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The Secret Garden
Students research the culture and geography of India and England while reading "The Secret Garden". Using this information, they write at least three predictions about what they believe might happen in the story. Using the Internet,...
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The Constitution & Native Americans
Students identify and consider US Constitutional origins in American Indian culture. They discuss and consider what it means to them to attribute the origins of the US Constitution to American Indian oral tradition. They compare the...
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Quinceanera
Eighth graders study the Hispanic celebration known as the quinceanera. They research the quinceanera of two Hispanic cultures using print and digital resources. They compare the two celebrations and create a Power Point slide show to...
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Origin of the Modern Summer Games
Students research the ancient Olympic Games. In this Olympic Games instructional activity, students discuss Pierre de Coubertin, Greek culture, and ancient Olympia. Students complete two readings. Students write an essay about the spirit...
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Chopsticks
Young scholars investigate the purpose and history of chopsticks and their use as a way of eating. In this social studies lesson, students gain insight into other cultural practices and learn to use chopsticks. Young scholars complete...
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Family Life in the 1830s
Students compare and contrast family life today with family life in the 1830s. They conduct research on Old Sturbridge Village, read primary source documents, and develop a list of generalizations comparing/contrasting families of the...
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Learning Through Autobiographical Situations
A special education classroom examines a variety of literature from Latin American authors. In groups, they read excerpts from many autobiographies and compare them with their own life. After writing their own autobiographies, they...
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Children of War
Take a closer look at the impact of war in this language arts and social studies instructional activity. Middle schoolers use primary sources to conduct research as they relate to the effects of war on children. They compare and contrast...
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Finding Meaning in the Badge
Children who are three to five years old study two rank badges from the Qing dynasty to develop an understanding of social rank, language skills, and symbolism. The instructional activity is discussion-based and requires learners to...
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Letters from Rifka
Students read Karen Hesse's book "Letters from Rifka" and explore how it presents the experiences of a Russian immigrant to America. They research and write reports on the experiences of various immigrants from different cultures, keep...
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Immigrant Arrivals
Students create a multimedia presentation comparing the experiences of immigrants who arrived at New York's Ellis Island with the experiences of those who arrived at California's Angel Island.
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Africa: Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder
Students will create a poster showing how two different cultures strive for beauty. This lesson plan combines art and social studies in a meaningful way.
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Life in Sahara
Learners explore the geography of the Sahara region of Africa and identify characteristics of a desert habitat. They explore the culture of the people living there and how it has adapted to desert life.
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Back To Africa
Students analyze the massive immigration after 1850 and how new social patterns, conflicts, and ideas of national unity developed amid growing cultural diversity, and how the Progressive movement influenced different groups in American...
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Shinto, Japan's First Religion
Students participate in centers activities that enrich understanding of Japanese culture, history, geography, art, and religion.
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The Chemistry of Black Pottery
Sixth graders create pottery out of black clay using traditional methods. They demonstrate appropriate Native American cultural traditions related to the making of black pottery, including prayers to Mother Earth and Clay Woman.
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Whose Neighborhood is It? Whose America is This?
Learners use electronic resources to study immigration issues, analyze immigration issues dealing with security, economics, lawfulness, culture, and human rights, and discuss possible solutions. Students then express their opinions by...
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ANCIENT INDIA
Sixth graders engage in a variety of activities in order to study the culture of Ancient India. They read text in order to answer specific questions. Students make a crossword puzzle to review vocabulary among many other exercises in the...
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social studies: Life in Colonial America
Students explore the trials and tribulations early colonial life and note its successes. Through literature, Internet research, and interactive software, they engage in various activities to evaluate early social and cultural development.
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The Founding of Los Angeles, California
Seventh graders examine the social and cultural impact of settler groups in California and the origins of the founding of Los Angeles, California. They read and discuss an informational handout, and discuss what it is and was like to...
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Women in Science: Marie Anne Lavoisier and Ann Bancroft
Eighth graders explore and analyze the contributions of women in medicine as well as the concept of sexism. They assess multicultural content to explain the different scientific careers available to women and categorize the human and...
National First Ladies' Library
'Tis a Gift to Be Simple: The Shaker People
Students identify the difficulties and benefits of a utopian community. They examine their own ideas of utopia and research an example of one such community that has had an impact on our own culture.
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A to Z Observations
Eighth graders examine the cultural conflicts that occurred when Europeans moved into the land the Native Americans lived on that would become West Virginia. In this West Virginia history activity, 8th graders visit the state history...
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What Shall We Remember on 11 November?
Students take a closer look at the proposed British Day. In this current events lesson, students visit selected websites to read Gordon Brown's proposal and examine British cultural symbols.