Students will compare miniature models to the real things, then explore maps and globes as models of the Earth. Maps and map features are shown and discussed as the teacher displays a park map, a neighborhood map, a community map, and uses Google maps and Google Earth. A printable student handout is also provided.

In this lesson, students will begin to understand the concept of maps by describing the path that Little Red Riding Hood took on the way to Grandma's house.

In this multiday lesson, kindergarten students learn about the physical characteristics of their community as an introduction to map skills. Students will partcipate in a variety of activities including a whole group discussion using a Powerpoint presentation, centers, a rebus story, and a neighborhood walk. This lesson includes clip art, a Powerpoint presentation, and student handouts.

Kindergarten students review the physical and human features of their community and how they affect the way people live. Students will participate in a variety of activities in this multiday lesson, including building a model community, exploring and drawing maps, and whole group discussions. A reproducible Parent letter is included with this lesson.

In this lesson, students will work on identifying physical features of landforms by using Logical Reasoning.  The higher level students will also think critically by creating their own Logic problems to identify landforms.  This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

This is a 36 slide powerpoint presentation providing information about landforms with vivid illustrations, geographic terms, and definitions provided.

This resource supports English language development for English language learners. In this interactive activity, students learn the vocabulary of different land forms in different regions of the United States. They click on the word and a picture and brief explanation appears.

This kindergarten inquiry leads students through an investigation of maps and globes as tools that represent the physical world in different ways. In the inquiry, students consider how each tool represents locations, what purposes each tool serves, and what advantages and disadvantages each tool offers.

The NC Kids' Exploration Journals are a fun educational tool to help youth explore their communities and natural surroundings! Each journal contains: 18 multidisciplinary activities with guided prompts, 6 lined journal pages for recording observations and reflections, and 4 blank pages for individual creativity.

The digital versions of the journal are designed to be printed out for students either as individual activities or in its entirety so that they can explore their school yard, local park, or own backyard. Though designed for 1st - 5th-graders, older audiences may enjoy them too! They are also available in both English and Spanish languages.

While supplies last, hard copies of the journals are currently available for free to teachers by contacting karen.ipock@ncdcr.gov.

In this multiday lesson, kindergarten students learn about the physical characteristics of their community as an introduction to map skills. Students will partcipate in a variety of activities including a whole group discussion using a PPT, centers, a rebus story, and a neighborhood walk. This lesson also includes clip art and student handouts.

Students will work individually to design and create a doghouse that will help their pet during 1 of the 4 seasons. After completion students will present their pet houses to the class to present what elements of their design help their pet survive during their season.

In this lesson, students listen to a story, then either draw a picture or write a new story about the benefits of trees and differing points of views about trees. Students then create a rhyme or song about how the trees make them feel. Finally, students consider how trees in rural forests are beneficial by comparing illustrations representing a tree in an urban forest and a tree in a rural forest.

In this unit, students will work on their maps reading skills and learn about their local geography.