Curated OER
How the Community Meets Needs: The Drive
Students explore the four sectors of the economy. In this character development lesson, students experience giving up "their worldly possessions" and then discuss feelings that might occur when people experience homelessness or the...
Curated OER
Nonprofit Organizations in Our Community: Interviewing Representatives
Students interview representatives from nonprofit organizations. In this philanthropy activity, students prepare questions for a representative from a nonprofit organization. After conducting the interview, they are to prepare a short...
Curated OER
Making a Difference
Students create a plan to better their school. In this civil service lesson, students will deepen their understanding of the term "philanthropy" by reflecting on Martin Luther King, Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech and a quote by John F....
Curated OER
Class and Health: You Are What You Eat
Students determine a working definition of class in order to determine how social class can affect personal health. They research their own nutritional needs and work to encourage healthy change in their communities.
Curated OER
Committing to Nonviolence: A Lesson from Viva La Causa
Students examine the social change movements of the American 20th century. In this nonviolence lesson, students research the work of Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Caesar Chavez. Students compare and contrast the social...
Curated OER
The Power of Empathy
Students investigate the emotion and social practice of empathy. They role play being in various situations in order to understand the feelings of others. Students pick an adult to interview who has overcome great difficulty.
Curated OER
Introductory Lesson on Interconnectedness
Students are introduced to the concept of interconnectedness and make connections regarding conflict in their community, country, and the world. In this interconnectedness lesson plan, students define the word conflict and what that word...
Channel Islands Film
Magic Isle: Lesson Plan 4
After watching West of the West's documentary on Catalina Island, The Magic Isle, class members research how Walt Disney's and William Wrigley's different visions impacted the island.
New York City Department of Education
Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere
Young historians discover the early people of the western hemisphere. The unit explores how the land changed, how it was used and homes of early Americans such as Incas, Mayans, Inuits, Aztecs, and Pueblos. Individuals also examine these...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Families Today and Yesterday
Students examine past and contemporary family life. Using Venn diagrams, they compare and contrast the two and write short statements about them. Among the areas for consideration are clothing, food, transportation, and traditions.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Life Before the Civil War
American life before the Civil War was very different from American life today. To show this difference in a full spectrum, learners compare two communities that illustrate the differences between Northern and Southern life. Throughout...
Curated OER
The Soundtrack of One's Life
Students gather important information about a historical figure. They write a short biography, including illustrations. Students collect songs from the time period when the person lived. They create a play list in iTunes. Students...
Curated OER
Presidential Places Quilt
Students design historical quilts. In this presidential history lesson, students research past presidents and landmarks named for them. Students create quilt squares to represent the landmarks and piece all of them together in a large...
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.
Curated OER
A Toast to Our Community
Young scholars bake bread with a dual purpose: to explore, through the metaphor of baking bread, the potential dynamics and purposes of a classroom, and to begin investigating the idea that everyday things are connected to the...
Curated OER
Exploring our Community
Students research Los Angeles and its surrounding communities. They create digital presentations of the information they have gathered by answering the question included in the lesson.
Curated OER
Spread the Word!
Middle schoolers review what they have learned about community service, philanthropy, prejudice and racism in previous lessons. They design a lesson or service learning experience that can be given to and implemented by elementary school...
Curated OER
Responding to Social Crisis
Students, through discussion, identify ways to cope with and process unexpected community or world crisis, such as terrorism or violent acts within a school or community.
Curated OER
Geography: My Community as a Region
Learners discuss the differences between formal, functional and perceptual regions in Alaska. They work in small groups to research community.
Curated OER
Community Celebrations
Sixth graders are introduced to cultural history and diversity that is present in the community in which they live by examining secular and sacred celebrations. Students create scrapbooks to chronicle their family's celebrations.
Curated OER
Presenting Your Community
Students research the history of a notable building and prepare a Power Point presentation to be used on the online scrapbook. They research the location of the building in the community, the architectural style and the date of...
Curated OER
Community Commerce
Sixth graders explore commerce in their own community. They interview local business owners and collect data about their town. Students research the history of a local business and its daily operation. They prepare a presentation to...
Curated OER
Working Together to Improve Our Community
Learners from the fourth grade research a solution to a community problem and converse with eighth graders via email. Eighth graders study the political process and work with the fourth graders to present information to the public to...
Curated OER
If I Were Bill Gates
Students investigate community endowments. In this service learning lesson, students explore the function of grants within communities and write a grant application.