Designing and Siting a Pollinator Garden

Click on the image above to download the lesson. This lesson will open in a Google Drive folder instead of a zipped file.

Description: This lesson was created as a template to design and site a pollinator garden and provide examples of how a pollinator garden may be used to enrich instruction in a variety of subjects including Science, Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Social  Studies. The content presented in this lesson was selected as an illustrative example of  how all subjects are used to understand a particular issue which impacts communities  differently around the world and in Oklahoma. These lesson materials were developed  in support of OKAGE’s Geo-Inquiry project efforts.

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

Oklahoma Social Studies Framework

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Description: With the adoption of the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies (OAS-SS) in the spring of 2019, it has been the priority of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) to ensure all Oklahoma educators are provided with the opportunity to deeply understand the intent of the standards, while supporting educators with a vision and resources that promote effective implementation of the standards.

For this Framework, a writing team of experienced Oklahoma educators have analyzed the standards' learning objectives and have provided guidance for focus, instructional tasks, and resource recommendations. For each objective in the new OAS-SS, the OKSocial Studies Framework provides an Objective Analysis, which includes a brief summary of the objective. In addition, each objective provides examples of Teacher Actions and Student Actions, which incorporate the Social Studies Practices with Social Studies Content, as required by each objective. The Framework's Key Concepts and Common Misunderstandings provide additional guidance for student mastery of each objective. Included in this Framework, the writing team has also provided samples of Lesson Ideas and Inquiry-Based Tasks, accompanied by recommended primary and secondary instructional resources to support ambitious teaching and learning in the social studies classroom. Such recommendations are not intended as an exhaustive listing of instructional resources, but merely represent suggestions from reliable sources in the field of social studies education.

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS
Produced By: Brenda Beymer-Chapman and the Social Studies Framework Writers

The Social Studies Framework Writers are Oklahoma educators who were selected from a large pool of applicants. The process for application and selection included criteria related to knowledge of the content and practices of the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies, as well as classroom experience, professional leadership, and curriculum development. The process of selecting the very best social studies educators contributed to an effective and dedicated group of educators reflecting a diverse range of experience and expertise.

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - Physical Education

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in Physical Education. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for Physical Education and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
Physical Education (2023)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - Health and Safety

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in Health and Safety. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for Health and Safety and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
Health and Safety (2023)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - World Languages

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in World Languages. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for World Languages and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
World Languages (2021)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - Personal Financial Literacy

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in Personal Financial Literacy. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for Personal Financial Literacy and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
Personal Financial Literacy (2019)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - Fine Arts

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in Fine Arts. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for Fine Arts and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
Fine Arts (2023)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - Social Studies

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in Social Studies. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for Social Studies and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
Social Studies (2019)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - Science

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in Science. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for Science and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
Science (2020)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - Mathematics

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in Mathematics. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for Mathematics and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
Mathematics (2022)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - English Language Arts

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in English Language Arts. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for English Language Arts and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
English Language Arts (2021)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections - Computer Science

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in Computer Science. This packet includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard for Computer Science and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revision:
Computer Science (2023)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

National Geography and Oklahoma Academic Standards Connections

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Description: This resource is designed to show how Geography can be used to supplement instruction in each subject area included in the Oklahoma Academic Standards. This resource includes a selection of each applicable Oklahoma Academic Standard and its alignment to the relevant National Geography Standard(s). The goal of the National Geography Standards is to enable students to become geographically informed through knowledge and mastery of three things: (1) factual knowledge; (2) mental maps and tools; (3) and ways of thinking. Contact us at okage@ou.edu to receive free resources and for more ideas about how to use Geography in your classroom.

This packet includes standards from the following revisions:
Computer Science (2023)
English Language Arts (2021)
Mathematics (2022)
Science (2020)
Social Studies (2019)
Fine Arts (2023)
Personal Financial Literacy (2019)
World Languages (2021)
Health and Safety (2023)
Physical Education (2023)

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Becca Palczynsky and Grace Gierach

Using the Oklahoma Giant Map to Understand the Heavy Consequences of Light Pollution

Click on the image above to download the lesson. This lesson will open in a Google Drive folder instead of a zipped file due to its size.

