583 geography-us-world results | sort by:

OECD Data Lab - Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Grades
8 to 12tag(s): agriculture (49), charts and graphs (171), critical thinking (127), cross cultural understanding (173), financial literacy (93), foreign policy (13), migration (45), writing prompts (61)
In the Classroom
Start with the OECD Better Life Index that brings together many factors to numerically rank countries by happiness or well-being. Assign this graph as a "Make Your Own," with students rating the topics (or more importantly, asking their parents or grandparents). Compare their results and look at gender differences. Students can brainstorm reasons for gender differences or ranking of topics in importance. Compare the United States to other countries. Allow class time to look at other data found on this site and brainstorm how these are connected. Connect the data to curriculum being discussed in class: economic policies, wars, global problems with food and agriculture, social norms, and more. Connect the information to headlines from around the world, both past and present. Encourage students to write an essay, opinion piece, or elevator pitch on one aspect or social issue that is important to change. What a great example of argument and evidence as required by Common Core! This assignment can also be delivered as a podcast, video, or part of a news segment the class creates. Use a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here) to create podcasts. Try creating a video and share it using TeacherTube reviewed here.Florida Memory - The State Archives of Florida
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): black history (133), civil war (139), florida (12), hurricanes (32), states (124)
In the Classroom
In the classroom, integrate primary documents in addition to your text to get a broader picture of history, even if you are not teaching specifically about Florida. Take a closer look at history, through the multiple aspects of video, audio, laws, and land grants. Look at perspectives of Civil War from a southern state. Make biographies of Florida residents come alive with the culture of their time. Compare and contrast Florida and another state. Use an online tool such as the Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here. Examine the history of space through NASA. You and your students can discover how Civil Rights progressed in Florida. Look at the history of the Seminole tribe as you study native Americans. Enhance learning by challenging students to create an infographic using Snappa, reviewed here about a certain period in Florida's history or to compare Florida and other states. Before beginning the infographic, have students brainstorm or collect ideas on a collaborative bulletin board like Witeboard, reviewed here. Use this resource to meet Common Core standards about primary sources or writing. Challenge students to produce digital writing and interact with others online.Zeemaps - Zee Source
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): directions (11), map skills (63), maps (220)
In the Classroom
If you teach geography, this one is a must. It is also helpful for showing students WHERE a story or news event takes place. Teach map skills by letting students explore and annotate their own community. This site is great on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Create multiple markers for various points within your community. Annotate the markers with specific information that students research. Remember to create an admin password (and save it somewhere safe!) for others to collaborate on the map. Research various places around the world, and create markers of must-see places, historical finds, and other locations of interest. Create a map of news hot spots around the world. In Biology, find places where environmental or biodiversity concerns are occurring. Collaborate on a map to include annotated information of student research about these problems. Create a map to introduce various cultures around the world. Enter video, audio, information, and links that students can use to "uncover" the content to be learned.The National Archives Activities and Games - The British National Archives
Grades
1 to 12Download lessons, Resource Packs, and Podcasts. Be sure to check out the extensive section for students including games, study skill tips and advice, and information on using primary sources. Learn about important people, government officials, and heroes of the past and present such as Charles Dickens and Florence Nightingale. Explore and research famous events/times such as American Civil Rights Movement or Life During War Times. The site was created in the UK, so some of the pronunciations and spellings may differ from American English. A very few resources require Flash, but there is so much more here, that the site is worth your time.
