGs - 17 BookWidgets Lessons - BookWidgets
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): climate change (111), cross cultural understanding (178), energy (138), flash cards (43), nutrition (136), sustainability (53), timelines (58), women (183)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this resource to find activities and ideas to use when planning activities related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Find additional resources on the TeachersFirst Special Topics Page: Resources Related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), reviewed here. Use the activities as inspiration to increase student engagement and understanding of the SDGs. For example, after viewing the invention timeline, ask students to research a specific invention or inventor, then create a timeline using templates available on Canva Timeline Infographic Templates, reviewed here or Genially, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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