First graders participate in a creative problem solving activity to help Ticky get to the Atlantic Ocean. They identify Ticky's problem, brainstorm ways to solve the problem, and develop a plan. They write the steps Ticky needs to take...

Students research what Native Americans looked like in order to dispel common stereotypes.  In this Native American history instructional activity, students begin by drawing their mental picture of an Indian, then they research...

First graders recognize the difference between needs and wants.  In this treaty lesson plan, 1st graders chart their needs and wants to be used in making a treaty.  Students negotiate what should be in the treaty based on the...

First graders make connections between the purposes of rules. In this governing lesson students listen to a story about rules being broken. Students identify rules that they have at school or home.

First graders design a Powerpoint presentation to reflect information about their community.  In this community lesson plan, 1st graders create slides to explain the weather, geography and other information about the city.

Students explore attributes of the community in which they live. They compare rural, urban and suburban communities and attempt to classify their own community. Each group illustrates their assigned area by drawing buildings, trees,...

Students engage in a lesson plan which introduces the definition of a community and challenges them to explore the characteristics of their own community. This lesson plan uses the true story of Humphrey the Lost Whale as an illustration...

Students investigate the concepts of sharing and good citizenship, and how they contribute to a peaceful society. They work on problem solving and critical thinking skills after listening to Marcus Pfister's, The Rainbow Fish.

Learners explore the roles of family members. They read books, discuss the special talents of household members, and create a class family album book using photographs brought in by the students.

Students are introduced to the folksinger, Woody Guthrie, and his legendary song This Land Is Your Land. After listening to the song, students engage in a discussion which emphasizes that Woody Guthrie wrote songs for everyone;...

First graders create sections of classroom quilt that be tied together.

Students explore the Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact. They practice these concepts by examining the school rules.

Students explore several significant figures and events of the Civil Rights Movement and sequence the key events to create a timeline. The lesson plan utilizes the story, "The Story of Ruby Bridges," the work of Robert Coles to introduce...

Students recognize the intended audience for a certain advertisement They recognize advertising techniques aimed at the intended audience and create their own advertisements about the truth of cigarette smoking. Students begin to see...

First graders gather on the story rug to listen to a story about Martin Luther King, Jr. As they gather, the teacher gives a cookie to some of the students, but not all of them. They discuss the unfairness of the cookie situation and...

Students research why government community workers are important to us. They work in teams to identify and illustrate the jobs and services provided by these community workers. Assessment comes from their Student Concept Maps.

Students enter the classroom, half of them are given die-cut stars. They are told to keep the star for later. At the start of the day, the students with stars a piece of candy. Students brainstorm how it feels to get/not get a piece...

Students research about producers and consumers. They examine how products become available to consumers and participate in one of the activities listed such as: tour a farm or a factory, go on a scavenger hunt at a local store, or have...

First graders engage in a holiday celebration of Thanksgiving. They read a play "Thanksgiving At Plymouth" to give the lesson context. The teacher could incorporate costumes and props for a holiday production. After the play they can...

Students compare and contrast family life in colonial America with life today. They describe what communities were like in colonial times and how they varied from life today. A spokesperson from each group will present a verbal report...

Students tear paper into representative continent shapes and configure them with world oceans through relative location, direction and latitude and longitude starting points. They recognize the shape of the continents. Students recognize...

Students sharpen their problem solving skills. In this service learning lesson, students work collaboratively to solve a problem involving scarcity.

Students consider the necessity of rules. In this citizenship lesson, students consider the reasons for rules and they complete traffic light activities.

Learners participate in a trust building activity. In this trust building lesson, students discuss the definition of the word "trust." Learners understand that by sharing time, talents, and treasures we learn to trust each other....