Pace University
Urban Communities
Urban communities are the focus of a series of lessons created to meet specific needs using differentiated instruction. A pre-assessment designates scholars into three groups based on their ability level. Small groups take part in...
Skyscraper Museum
Changes in a City Over Time
Investigate the growth and development of New York City with the final instructional activity in this four-part series on skyscrapers. Learners first explore the concept of urban growth by looking closely at a series of three paintings...
Skyscraper Museum
Designing a Skyscraper
Besides serving as awe-inspiring monuments of human achievement, skyscrapers are built to perform a wide range of functions in urban communities. The second lesson in this series begins by exploring the history of the Empire State...
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...
Polk Bros Foundation
Chicago: Choices and Changes
Chicago, a city that is ever changing. A thought-provoking lesson, geared toward third-grade social studies, explains how the city of Chicago has changed over time. It discusses important leaders to the founding of the city, like Daniel...
Polk Bros Foundation
This Week's Social Studies Journal
This worksheet is ideal for a bell-ringer/writing warm-up in your class to review what was learned in a previous lesson, and includes identifying important terms and facts associated with a historical topic. Encourage learners to...
Curated OER
How Do Artists Effectively Relate Historic Events?
Students explore African American migration. In this black culture and history lesson plan, students use a map to identify northern and southern states in which African Americans lived in the 1900s. Students observe and describe objects...
Virginia Repertory Theatre
The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse
Accompany the story, Town Mouse Country Mouse by Jan Brett with an assortment of activities designed to reinforce concepts covering story structure, comprehension, grammar, and social studies. Here, scholars identify the difference...
Curated OER
Community
Second graders draw a picture. In this communities lesson, 2nd graders read the book Communities, and review as they read. Students use construction paper to create a picture of their houses in three different communities including...
Curated OER
Special Places in Our Community
Students compare and contrast cities whether they are large or small, rural or urban. They use digital photography to take pictures of the different types of cities.
Curated OER
Pets Around the World
Learners communicate via e-mail with other students to learn about pets, animals of interest , and geography from different parts of the world. Vocabulary focuses on rural, urban, and suburban areas.
Skyscraper Museum
What is a Skyscraper?
Skyscrapers are amazing feats of architectural design that create the iconic skylines of the world's biggest cities. Young architects explore the defining characteristics of these monstrous towers with the first lesson in this four-part...
Curated OER
Where Do You Live?
Second graders study and compare rural, suburban, and urban communities. They play a board game, read books about communities, and complete several other activities regarding the different types of communities. Several extension and...
Curated OER
Proud Pilgrim Hats
Students research authentic information about the clothing worn by urban European immigrants who came to live in the Wampanoag village of Patuxet (now Plymouth, Massachusetts) in 1620. They recognize the types of hats worn by men and...
Curated OER
Communities
The study of types of communties is the focus of this presentation. Details are given about the differences between rural, urban, and suburban communities. Use this presentation to provoke a class discussion about the various activities...
Compton Unified School District
How Can We Locate Places?
How can we locate places? Maps, of course! Expose second graders to the tools available in maps and discuss how these tools can help people find locations. Students also look at communities, including what makes a community and the...
Curated OER
The Ancient Civilization of Mali
Students explore the ancient civilization of Mali and examine various historical and cultural aspects of the civilization. In this ancient civilization of Mali lesson, students examine trade with respect to geographic locations, discover...
Curated OER
Quick-Sketch Artist Tips on Mind Mapping the Urban Landscape
Students interpret maps. They also create mental maps of regions in which they are studying. Students then explain the historical or cultural significance of map features orally or in written form. Students take a walking field trip...
Curated OER
Places We Live
Learners compare/contrast rural and urban communities, and view and discuss the images on the Illinois quarter. They discuss Abraham Lincoln's life, complete a chart and a Venn diagram comparing urban and rural settings, and create a...
Curated OER
Letters from the Road
Students examine and differentiate between rural, urban, and suburban communities. They describe their local areas, view and discuss the images on the West Virginia Quarter, and write a friendly letter describing a camping trip.
Curated OER
The Meaning of Rock Art
Students examine the significance of rock art. They discuss and view examples of historical rock art, and create a design on a rock that tells a story using African and American symbols.
Curated OER
Exploring Diversity: What We Share and How We Differ
Students discuss the amount of diversity at their school. They examine a culture other than their own and share it with their classmates. They discuss the importance of diversity to end the instructional activity.
Polk Bros Foundation
History Dramatists
Bring the drama of history to life in your class and give your learners the opportunity to illustrate their understanding of a historical situation through the medium of a dialogue and/or play. Your young historians will consider a...
Curated OER
Communities
Students examine the similarities and differences between rural, suburban, and urban communities. They read about type of community in their social studies textbook, analyze the differences between Tokyo and Chicago, and complete a chart...