What did you have for dinner last night? Many scholars ask that question without considering the history behind the foods they eat. Using a simulation, scholars investigate how the foods they eat are the product of the Columbian...

An excellent resource gets kids looking at agricultural production to better understand the careers needed in distributing foods from the farm to the consumer. Book, poster, web, and video links are included for teacher use. There is...

Students participate in a series of activities to explore the types of food Americans eat, how food choices differ in various parts of the country, and how the availability of various foods has changed over time.

How are the reactions between American and European consumers different when it comes to genetically modified foods? Use the New York Times article "Consumers in Europe Resist Gene-Altered Foods" to inform your middle schoolers...

Through this series of terrific lesson plans, pupils learn about the extent of poverty in the state of Arkansas during the Great Depression. They read documents from the period which describe how hard times were, view an online photo...

Students build a miniature replica of the Mayflower. They make the boat float in a cup of water while studying the concept of gift giving on Feast Day.

Students examine traditional foods from other cultures.  In this Peace Corps Challenge game, students research food preferences and delicacies in other countries and compare to the traditional American cuisine. Students...

Students read and discuss information regarding George Washington Carver and how the peanut became cultivated in the southern colonies of the United States. In this George Washington Carver instructional activity, students develop...

Middle schoolers take a close look at the prairie environment. They identify common plants and animals of the prairie. In addition, pupils work in teams in order to put together a presentation on a certain aspect of the prairie...

After reading an informational text on the Agricultural Research Service, learners research the role of the ARS in Oklahoma. Using reputable online sources, they label a map of the state with relevant areas. Researchers focus on one of...

First graders discuss what part of the world their ancestors came from. They locate the locations on a map and discuss the differences and similarities of each continent and their people. They become familiar with the traditional...

Learners explore how people preserved their food in the past. In food preservation instructional activity, students create different models that enable someone to dry out food, such as a food dehydrator. Learners also...

Students become aware that people lived in America before Columbus came.  In this Inuit culture lesson, students discuss lives of the Inuits. Students listen to Mama Do You Love Me, A Promise is a Promise and The Polar Bear Son:...

In this set of five lessons, students analyze the important of food traditions, identity, and history. Students analyze how food traditions contribute to family identity, investigate family food traditions through interviews, and compare...

The first part of this article by PBS on the Miss America pageants can be used in a health class when it's time to talk about body image. There are links to related articles. There are some great questions for discussion. There are ideas...

Identify the different types of graphs and when they are used. Learners will research a specific health issue facing teens today. They then develop a survey, collect and analyze data and present their findings in class.  This is a...

Background information is a great tool for any teacher. This resource provides background information on nutrition and world hunger, as well as ten different activity options to help learners understand this global issue. Each activity...

Students become familiar with who the Vikings were and what they accomplished. In this Vikings lesson, students locate the Scandinavian countries. Students will record information about the Vikings in a Viking notebook. Students will...

Third graders discuss the book on the pilgrims. They write a poem of the hardships of the boat or on the land. Students write journal entries as a pilgrim on boat or on the land. They complete a collage of the foods that the pilgrims...

Students explore ways to volunteer. In this volunteerism and philanthropy instructional activity, students brainstorm how the early Americans benefited from philanthropy, then discuss how others benefit from our philanthropy and how we...

With Earth Day quickly approaching, as well as many science fairs, why not challenge your class to investigate geothermal energy or other renewable energy resources? There are five driving questions explored in depth here, as well as...

Students research South American to prepare a PowerPoint presentation about its culture, traditions, and societies. In this South American research lesson, students research South American based on their export products to create a...

Third graders make food. In this agriculture lesson, 3rd graders learn about the history of the potato. Students then plant potatoes, harvest them, and make french fries, potato salad or potato soup.

Young scholars examine the role of the explorers. In this explorers and conquistadors, students create word puzzles (Wordles) regarding the time period in history. Young scholars conduct research regarding a particular explorer and...