New York City Department of Education
Grade K Literacy in Social Studies: Thinking About Families
Family is a wonderful subject for little learners to get excited about. Family is also the theme for a social studies unit that uses literacy standards throughout. The guide outlines approximately three weeks of instruction and breaks...
Facing History and Ourselves
Social Media and Ferguson
How can social media help or hinder civil dialogue? How can information shared on social media be verified? As the investigation of media reports of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown continues, class members read news...
Curated OER
Log Canoes: A Chesapeake Bay Tradition
This activity uses a question and answer format to scaffold students comprehension of a short dialogue about the Chesapeake Bay and its tradition of log canoes. After reading the short passage, students are prompted to find three facts...
New York City Department of Education
Grade 11 Literacy in Social Studies: Research Paper
The lesson guides young academics through the steps in producing a 10-page research paper on any topic in American history. Historians begin by formulating a thesis and gathering resources, then move on to creating an outline, and end...
New York City Department of Education
Grade 2 Literacy in Social Studies: Where Is Home?
What makes a community? How communities differ? Young scholars research different types of communities, small rural towns, and large crowded cities. They respond to writing prompts, and write essays in groups to understand the wide...
New York City Department of Education
The Game of Life
Academics use their research skills to create a financial guidebook for young adults. They also learn about the skills needed to be successful as an adult, including how to use credit cards and how to buy a car. Hands-on activities and...
Moanalua Gardens Foundation
The Mystery of Rapa Nui
What caused the collapse of the environment on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)? Who constructed the Moai? What was their purpose? Class members assume the role of investigators and use evidence drawn from field studies, ships' logs, and...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Where I Come From
Young scholars research the countries of their origins and examine life there today. They write family travel logs by interviewing family members about their heritages, and they visit the Xpeditions Website for online resources about...
Study Stack
Social Studies Crossword Puzzle
In this online interactive social studies crossword puzzle learning exercise, students use the 3 clues to find the appropriate answers to complete the word puzzle.
Curated OER
Developing Dialogue
Why do people argue? Use the article "A Holiday Medley, Off Key" to discuss the struggles that interfaith couples face when choosing to celebrate certain holidays. Then, in small groups, encourage learners to write dialogues that...
Curated OER
Colonial North America
Showcase the religion, conflicts, daily life, and politics of Colonial North America. A very well-done presentation highlights all the major colonial groups, social norms, demographics, and political struggles of the time. Perfect for an...
The New York Times
The Horror! The Horror!
Gear up for Halloween by studying the horror genre with your class and analyzing films and texts to uncover the genre's traditional conventions.
Giraffe Heroes Project
It’s Up to Us
The Giraffe Heroes Program is designed for teens willing to stick their necks out to make a difference, and to create community service projects that tackle real world problems. The resource guides teens to choose an issue, design a...
Curated OER
Go Animate the 20th Century!
Students create animations to match their social studies. in this 20th century activity, students work in groups to read and present to their classmates World War I, World War II, The Great Depression, The Space Race, or the Civil Rights...
Curated OER
Presocratics
Online interactive quizzes are great for promoting self-driven learning. This one contains 23 multiple choice questions about presocratic philosophers. Scholars may submit their answers to be scored. Note: This philosophy quiz may be...
San Francisco Symphony
Adding Music to Oklahoma History
To better understand Oklahoma state history, learners will use a website to find a song that supports or represents aspects of Oklahoma's history. They'll write three sentences defending their choice, and then they will create...
Curated OER
Logging In the Maine Woods, Then and Now
Students identify the major steps in the logging process in its early yeards during the mid-1800s. They research the sames steps in the logging process today and compare the two. Students explore the logging process of today and back in...
Curated OER
Social Darwinism and American Laissez-faire Capitalism
Students investigate Social Darwinism. In this government systems lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on the details of Social Darwinism and American laissez-faire capitalism. Students respond to discussion...
Curated OER
Service Learning--A School Violence Prevention Strategy
Students analyze school violence issues. In this service learning lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding school violence issues. Students examine service projects to prevent school violence.
BrainPOP
U.S. Symbols
United States symbols are the subject of a video brought to you by BrainPop Jr. Hosts, Annie and Moby, begin with a definition of the word symbol, then go on to detail ten American symbols—the American flag, a Bald Eagle, the Liberty...
Media Education Lab
Understanding Viral Messages
Imagine advertising for a product but not being paid to do so. Welcome to the world of Viral Messaging. Class members first view a T-Mobile flash mob video that went viral and has been seen by over 14 million viewers. After analyzing the...
Visa
Make It Happen: Saving for a Rainy Day
Every little penny counts, especially when it comes to saving for emergencies or long-term goals. Pupils evaluate different saving and investment strategies, such as a CD or money market account, through worksheets and by researching...
Facing History and Ourselves
Preparing Students for Difficult Converstaitons
Many of the issues facing 21st Century learners are challenging and even discussing these issues can be a challenge. So how do teachers prepare learners for these difficult conversations? How do instructors create a safe classroom where...
Curated OER
Where I Live…
Second graders explore their community. In this social studies lesson plan, 2nd graders use Internet tools to locate their community on a map and then locate where they live.