Teaching Geography Effectively Using Online Resources

No matter where you want to begin, we have online resources here that will help you teach geography more effectively. You can deepen students’ geography knowledge using interactive online maps, use other online map resources for geographical exploration, employ engaging games for fact practice and find a myriad of lesson resources. There are a wide variety of ways to incorporate technology into map-based activities.

Geography Lesson Resources

These resources are a treasure trove of learning materials to highlight your lessons, and even entire geography lessons plans.

Google Maps
- There is so much that can be done using Google Maps. You can build tours, measure distances, look at directions and contrast different types of maps.
Powerful Geography
- Assists teachers in making data-driven instructional decisions that align geographic content with what diverse students aspire to be and do. The resulting national dataset will be used to develop a new framework for teacher preparation that will be communicated to university geography departments, teacher education programs, and professional development providers.
Geography4Geographers
- A collection of resources for teachers who are teaching Human Geography (Including Advanced Placement), Geographic Information Systems (GIS), International Studies, and World Geography. This is a collection of resources that can be used in any one of those courses.
National Council for Geographic Education
- NCGE promotes geographic teaching by providing professional development opportunities, producing journals and other geography publications, developing and distributing content and resources, honoring teachers, mentors and researchers; advocating for geography in schools; and organizing an annual conference and other forums for educators.
PBS Learning Media
- Browse Geography videos, interactive activities, teaching materials, and more! Get fun and engaging curriculum-aligned content on topics such as the tools used by geographers, ancient maps to modern geographic information systems (GIS), and methods of geography over time.

Interactive Online Maps

An interactive map is a way to view data through the use of interactive features, such as dragging and zooming, data points, overlays, statistics, and other information.

United States Geological Survey
- Discover USGS science and data through mapping experience and refine search with filter options.
United States Census Bureau
- Work with interactive mapping tools from across the Census Bureau.

Interactive Map Creation Tools

Giving your students the opportunity to create their own interactive maps has many educational applications.

Free Applications

StoryMapJS
- Drop images into StoryMap to build interactive maps using slides, with Google Drive and Dropbox integrations.
MapHub
- This option offers real-time collaboration over the internet. You can add points, lines, polygons, labels, photos, organize items into groups, import data and more.
ZeeMaps
- Maps will work on any smartphone or tablet. You can copy and paste or import datasets, then begin tailoring your map’s regions, icons and legend.
Felt
- Another collaborative, user-friendly mapping tool designed to make quick and beautiful maps. Track current events as they unfold, plan a field trip, or provide a customizable template map for school events. The tool’s basic style editor includes eye-catching presets designed by an expert cartography team to liven up any map.

Freemium Mapping Resources

Paid Software

Geography Games & Practice Tools

These games and learning tools are sure to capture your student’s attention as they discover a love for geography. You can explore them with your students in class, save them for a special day, or add them to a list of options for early finishers.

Dedicated Geography Pages

Multi-Subject Websites

Brittany’s Own Geography Teaching Resources

UNPLUGGED CODING IN Social Studies – Map Symbols

Coding meets Social Studies instruction with VoCode! Integrate those robots you have (or turn students into robots) to complete these phonics coding challenges. 3 Options for the activities mean that you can use this with ANY movable Bots and ANY grade level of students. Be sure to check out the images to see which ones are included!