VIF Learning Center
Languages as Reflection of Cultures and Civilizations: French Speaking Countries
Expand your class's vision of the French-speaking world by conducting this research project. Pupils focus on building 21st-century skills while they look up information about a French country and put together presentations.
Advocates for Human Rights
Who are Immigrants?
What do Jerry Yang, Patrick Ewing, John Muir, Charlize Theron, Peter Jennings, and Saint Frances X Cabrini all have in common? They are all immigrants to the United States. Famous and not-so-famous immigrants are the focus of a resource...
Curated OER
Secret Life of Bees Research
The Secret Life of Bees provides high schoolers an opportunity to connect the events in the novel to events in America’s history. After choosing a topic from a provided list, individuals research how the event affected the Civil Rights...
Curated OER
The Countries of Latin America
Fifth graders study the geography, culture, government and economy of Latin American countries. They work in groups to fill out a profile describing their Latin American country. They listen to a reading of Latin American folktales and...
Curated OER
What's on Your Plate
Students share information about countries of the world. In this global studies lesson plan, students make presentations about countries and cultures that they have researched. Students also evaluate the presentations of their peers.
Curated OER
Crisis in Darfur
High school social studies teachers addressing the crisis in Darfur could use elements of this plan to increase social studies vocabulary and research skills. It includes a page of lecture/discussion notes, instructions for creating...
Curated OER
Geography/Current Events Project
Using the Balkan region as an example, fourth graders review the five themes of geography as a class. They identify the physical and human characteristics of a region before labeling the countries and landforms on a map. They then...
Curated OER
Researching Another Country's Holiday: Focusing and Gathering Information
Fifth graders brainstorm a list of holidays celebrated by a majority of people in the United States. They each select an American holiday from the list as well as another country that may have a holiday that is similar. Next, they...
Curated OER
Country Research (World)
Sixth graders use information that they have gathered to create a multimedia presentation using a program such as PowerPoint or HyperStudio. They use a bibliography sheet to cite all information they have gathered.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Empire Intelligence Briefings
To trade or not to trade. Young diplomats put their country's best foot forward in a series of briefings for other countries about their nations. The goal is to persuade others to engage in diplomacy and trade. Using a previous lesson...
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Don't Mess with Mercury (Lesson B)
At one point, people thought mercury was therapeutic for humans, but now we know it is highly toxic. The second of three activities covering mercury focuses on its health hazards if humans are exposed. Pairs research and answer questions...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Connecting Africa: A Project-Based Learning Adventure
Mission Possible: Your task is to design a new highway route from Tunis, Tunisia to Cape Town, South Africa. If you accept the challenge, you must create a small map of the route that has already been rejected, a rationale for rejection...
Curated OER
Animating a Historic Event
Research a historic event using textbooks, primary source documents, the Internet, and other library and media resources. Young historians will take the research they have gathered and write an attention-grabbing, historically accurate...
Curated OER
Lewis and Clark in Columbia River Country
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this research skills lesson, students research the death of Meriwether Lewis using forensic evidence presented in primary...
Curated OER
Country Comparison Venn Diagram
Fifth graders discuss different countries, their cultures, similarities and differences and choose a set of focus questions to research. They create a narrative story using their researched information in first person narrative stories.
John F. Kennedy Center
Baila! Latin Dance in the Spanish Classroom
One, two, three. One, two, three. Invite your language learners to practice the steps for researching and presenting information. Each small group has the task of explaining one Latin dance in full detail.
Museum of Tolerance
And Justice for All? Slavery Not Just in the Past
Slavery in India, Sudan, and Mauritania? What about in the United States? Groups research modern slavery in these four countries, collecting factual evidence (What), determine their feelings about this evidence (So what), and consider...
Oxfam
Sweatshops - Exploitation Is Never in Fashion
Here's a resource that brings home the idea that we are all part of a global community, that our actions have far reaching consequences. Class members examine the labels in their clothes, create a list of the manufacturers, the countries...
Curated OER
Research Project
After reading books about Black history, complete an outline and research important African Americans in history. Use the included outline to write a report.
Anti-Defamation League
What are Reparations and Should We Enact Them?
Young social scientists investigate recent legislative proposals for reparations for African Americans. They examine the rationale behind the proposals by viewing videos and reading related articles. To close the instructional activity,...
Curated OER
Famous Landmarks
Students research a country and the national holidays the people of that country celebrates. In this cultural celebrations lesson, students are assigned a country, research the major holidays of that country, and create a 12-month...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Countries and Technology
Students participate in a travel simulation and have just arrived in Canada. After choosing activities to research, they define their methods of exploration and development on plan sheets. Among the scenarios from which they choose...
Curated OER
Water Sources in Cape Verde and West Africa
Young explorers study the scarcity and importance of a continuous supply of fresh water in Cape Verde. They research the five main ways that fresh water is obtained in these countries. Each research group prepares a presentation, and...