Curated OER
The Family Tree
In this patterns practice activity, students read a 3-paragraph excerpt regarding a family tree and respond to 1 graphic organizer question and 1 short answer question.
Curated OER
Culture Collage
Students investigate their cultural heritage and make observations on how much influence their past has on their current values and lifestyle. They brainstorm a list of things that represent a certain country or cultural heritage and...
Curated OER
British Royalty Tours the U.S.
Students share their knowledge of England, then read a news article about Prince Charles's anticipated visit to the U.S. In this current events lesson (written prior to Prince Charles's visit), the teacher introduces the article with a...
Curated OER
Colonial Vacation Planner
Looking for a good lesson plan on the Colonial Period for your upper-elementary class? Then, this lesson plan is for you! They use website designs, U.S. travel publications, and maps to plan a family vacation to states which were part of...
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...
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 Notable Nebraskan: J. Sterling Morton
What are the characteristics of an outstanding citizen? Nebraskan J. Sterling Morton contributed to the formation of societal and family values in his state. Learners gather information on Morton's life accomplishments from primary...
Curated OER
Quilt Block Collage
Learn the art of quilting with this lesson plan that can be connected to a history lesson plan on quilts in Ancient Egypt, China, and modern art. After studying a general history of quilts, its uses, and the history of different...
Museum of Tolerance
Immigration Journeys
Through the journey of four stories of immigration, scholars complete graphic organizers and apply knowledge to create a visual representation of their findings on a large poster. Third and fourth readers write a letter to their...
Scholastic
Explore the Seven Principles
A lesson shines a spotlight on what makes Kwanzaa special by taking a close look at its seven principles. Gift ideas encourage scholars to make and give one to their family members. Class members celebrate heroes and role models of...
Smithsonian Institution
Art to Zoo: Life in the Promised Land: African-American Migrants in Northern Cities, 1916-1940
This is a fantastic resource designed for learners to envision what it was like for the three million African-Americans who migrated to urban industrial centers of the northern United States between 1910 and 1940. After reading a...
Our White House
The Our White House Inauguration Celebration Kit for Kids!
Get the youngest American citizens involved in the presidential election and inauguration with a set of social studies activities. Focusing on the history of presidential inauguration ceremonies, learners draft their own poems, design...
Curated OER
Sharing Our Past
Students study and write about local history. In this local history lesson, students learn about their local history before visiting a group of senior citizens to discuss what they know. They practice the questions they will ask the...
Curated OER
Family Lessons in Philanthropy: The Drive
Students investigate family philanthropy. In this family philanthropy instructional activity, students review vocabulary such as community, family, service, volunteer, tradition, and caring. They listen to Valerie Flournoy's, The...
Curated OER
Family Portraits
Students discuss, analyze, and interpret "Portrait of a Dutch Family" by Fans Hals and then create subject specific projects for assessment. This cross-curricular lesson is well-suited for Language Arts or Visual Arts classrooms and...
Curated OER
A Brief History of Fairfax County
Students brainstorm a list of things they already know about the history of Fairfax County, Virginia. After reading a primary source document, they discuss the similarities and differences between their prior knowledge and what they...
Curated OER
Home Healing and Family Stories
Students explore their family history by examining home remedy traditions. They read and discuss a handout about home remedies, conduct an interview with a family member, and complete an interview worksheet.
Curated OER
Discovering Your Heritage
Young scholars interview a family member about their heritage. They listen to and record part of their family's oral history. Students also create and label a family tree going back a minimum of two generations and compare and contrast...
Scholastic
Smart Quotes Mini-Lesson
Prepare for an interview project with a set of worksheets about asking questions and quoting people. After completing a grammar exercise about quotation marks, kids write out the questions they want to ask their interviewee, and record...
Curated OER
Journey
Students complete a variety of enrichment activities that focus on the book, Journey, by Patricia MacLachlan. They create a photo album that shows their own family history.
Curated OER
Young Author Books: I Am a Leaf on My Family Tree
Fourth graders create family tree books. They discuss culture and brainstorm interview questions for family members. They write stories, poems, and captions for family photos. They interview family members and assemble the interviews...
Curated OER
Where I Come From
Young scholars discuss the countries and cultures that are part of their family history. They research the country their family "came from" and write a report.
Curated OER
Listening for Leschi: Voices from the Past
Students interview a family other than their own to learn about oral history. For this oral history lesson plan, students also create a newspaper article about Leschi and pretend they interviewed him back in the past.
Curated OER
Making the Family Pet an Educational Experience
The family pet can be a way to get students reading, writing, and learning.
Curated OER
Mary's Choice: To Go or Stay?
Students read about Mary Jemison and her decision to stay in her adopted Indian culture or return to her native culture. In this Pennsylvanian history lesson, students read about the true story of Mary Jemison's kidnap as well as her...