Description: This lesson is designed as a template to introduce the Giant Traveling Map of Oklahoma and provide examples of how this map may be used to enrich instruction in a variety of subjects including Science, Mathematics, English Language Arts, and Social Studies. The content presented in this lesson was selected as an illustrative example of how all subjects are used to understand a particular issue which impacts communities differently around the world and in Oklahoma. These lesson materials were developed in support of OKAGE’s Geo-Inquiry project efforts. To sign up to participate in a dark sky Geo-Inquiry project with OKAGE, visit http://okageweb.org/event-registration-1 or contact us at okage@ou.edu.

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

"Where Could I Bee" - Latin America

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Description: This activity contains approximately 50 riddles about countries in Latin America. These may be used as bell ringers, in conjunction with the Giant Map of Latin America, or to enrich other activities. Below please find a sample riddle from this packet.

Where I am now
Is more “Chile” than cold
Although the degrees
Are about 30 below
In this place there is very little rainfall
And of Earth’s deserts,
It’s the driest of all
Tell me the name
Of this warm and dry land
And “Where Could I Bee?”
Will fall into your hand

Download the packet and view Page 23 for the answer!

Grade level(s): Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS
Produced By: Richard Tuberville

"Where Could I Bee" - Europe

Illustration of Where Could I Bee character

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Description: This activity contains approximately 80 riddles about countries in Europe. These may be used as bell ringers, in conjunction with the Giant Map of Europe, or to enrich other activities. Below please find a sample riddle from this packet.

Where I am now
Is too cold for a bee
They call it Greenland
But it doesn’t look that color to me
The question I’m asking
You should learn this in school
Is “What country claims Greenland
Under its rule?”

Download the packet and view Page 21 for the answer!

Grade level(s): Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS
Produced By: Richard Tuberville

Exploring Oklahoma’s Cities on the Giant Map

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Description: This activity is designed to help students identify some of Oklahoma’s major cities on the map. Students will be introduced to coordinates and will use them to identify these locations. By exploring on the Giant Map, students will also become more familiar with cities across Oklahoma while growing their perspective of the world around them.

Grade level(s): Elementary
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Cheryl Ivester

How has COVID-19 Impacted National Parks in the United States?

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Description: Students will investigate the impacts COVID-19 has had upon public lands with a particular focus on national parks in the United States. In order to examine these impacts, students will collect data on COVID-19 cases and national park visitation around the US. The Giant Map of North America will be used to illustrate how national park visitation has changed in specific locations since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and how this has influenced current park management practices and policies.

Grade level(s): Middle School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Naomi Mayer

Using the Geo-Inquiry Process to Explore and Understand Black Mesa State Park

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Description: For this lesson students will look at how COVID-19 has affected Black Mesa State Park. They will then learn how to use the National Geographic Geo-Inquiry process to explore the issues related to Black Mesa through a geographic lens. The students will then develop their own Geo-Inquiry questions so they can research how COVID-19 has affected this state park. After they have gathered this information they will then go to Black Mesa State Park and meet with the Park Manager so students may ask the questions that they have formulated and for the Park Manager to show the students the physical effects that COVID-19 has had on Black Mesa State Park due to the influx of visitors. Upon completion of the in-class and field research components, students will present their findings to classmates and/or publicize their results to be accessed by stakeholders.

Grade level(s): Middle School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Naomi Mayer

Stability in our Ecosystems: A Closer Look at the Impacts of Preservation and Conservation

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Description: This unit is designed to allow students to take a closer look at a local ecosystem and compare and contrast the benefits of preservation and conservation. Students will be able to define conservation and preservation and explain the impacts of each on their local ecosystem of choice. Our hope is to empower learners to understand the distinct impacts of conservation and preservation. 

Furthermore, students can interact with a local environment, complete a hands-on learning experience, then compare what they have learned to other environments at the regional or global scale. 

Students will develop their own preservation and/or conservation plan for this local ecosystem while focusing on the ecological, economic, and political impact of this plan.

Grade level(s): Elementary School, Middle School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Amber DeWinter