Resources
Teacher Resources
“Astropedia Lunar and Planetary Catalog.” 2025. Usgs.gov. 2025. https://astrogeology.usgs.gov/search?target=&system=&p=1&accscope=&searchBar=. Accessed July 12, 2025. This is the USGS Planetary Maps website. Students are able to search for many different types of space maps.
“Collections with Maps | Maps | Library of Congress.” n.d. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Accessed July 13, 2025. https://www.loc.gov/maps/collections/. The Library of Congress Maps website with easy to find maps you may want students to see.
“Exploring Maps.” 2025. USGS. 2025. https://www.usgs.gov/educational-resources/exploring-maps-0. This is great resource from USGS and includes teacher materials and student resources across various subjects to include the use of maps if your content area.
Google Maps. 2019. “Google Maps.” Google Maps. 2019. https://www.google.com/maps/space/moon/@0. Accessed July 13, 2025. Students can use this site to view the moon from many different angles using Google Moon Maps.
“Interactive Apps, Maps & Dashboards.” 2025. Pittsburghpa.gov. 2025. https://www.pittsburghpa.gov/Business-Development/Geographic-Information-Systems-Mapping-Open-Data/Geographic-Information-System-GIS-Mapping/Interactive-Apps-Maps-Dashboards. Accessed July 12, 2025. Pittsburgh GIS Mapping website for students to explore and focus a more local area.
“Lesson Plan & Activities 6-8.” 2025. USGS. 2025. https://www.usgs.gov/node/25983. This is such an excellent website for you to find resources and activities to use in your classroom. I highly recommend this site as there is so much information that you will find useful to your content.
“Medium: All – Theme: Maps — Collections.” 2022. The Public Domain Review. 2022. https://publicdomainreview.org/collections/all/theme/maps/ (accessed July 12, 2025). These maps are free to use for the public and you may use without copyright issues.
Monmonier, Mark S. 2018. How to Lie with Maps. 3rd ed. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. This is the first book I dove into reading when I first began learning more about maps. It was helpful in giving background knowledge and made me think beyond the maps we used to look at in elementary school.
“OpenStreetMap.” 2025. OpenStreetMap. 2025. https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/41.898795/12.543232. Accessed July 14, 2025. The website is a GIS map where students can basically explore anywhere in the world, apply different filters and even add their own details to the map.
“Site History.” 2025b. LOWER HILL REDEVELOPMENT. 2025. https://www.lowerhillredevelopment.com/site-history.html. Accessed July 14, 2025. The map on this website shows what the Hill District looked like before the demolition of much of the area to build the Civic Arena. The area was once known as “Little Harlem”.
“The Celestial Atlas of Flamsteed (1795).” 2022. The Public Domain Review. 2022. https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-celestial-atlas-of-flamsteed-1795/ Accessed July 15, 2025. This link will take you directly to celestial maps in Public Domain Review. Everything available in the Public Domain does not need to be copyrighted.
“Topographic Map Resources for Teachers.” 2025. USGS. 2025. https://www.usgs.gov/educational-resources/topographic-map-resources-teachers. On this webpage from USGS you will find many resources to peruse through on topographic maps.
Wiemer, David. 2023. “Skills Lesson: Anatomy of a Map – Digital Collections for the Classroom.” Newberry.org. September 29, 2023. https://dcc.newberry.org/?p=21875. Accessed July 13, 2025. This website can help with vocabulary and parts of a map to show to students as an introduction to maps.
Student Resources
eChalk Ltd. Planets of the Solar System. Exploration https://www.discoveryeducation.com (accessed 12 July 2025). Students can click and explore 8 planets and the sun. Students will view a 3D model of each and can learn new information by clicking around the page for each planet. Discovery Education is an excellent resource if your district provides access for you and your students.
“South America Interactive Map | PBS LearningMedia.” 2024. PBS LearningMedia. 2024. https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/rttt12.soc.ush.samap/south-america-interactive-map/. This is a great website where students can explore a map of South America. Students can click on different filters to see different types of maps overlayed on the continent. It’s a very user-friendly website.
Michael Wooten. 2021. “Types of Maps for Middle Schoolers.” YouTube. September 5, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Whg3XIdN4tI. This YouTube video is a great introduction to the different types of maps and their purpose on a middle school level.
Classroom Resources
Burgraff, Manfred. Scotland Yard. Milton Bradley, 1983. Board Game.
Pratt, Anthony. Clue. Parker Brothers, 1949. Board Game.
Stevenson, William. Spy Alley. Spy Ally Partners LLP, 1992. Board Game. The games or Scottland Yard, Clue and Spy Alley all revolve around mystery and crime. Students will enjoy playing these games in the classroom or at home.
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