North America Lesson Plans

Students participate in a three part unit about biomes. Part one, students research the biomes of North America and part two consists of research on zoos and a field trip to a zoo. While part three ties together the first two when students design a section of a zoo to be built in South Africa displaying animals from North America.

First graders explore the first inhabitants of North America. In this social studies lesson, 1st graders participate in activities to explore the cultural characteristics of the North American Indians. Additionally, students locate places on a map. 

Students compare a political map of North America today with one from 1845. They identify items of continuity in the political map of the United States today and that of 1845 and describe the influence of Indian and Hispanic cultures on the Southwest.

Fifth graders create an explorer's map. In this explorers lesson students use a map of the world as reference to draw their own map of Europe, North America, Central America, and the Caribbean Islands. The students use their maps to show the paths that European explorers used.

Fifth graders investigate the effect of North American colonization on human history. In this colonization lesson, 5th graders explore the global impact of colonization of North America. Students investigate the impact of geography on North American cultures.

Students recognize that North America includes a vast variety of cultural traditions. They create a mural in celebration of their home (city, suburb, or rural area). In addition, they complete assessment questions,

Students discover facts about the 50 United States. In this instructional activity on the United States, students use the Internet to uncover facts about the United States. Students will  match each state with the correct postal code, identify the date the state entered the Union, the capital city, nickname, climate, resources, and an interesting fact for each of the 50 states.

Fifth graders create and role play their scripts about the impact of loyalists to British North America.  For this loyalist migration lesson, 5th graders work in groups and illustrate the life of the loyalist by acting out their original scripts. Students may create scripts from teacher distributed material or do their own research.

Students research the history of fur posts in North America. In this North American history lesson, students apply skills of historical interpretation by collecting and analyzing data from historic sources on the fur trade expansion.

Seventh graders investigate the assigned websites to find information about how the Iroquois lived in North America before European settlement. They examine the lifestyle of the Iroquois today while using English to answer comprehension questions. They practice the use of the mouse, the back key, and the arrow keys while navigating the web.