Curated OER
Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Americas
Native American studies is fun, educational, and highly motivating. Fifth graders will gain a deeper understanding of the six major pre-Columbian culture areas on the North American continent. They will choose one group and conduct...
Curated OER
Mexico: Culture, Language, and History
Study the culture, language, and history of Mexico in this collection of lessons. Create maps of Mexico's geography, study Spanish language phrases, and create a fiesta, along with a Mexican Marketplace scene.
Anti-Defamation League
What Is Culture?
Explore the complexity of culture with this rich and comprehensive lesson plan, which will prompt your learners to think critically and respectfully discuss our current definitions of culture, and how those definitions might evolve.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Got Lactase? The Co-Evolution of Genes and Culture
Does the human body evolve as quickly as human culture? With a stellar 15-minute video, explore the trait of lactose intolerance. Only about 1/3 of human adults seem to still have the enzyme lactase and therefore, the ability to digest...
Curated OER
Exploring Folk Traditions and Folk Beliefs
Ninth graders work together to brainstorm an idea to focus on the similiarties and differences between various cultures. Individually, they interview family members using questions they created based on their topic. They use their...
Curated OER
Trickster Tales
Students study folk tales and moral lessons from cultures around the world. In this character traits lesson, students study moral lessons through the character traits in various cultures folk tales. Students complete 11 activities...
Curated OER
Mapping the Past
Students study historical maps to view how the world evolved from medieval times through the Renaissance. They work in groups to examine the maps and present a report on one of the listed maps.
Global Oneness Project
Bearing Witness
A controversial construction project in South America, the Belo Monte dam, is endangering local cultures, ecosystems, and communities. High schoolers create a concept map based on an online article they read before engaging in discussion...
Curated OER
Saris, Kimonos, Tagas and Smocks: Exploring Clothing Across Cultures
High schoolers explore via the internet all types of clothing around the world. Students discuss that the way people dress is an important means of expressing identity. High schoolers collaborate via Internet research the social purposes...
Curated OER
Trails of Understanding: The Earliest Immigrants
Students research Native American tribes. In this human migration lesson plan, students determine how tribes lived and established cultures. Students create PowerPoint presentations that feature their findings.
Curated OER
Hunters and Gatherers
Sixth graders participate in mapping and other activities to understand why ancient civilizations developed as they did. In this ancient civilization lesson, 6th graders recognize that there were three important climate zones and...
Curated OER
Korea Research
Students investigate the details surrounding Korean Architecture. They look at some of the different styles and see how they may differ from some others found in the world. The research is done in order to appreciate the uniques cultural...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on Tolerance
High schoolers, through discussion, internet and video resources, study the history of Northern Ireland and the religious segregation between Catholics and Protestants. They evaluate the current political situation and predict what the...
Curated OER
Communication Overload
Pupils take a trip through time to find out how language, and other ways of communicating, have evolved. They see how the specific technologies of e-mail and spam work and discover the most modern methods of blocking unwanted messages.
Curated OER
German Energy Conversations
Students identify and interpret the current German energy mix and trends, as well as to make comparisons and contrasts to that of their own country. They write a two paragraph description of including its likely position in the future...
Orange County Water Atlas
Location, Location, Location…
Young geographers discover not only how to read and recognize coordinates on a map, but also gain a deeper understanding of latitude and longitude and how climate changes can vary significantly across latitudes.
Library of Congress
Investigating the Building Blocks of Our Community’s Past, Present, and Future
As Ken Jennings said, "There's just something hypnotic about maps." Certainly, the longer you look at them the more you can learn. In this project-based learning instructional activity, individuals study both historic and present-day...
Curated OER
Things That Stick Out Or: How To Find Your Way Around on a Map
Young scholars explain the meaning of and recognize the map outlines of a peninsula, an isthmus, and a cape.
Curated OER
Vermont's Historic Diners
Students watch a video that introduces some of Vermont's diners to illustrate the historical significance. They read a handout about the history of diners and the diner style guide. Students participate in a teacher lead discussion
Curated OER
Life on the Edge: Land Use, Food Supply, and Economics in a Small African Village
Students examine the roles that natural events (such as droughts), population growth and other human factors play on land use and food supply.
Curated OER
Designing an Earthquake-resistant Structure
Students attempt to design and build the most stable "earthquke resistant" structure. They create model buildings and test them on a shake table to see which design holds up the best.
Curated OER
Who is Allowed into the EU?
Twelfth graders investigate whether Turkey will join the European Union. In this government structures instructional activity, 12th graders prepare for and participate in a debate over expansion within the European Union.
Curated OER
Ancient Egypt: Connecting Literature and Geography
Students brainstorm prior knowledge of Ancient Egypt, locate Egypt on map of Africa and on world map, watch King Tut film, discuss term biography, and map geographical information mentioned in stories and documentaries about Ancient Egypt.
Curated OER
Basic Animal Behavior in Domesticated Animals
Young scholars investigate animal behavior, examining the nervous system and the physiology of the brain and the fight or flight response. They simulate animal behaviors and discuss the difference between an instinct and a behavior.