Using Science, Math, Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Geography to Understand What Really Happened to the Grid During the Last Snowstorm

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: Join the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education and the State Department of Education for a professional development session titled “Using Science, Math, Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Geography to Understand What Really Happened to the Grid During the Last Snowstorm!”

We know the snowstorm of February 2021 exposed the sensitivities of the grid systems. What happened in Texas can and does happen elsewhere, for various reasons. The public view and the industry view differ. So, the question for us is: "What really happened?" During this presentation, we will highlight how elements from all subject areas can be used to explain the causes of this incident as well as understand implications for future service interruptions due to extreme weather events.

Kylah McNabb is a renewable energy specialist, policy advisor, and educator. She currently is the Principal of Vesta Strategic Solutions, LLC, in OKC. Prior to that, Kylah served as a Renewable Energy Specialist, Oklahoma Department of Commerce, 2008-2017, and as an Energy Policy Advisor, Oklahoma Secretary of Energy & Environment, 2016-2017. Kylah will share her unique insights and data regarding the recent events. Her perspective will not only include what did happen but also, what did not happen!

Watch the recording of the session here.

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School, High School
Standards: OAS
Produced By: Kylah McNabb

Tulsa Race Massacre Session 3: Understanding the Rise of Greenwood Using the Five Themes of Geography

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: Join the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education for a discussion on understanding the rise of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, OK using the Five Themes of Geography. The content presented in this session is for upper elementary and middle school educators. This material is aligned with the Oklahoma Academic Standards for the Social Studies and the National Geography Standards.

Watch the recording of this session here.

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

Tulsa Race Massacre Session 2: Processing the Tulsa Race Massacre Through Literacy

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: Join the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education and National Geographic Certified Educator, Taylor Woodard, for a session on helping students process the Tulsa Race Massacre through literacy. The content presented in this session is for upper elementary and middle school educators. This material is aligned with the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies, the Oklahoma Academic Standards for English Language Arts, and the National Geography Standards.

Watch the recording of this session here.

Grade level(s): Elementary, Middle School
Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Taylor Woodard

Tulsa Race Massacre Session 1: What was Black Wall Street and Where is it Now?

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: Join the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education and Professor Quraysh Ali Lansana for a session about the history of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, OK during the years leading up to the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921. This material is aligned with the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Social Studies.

Watch the recording of this session here.

Grade level(s): Middle School
Standards: OAS
Produced By: Quraysh Ali Lansana, Autumn Brown, Najah-Amatullah Hylton, Crystal Patrick

Human Trafficking - I want my freedom!

Click on the image above to download the lesson

Description: Students will learn what human trafficking is.

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

Developing Critical Literacy Skills While Examining Controversial Topics

Click on the image above to download the lesson

Description: Students will be exploring and showcasing an area of development taking place in their local area and how it is impacting their community.

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

Will You be the Next Spymaster?

Click on the image above to download the lesson

Description: Participants will enter the shadowy world of spy agents and covert missions while learning process and literacy skills, map skills, and key details of the Revolutionary War. They will read for understanding, analyze primary source documents and maps, and make inferences about the Revolutionary time period, while at the same time trying to outwit and out-spy their opponents.

Grade level(s): Elementary
Standards: GFL, C3
Produced By: Teresa Potter

Conflict Kitchen

Click on the image above to download the lesson

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

Water We Going To Do?

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

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

Archipelago Hotspot

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: Students will discover how the Hawaiian Islands were created.  Students will learn how the volcanic eruptions affect humans and how they adapt and modify their environment.

Grade level(s): Middle School                Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Glenda Sullivan

Walk on the Wild Side: My Alaskan Adventure on the Ring of Fire

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: Students will learn physical systems of Alaska and apply the information to a creative writing assignment.

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

Every Region Has A Reason: Lesson 1

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: This lesson is designed to define, analyze, conceptualize, and apply the idea of political, physical, economic and cultural regions, concentrating on the United States in the Western hemisphere. This lesson involves student interaction, research, hands on activities, and class presentations with discussions. Various examples and scenarios through photos, web work, and maps will help students understand and internalize these key geographic types of regions.

Grade level(s): Middle School                  Standards: OAS, GFL
Produced By: Gary Gress

Putting the “Us” in USA

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: Culture is a term we take for granted that students understand, but the nuances of prejudice that are formed by misunderstanding are difficult to overcome. As groups of people use more and more stereotypes to describe culture, it becomes obvious that a country or region's culture is not considered a worthwhile part of their human existence. Culture may very well be the most important aspect of what it means to be human and by understanding and respecting the culture of other people we will come closer to being humane.

Grade level(s): Middle School          Standards: OAS, GFL, CC            Produced By: Jayne Marley

The Florida Everglades: The Once and Future River of Grass

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: This lesson focuses on the history of human-environment interactions in the Florida Everglades region since the late 19th century. The long-term effects of these interactions are discussed and evaluated.

 Grade level(s): Middle                     Standards: OAS, GFL             Produced By: Virginia Silvis

Disasters Happen: Are You Ready?

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: Students will investigate natural disasters, discover the urgency to be prepared and create an emergency kit which they will present to the class.

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

Colorado River Running Dry

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: Students will learn how human environment interaction has caused the Colorado River to become an endangered river.

 Grade level(s): Middle                     Standards: OAS, GFL             Produced By: Glenda Sullivan

Two Bits for Our National Parks

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: Students will gain knowledge of the National Park system and its diversity across our nation.

 Grade level(s): Middle and High School   Standards: OAS, GFL               Produced By: Bob Harrelson

American Progress

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: Students will understand Manifest Destiny and the idea of expansionism during the 1800s. They will analyze John Gast’s painting, “American Progress” and use the information/knowledge gained to write an argumentative essay.

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

Transportation in the News

Click on the image above to download the lesson.

Description: Students see transportation all around them but do not know geographic and historic background about the development of types of transportation. Students will gain geographic and historic perspectives about transportation as they explore American ingenuity that overcame geographic and economic issues in history.

 Grade level(s): Middle and High School   Standards: OAS, GFL               Produced By: Bill Amburn

The Push-Pull Factor Getting to the Bottom of It

Click on the photo above to download the lesson.

Description: The goal of this lesson is for students to identify the main groups of immigrants to the United States from 1820-1920, and the push-pull factors associated with these immigrant groups.

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