The World at Your Fingertips: Technology Tools for Geography Education

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Description: This resource includes information on a variety of technology tools that can be used for teaching Geography and World Studies. The resources outlined in this overview are free to use, compatible with any device, include interaction with maps and geographic data, provide opportunities for student inquiry and research, and offer online publication of student digital products.

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: N/A
Produced By: Pam Merrill

It Happened in Oklahoma! Historically Significant State and Local Landmarks

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Description: In this lesson, students will use the Oklahoma Giant Traveling Map to identify and locate important state and local landmarks, as well as gain a better understanding of their historical significance.

Grade level(s): Elementary (Adaptable to 8th & 10th grade American History)
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Lynn Tilley

Geography as a Thinking Tool

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Description: The purpose of this lesson is to show teachers different ways to interject thinking activities into their daily lesson plans. Geography is an excellent subject for this type of activity because at the center of all geographic issues is the question of “why?” A list of thinking activities is provided in this session, most of which will use authentic and inquiry methodology. Teachers may adapt these activities and ideas to their particular classroom environment.

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: N/A
Produced By: Teresa Begley

Cruising Through the Atlas

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Description: The purpose of this lesson is to help students understand the abundance of information available to them in a desk atlas. By walking or “cruising” through the atlas, students will learn about the multitude of graphs, the many symbols, and how they are used. Students will examine legends, map scales, diagrams, charts, the compass rose, and thematic maps. Students will also learn the difference between political and physical maps.

Grade level(s): Middle School
Standards: GFL
Produced By: Teresa Begley

Global Football Through the Media's Lens

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Description: Students will gain an understanding of the role of media as a source of public information regarding geographic events, development, and issues by examining and weighing the validity of various forms of media. The environmental challenge of climate change is used to illustrate the six basic purposes of media, utilizing an interactive online global tour. Students will have the opportunity to expand their research and technological skills through the production of online global tours, investigating additional topics of desertification, deforestation, pollution, overpopulation, and urban sprawl.

Grade level(s): Middle School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Pam Merrill

Bon Appetit: Food Security on a Hungry Planet

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Description: Students will investigate the status of food security and accessibility in both developed and developing nations through a study of the typical week’s dietary intakes of a global sampling of families, using classroom-ready Tourbuilder lessons, which combine Google mapping technology, digital maps, photographs, and video clips. Teacher-centered instruction will introduce students to the current practices of agriculture in developing nations, as well as provide background information regarding potential solutions to address food security. During the course of the lesson, students will be engaged in the analysis of maps, graphs, and cartograms to gain an understanding of the spatial relationships between food availability, trade, and population growth.

Grade level(s): Middle School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Pam Merrill

Blown Away! Oklahoma's Wind Energy

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Description: The purpose of this lesson is for students to learn the fundamental parts of a windmill, to use the scientific method to isolate and adjust variables when constructing a functional windmill that lifts weights, and to understand energy conversions/transfers and how a windmill converts moving air into usable mechanical energy. Students will understand that wind power is a choice we can make that reduces pollution and climate impacts.

Grade level(s): Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Kylah McNabb; Teresa Potter

Examining Statistics: Oklahoma's Wind Energy

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Description: The purpose of this lesson is for students to examine statistics and understand that as a society and as individuals, we can make choices to help reduce the climatic impact of electricity generation. Students will understand that generating power with the wind is a choice we can make that will reduce the severity of environmental issues.

Grade level(s): Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Kylah McNabb; Teresa Potter

Resources and Population Patterns: What's the Connection?

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Description: Students will analyze data including a variety of special purpose maps of Oklahoma to determine the reason for population growth and decline in specific areas. The Giant Traveling Map of Oklahoma is used to help students understand the changing population distribution across Oklahoma.

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Heather Braucher

Conflict Kitchen

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Description: The United States has conflicts with other countries. U.S. citizens have perceptions that are often negative toward these countries. How can we change these perceptions in our students? The answer is educating students about the culture and people of these countries, hence, the importance of geography classes. This lesson will allow the students to explore the culture of a country they are studying and work to change perceptions.

 Grade level(s): Middle                     Standards: OAS, GFL             Produced By: Brenda Chapman

You're so Fake!

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Description: Students will be able to distinguish between what is real news and fake news.

Grade level(s): Middle                    Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Jeff Woolsey

The Oklahoma Standard: Tornados

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Description: Students will develop an understanding of how tornados form. Identify and locate the cities where the top 10 worst tornados in Oklahoma occurred on the Giant Map of Oklahoma. They will specifically gather and analyze data from the Moore, Oklahoma 2013 tornado site using geospatial technology.

Grade level(s): Middle                    Standards: GFL, C3
Produced By: Denise Aguilar

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

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Description: The word today struggles with the credibility of stories and sources. There are a variety of reasons for this phenomenon – satire, entertainment, political partisanship, and social media. Students will experience the process of determining credibility of sources. (Media Literacy)

 Grade level(s): Middle                     Standards: OAS, GFL             Produced By: Brenda Chapman

Water We Going To Do?

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Description: In this lesson, students will explore how water behaves on various substrates (ground surfaces), what occurs during a flood, and the causes of flash floods. This lesson concludes with students designing and testing various floodplain models intended to mitigate the effects of flash floods.

Grade level(s): Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL                          Produced By: Danny Mattox

Immigration & Ethnic Settlement Patterns In Post-Reconstruction Oklahoma, 1865 - 1900

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Description: In this lesson students will explore the different immigration and migration patterns of settlement in post-reconstruction Oklahoma, and develop an appreciation of our rich cultural and ethnic heritage.

  Grade level(s): High School                    Standards: OAS, GFL              Produced By: Lynn Tilley

Loaded Language: The Smoking Gun of Bias

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Description: The purpose of this lesson is to provide students with the opportunity to explore the language used by various media to sway public opinion.

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School                    Standards: OAS
Produced By: Brian Davis

Top Ten Most X-Treme Animals

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Description: Students will gain experience in utilizing technology and geographic tools, while studying conservation and human-animal conflict in Africa.

Grade level(s): Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS
Produced By: LeaAnn Wyrick

I Have Heard of a Land: Using Oklahoma’s Giant Traveling Map, with Historical Maps, to Tell a Complete Story

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Description: Geography is the landscape on which History happens. In this lesson, students will use an award-winning historical fiction picture book, the Oklahoma Giant Traveling Map, and a series of Oklahoma historical maps, to gain a better understanding of why Blacks from the South, single women, and other pioneers came to participate in the land runs, as well as the impact on Native Americans already living in the areas. Students will gain an appreciation and understanding that history usually has more than one perspective to events happening.

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School                  Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Lynn Tilley

Geography Teacher Technology Tool Kit

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Description: A technology tool kit for teachers to utilize in their classroom.

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: N/A
Produced By: Brian Davis

When Maps Lie

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Description: Students will understand the limitations and uses of different map projections, as well as becoming familiar with how maps can be used to accidentally or intentionally misrepresent facts

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Janet Hall