tag(s): dickens (10), great britain (16), heroes (24), industrial revolution (22), medieval (32), victorian (16), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
Keep this site in mind as an easy place to find games and lessons related to British history (and even some world history topics). Use this site as an anticipatory set or "activator" to introduce a unit or lesson on a projector or interactive whiteboard. Present the same time period, such as World War II, from a British and American point of view using this site and similar primary source images from U.S. collections like this one or this one. Have students create timelines using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive. Have students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a British resident during any time periods involved with these activities. Take advantage of the ready to go lesson plans, interactives, podcasts, and videos. Literature teachers will also want to explore and share the information about British authors.The Authentic History Center - Michael Barnes
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): 1600s (20), 1700s (36), 1800s (75), 1900s (72), 20th century (62), civil war (139), cold war (30), great depression (30), photography (130), vietnam (38), world war 1 (77), world war 2 (161)
In the Classroom
The Authentic History Center is excellent for making history real. Share this information on your projector or interactive whiteboard (or speakers) during lessons on any time period of US History. Play Bing Crosby singing "God Bless America" to help students feel the pre-WWII era or nationalism. Make the Angry era of McCarthyism real by letting student explore the collection. Include this entire collection on your class web page for students to access both in and out of class. Use the sources for students to experience a multi-sensory tour of any era in U.S. history and create their own project about it incorporating the artifacts (with proper credit) and their own explanations. You could modify student learning by having students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Livegap Chart, reviewed here. Or, have students create online posters about an era individually or together as a class using a tool such as Web Poster Wizard, reviewed here, or PicLits, reviewed here. Enhance learning by having students create timelines using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Timeline JS offers the option to upload and add photos, videos, audio, Tweets, and Google Maps making it interactive. If you participate in National History Day, this site is an outstanding start point. If you are the advisor for your high school play, bookmark this site as a great source for authentic era images and sounds. Need background music for a play (or video) set during WWII? Here it is!Polar Bears International - Polar Bears International
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (294), biomes (110), conservation (102), ecosystems (83), polar (10), tundra (14)
In the Classroom
National Polar Bear Day is February 27th, but every day should be polar bear day to learn how our lives affect a majestic creature far away from our communities. Use one of the many lesson plans to learn about the polar bear and their movements (look at the lesson plans that use the Tracker Map). Plan a polar bear day in all subjects! Science class can learn about the polar bear, Math/Geography can use the tracker to determine patterns and distances of movement, English classes can write stories and poems, and Art classes can create polar inspired artwork! What a perfect "snowy" activity.Barat Primary Source Nexus - Barat Education Foundation
Grades
2 to 12tag(s): advertising (26), black history (133), cross cultural understanding (173), history day (39), immigration (68), journalism (74), Juneteenth (22), lincoln (66), martin luther king (45), poetry (193), presidents (135), primary sources (117), professional development (385), roosevelt (15), slavery (79), writing prompts (61)
In the Classroom
Take a look at the free professional development for using primary sources for teachers. Search for Connecting to the Common Core, where there are writing prompts for K-5 plus a link to the triangle activity. Download and use the PDF for the Thinking Triangle. Have older students research an interest and report to the class using a tool like Slides, reviewed here.Listen to nature sounds, fall in love with the Earth - earth.fm
Grades
K to 12tag(s): animals (294), biomes (110), cultures (180), environment (252), habitats (92), plants (146), sounds (43)
In the Classroom
Use this resource when discussing various animal units or a unit on behavior. When discussing a country or culture in history, consider playing various soundscapes to identify with the culture. Be sure to provide this link for students when reporting on a culture in front of the class. Students can play the soundscapes while presenting information on the culture (turn up your speakers!). Compare different types of animals around the world. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here, to compare two different types of animals. Students can brainstorm similarities and differences and follow this activity with research into the various species. In lower grades, play soundscapes during classroom read-alouds about the animals or places in the recording. Make the Soundscapes site a listening/writing center in your elementary science classroom and ask your young scientists to describe what they hear as they learn about making observations as scientists.Image Atlas - Taryn Simon and Aaron Swartz
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): cross cultural understanding (173), images (263), photography (130)
In the Classroom
Use this tool to compare images that portray words you have searched and hypothesize about cultural differences. GO beyond the images to compare the articles that contain the images. This tool would be especially relevant in social studies, health, and other subjects where a difference in meaning across the world can be discussed. This tool may be useful if doing reports on countries. If you are allowing older students to search on their own, be sure to set firm guidelines/rules ahead of time! As with ANY image search, it all depends on the terms you enter!100Reporters - 100 Reporters
Grades
8 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): media literacy (109), persuasive writing (58)
In the Classroom
In discussions of current events, find great news articles that get to the heart of the story. Compare them with other news outlets to discuss how money and the viewpoints of business owners can cloud the actual reporting. Be sure to discuss how to find parent websites by investigating the shortened address (url) of sites as well as the advertisements found on pages. Compare and contrast news stories found on a variety of news pages. Use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram (reviewed here) to compare two news stories. In world language or world cultures classes, discover what the "hot topics" are by looking at news stories from the region being studied. In writing classes, use these articles compared with those on the same topic from other sources for students to collect supporting evidence to use in essay writing.Presidential Classroom - Miller Center, University of Virgina
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): jefferson (19), kennedy (20), lincoln (66), presidents (135), space (222), vietnam (38), washington (28), white house (16)
In the Classroom
