Wisconsin: Geography l Government l People l Work l Field Trips

Use these links to learn more about Wisconsin's geography, geology and environment. In the coming months we will add links about Wisconsin's government, people and culture, agriculture and industry, and resources for field trips for Wisconsin studies.

Quick Links: Geography l Geology l Environment

Geography

Exploring Wisconsin Our Home
This geography series from Wisconsin Media Lab brings the state's geography to life for fourth-graders. The series fourteen 15-minute programs are broadcast statewide on Wisconsin’s public television stations, and available online for Wisconsin residents from Wisconsin Media Lab as well as on ECB's YouTube channel. These outline maps from the teacher guide may be useful for your classroom:

• Wisconsin Regions (shows the five physical regions)
• Wisconsin Commerce (shows agricultural products)
• Wisconsin Rivers
• Wisconsin Vegetation: Pre-1850 l 1850 l 1990
• Wisconsin Outline Map (shows counties)

State Cartographer's Office
Your online resource for mapping information and spatial data in Wisconsin.  This site includes geographic statistics about Wisconsin and outline maps of the state which are available for downloading.

Maps of Wisconsin Landscapes
The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey provides color maps of Wisconsin geology, vegetation, soil regions and other natural feautures. The Survey also sells maps.

County Maps
Maps for Wisconsin counties from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation identify points of interest in each county.  The maps may be downloaded for use in your classroom.

Historical Maps
The Wisconsin Historical Society features a large collection of historical maps.

Current Satellite Image of Wisconsin
These images from the UW Space Science and Engineering Center are updated every 30 minutes.

Teacher’s Guide to Wisconsin State Parks and Forests
You and your students can see, touch, hear, and discover the richness of Wisconsin’s natural and cultural heritage at education centers all over the state. The Teacher's Guide to Wisconsin State Parks and Forests from the DNR provides guides to field trips that are correlated to Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards.

National Park Units in Wisconsin
Did you know that Wisconsin has four national park units? Learn about the history, wildlife, and recreational opportunities at these areas:

• Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
• Ice Age National Scenic Trail
• North Country National Scenic Trail
• St. Croix National Scenic Riverway

Visiting Wisconsin
This official site from the State of Wisconsin has all the information you need for planning a perfect Wisconsin adventure, real or virtual! 

Miss Pronouncer.com
A pronunciation guide for everything Wisconsin AND so much more! There’s information on Wisconsin government, famous Wisconsinites, Wisconsin Indian Tribes, nature and this day in Wisconsin history on this site created by a Wisconsin resident.

Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Shipwrecks
Explore 17 of Wisconsin’s Great Lakes Shipwrecks through underwater video, historic photographs, and archaeological discoveries, courtesy of the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant.

The Great Peshtigo Fire: An Eyewitness Account
The Wisconsin Electronic Reader from the State Historical Society presents this eyewitness account first published in 1874, as well as a number of historic images and documents in the Peshtigo Fire Gallery.

State Cartographer's Office
Your online resource for mapping information and spatial data in Wisconsin.  This site includes geographic statistics about Wisconsin and outline maps of the state which are available for downloading.

Maps of Wisconsin Landscapes
The Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey provides color maps of Wisconsin geology, vegetation, soil regions and other natural feautures. The Survey also sells maps.

County Maps
Maps for Wisconsin counties from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation identify points of interest in each county.  The maps may be downloaded for use in your classroom.

Historical Maps
The Wisconsin Historical Society features a large collection of historical maps.

Current Satellite Image of Wisconsin
These images from the UW Space Science and Engineering Center are updated every 30 minutes.

Geology

Mammoth Mystery
Join archaeologist Dan Joyce to discover The Mammoth Mystery and uncover events that happened thousands of years ago in what is now Kenosha County.

The Virtual Silurean Reef
This site from the Milwaukee Public Museum explains the geologic history of Wisconsin. A virtual reality diorama allows students to explore the reef that covered Wisconsin during the Silurian period.

The Formation of the Great Lakes
Thousands of years ago, the melting mile-thick glaciers of the Wisconsin Ice Age left the North American continent a magnificent gift: five fantastic freshwater seas collectively known today as the Great Lakes.  This website from the University of Wisconsin Seagrant has an animated glacial movement map and information about the Great Lakes.

Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey
The Survey provides scientific information about the geology, mineral resources, water resources, soil, climate, and biology of Wisconsin. This site provides information about the Survey's publications, and includes downloadable maps such as Bedrock Geology of Wisconsin, Early Vegetation of Wisconsin, and others.

Environment

EEK! Environmental Education for Kids!
This electronic magazine for kids in grades 4 – 8 is brought to you by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.  Surf around and learn more about the Wisconsin’s great outdoors. For example, Critter Corner provides information about Wisconsin's native and endangered animals, and Habitats describes Wisconsin's forest, lakes, prairie and wetland habitat.

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Endangered Species in Wisconsin
This website lists all federally threatened or endangered species in Wisconsin, and includes links to additional information and photos of each species.

Butterflies and Moths of Wisconsin
Connect your social studies curriculum to your science curriculum!  Check-out the interactive county map and discover the butterflies and moths that inhabit your county at this site from the Big Sky Institute at Montana State University.. 

Wisconsin’s Water Library for Kids
This website from the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant has amazing facts about the Great Lakes and the waters of Wisconsin.  Your students will learn about water usage, water pollution, and more.

kids + teachers
This website, also from the University of Wisconsin Sea Grant, is loaded with “fun stuff”!  Topics include Wisconsin’s birds, frogs, fish, food web, wetlands, and underwater exploration. 

Scorecard: The Pollution Information Site
Scorecard is a service that helps you find out about chemical pollution in your community. Information from the EPA's Toxic Release Inventory is available by zip code. You can also learn about the health effects of any of these chemicals.

General Wisconsin Climate Data
The Wisconsin State Climatology Office provides data on snowfall and snow cover, mean and extreme temperatures and precipitation, and general climactic conditions in Wisconsin.

Climate Wisconsin
From warming trout streams to decreasing ice cover, lower lake levels to extreme heat, this resource from Wisconsin Media Lab tells stories about how climate change is affecting Wisconsin residents and industries. Students can also explore temperature and ice cover changes using interactive data sets. A short animated video called Adaptation and Mitigation provides a simple introduction for students. These short videos, essays and teaching tips were designed for use by middle and high school teachers and students.

Created 10/2010
Last updated 1/30/13