If your students do Presidential biographies or projects, this is a perfect site to share. Have students explore the exhibits while doing research on presidents and historical events. Enhance student learning by having students create an annotated image including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Google Drawings, reviewed here. Google Drawings allows you to annotate an image with links to videos, text, websites, and more. Not familiar with Google Drawings? Watch an archived OK2Ask session to learn how to use: OK2Ask Google Drawings, here. Have students use Fakebook,reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about a president.antiAtlas of borders - Migrations Map - Martin De Wulf
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): immigration (68), maps (220), population (51)
In the Classroom
Use Migrations Map during your study of any country to view immigration and emigration statistics in social studies, science, health, or even world language classes. Introduce this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Then have students explore this site independently or in small groups. Ask WHY these immigration patterns exist. What factors lead to immigration? What environmental impacts does it have? Be sure to point out the data lag -- is from 2007. You can also send them to find updated stats at the World Bank and other online sources. Have students create a simple infographic sharing their findings using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, or Venngage, reviewed here. Have students collaborate to create interactive maps using MapHub, reviewed here. Students can add icons, text, images, and location stops!Zidbits - Zidbits media
Grades
3 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): infographics (56), questioning (36), speaking (26)
In the Classroom
This resource is useful to hook your students at the beginning of your lessons or simply to get them reading non-fiction text. Use these as hooks to get your students thinking about content that will be introduced in the lesson. Students can find a Zidbit they are interested in. Poll students about possible answers and then report the actual answer and content needed in order to understand and explain it. Learn a new Zidbit yourself every week. If you teach public speaking skills, have students use these stories as inspiration or "hooks" for informational speeches, as well.PAT - Public Domain Country Maps - Ian Macky
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): africa (148), antarctica (30), asia (116), australia (28), countries (73), europe (84), maps (220), north america (15), south america (47)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save PAT as a resource for free printable maps for use anytime needed. Share with students to easily find and locate geographic information. Share the maps on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Share this link on your class website for students to use both in and out of the classroom.Open Yale Courses - Yale University
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): african american (115), american revolution (82), art history (102), atmosphere (22), business (52), civil war (139), ecology (103), ecosystems (83), engineering (129), evolution (89), financial literacy (93), france (41), greece (47), greeks (46), novels (34), poetry (193), psychology (65), religions (95), romans (52), sociology (23), space (222)
In the Classroom
This is an excellent resource for gifted students as well as students interested in viewing high quality college level course material. Browse through topics of interest for your AP or IB classroom and use selected videos for viewing on your interactive whiteboard (or projector). Share a link on your class webpage for students to view at home. Teachers of gifted may want to suggest that students form small cohorts to explore one of the course of particular interest to them. Music and art history teachers will find rich materials to include in their high school courses, as well.The 25 Best Nerd Road Trips - Popular Science
Grades
9 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): scientists (67)
In the Classroom
Use these "road trips" as a springboard for unusual research projects on science topics. These are great for gifted students or skeptical students who need the extra flare of researching something a little quirky. These are also great ideas for small group research. Encourage students to create presentations about real life science with its benefits and drawbacks. Have students make a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here. Some tool suggestions are (click on the tool name to access the review): Adobe Creative Cloud Express for Education, Animatron, Sway, and Presentious. Be sure to discuss when science enters pop culture in our society. The Center for PostNatural History, one of the sites on this map, is one such example (located near Pittsburgh, PA where organisms have been altered genetically and possibly questionably.)Population Education - Population Connection
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): population (51), resources (83), sustainability (50)
In the Classroom
Use the "Find a Lesson" search to discover population education activities and information that will be useful in your curriculum or classroom. Find demonstration videos of how to use the lessons within the classroom. Be sure to preview and show the World Population Video (aka: the "dot video") to your classes. Share the video on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Use these resources when discussing population of organisms and then discussing human population.International Human Development Insights - United Nations Development Programme
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): population (51)
In the Classroom
Student groups or the full class can view data and graphs of various indicators and brainstorm questions to understand the data. What factors exist in various countries or areas of the World? What conditions need to change to reverse troubling trends and to create greater equality of individuals in the World? Break these questions down into major focus topics to be researched and presented by members of the class. Since this site can be viewed in numerous languages, use this tool in a world language class. Gain understanding of the factors that influence places you read about in the news and faraway cultures. In government or civics classes, talk about how public policies affect or reflect development data. In math classes, use this site to see how statistics can be applied to decision making and international issues.Nelson Mandela Biography - bio.com
Grades
4 to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 20th century (62), black history (133), civil rights (209), heroes (24), Nelson Mandela (7), south africa (13)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard or projector as an introduction to your Civil Rights, Black History, or Heroes unit. To allow students to explore on their own, you may want to create a guided reading activity using Read Ahead, reviewed here. Ehance learning by using an online tool such as the interactive Two or Three Circle Venn Diagram, reviewed here to compare Nelson Mandela to other Civil Rights leaders such as Martin Luther King. Have students create timelines about Civil Rights (with music, photos, videos, and more) using Timeline JS, reviewed here. Find music for this period in history using Radiooo, reviewed here. Challenge students use Fakebook, reviewed here to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about Civil Rights leaders.Nelson Mandela - Facts - Nobel Media
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): 1960s (26), 1970s (10), 1980s (7), 20th century (62), biographies (94), black history (133), civil rights (209), cultures (180), heroes (24), Nelson Mandela (7), south africa (13)