Curated OER
California's Golden History: 1848-1880
Using a variety of online resources, learners study life and society in California during the gold rush. They use a map to identify area where gold was located, explore pre-selected websites, describe mining practices, and create an...
Curated OER
Source Search: Agricultural Products
Farmers just farm, right? Find out how important agricultural products are to our modern society. Learners will explore the foods, textiles, and fuels made from industrial farm goods. They'll also explore the idea of choosing an...
Film Foundation
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: What Is a Movie?
Watching is not the same as seeing. Transform viewers from passive watchers to active students of film with this 34-page packet, filled with lessons and activities that use Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to examine the technology, the...
New York City Department of Education
Egypt
This six-week unit encompasses all subjects with a focus study on world history and the development of ancient civilizations. As gifted and talented students dive into the interesting yet challenging topic of Egypt, they think critically...
Curated OER
What Makes the Writer Write
Your 11th and 12th graders are ready to critique society! Channel that inclination by studying a novel that offers social criticism of other eras (book recommendations included). This resource presents a well-thought-out overview of such...
Curated OER
A Dollar Goes A Long Way
Investigate life along the Old Spanish Trail! They visit websites and identify the history and environment. They create journals, dramatic enactments, and maps to discover the role individuals played in society. They also explore the...
Council for Economic Education
Great Civilizations Develop around Rivers
If you lived in prehistoric times, what kinds of choices could your family make to increase their chance of survival? By making similar decisions in a simulation game, participants discover how specialization creates both opportunity and...
National First Ladies' Library
The Gilded Age
Students investigate the economic events that caused such a separation between social classes in the United States during this time period. Then they design financial and social models with the goal of closing the gap between the super...
Curated OER
Debate: Is Cheerleading a Sport?
Students research how women are perceived in sports. They debate the issue of whether cheer leading should be considered a sport and are scored on student made rubrics.
Curated OER
Medicine, Technology and Society
High schoolers compare and contrast traditional Chinese and contemporary Western approaches to medicine. They bring a rational and scientific approach to the evaluation of alternative medicines. They study acupuncture from a Chinese and...
Curated OER
Globalization
Young scholars explore the impact of technology around the world. In this globalization instructional activity, students read the noted articles about the effects of technology on day-to-day activities. Young scholars then participate in...
Curated OER
Egypt's golden Empire
Young scholars explore many of the key scientific and technological contributions made by the ancient Egyptians. Researched data is presented to the entire group.
Curated OER
Philanthropy Framework
Students become community philanthropists. In this social studies lesson plan, students learn the definition of philanthropy and apply it to Martin Luther King, Jr. The next day, students complete 3 T-charts for 3 historical figures....
Curated OER
Case Studies of American Innovation
Studnets discover how the Industrial Revolution came to be in the United States. In this technological advancements lesson, students research creations by Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers, and Thomas Edison. Students create PowerPoint...
Curated OER
Technology and the African American Inventor
Learners research, using the Internet, technological advances that have resulted from the work of African Americans. They discuss and share the results of their research. They complete the assignment by writing an essay how different...
Curated OER
Milestones of Flight
Discover seven of the most historic aircraft and spacecraft in the collections of the National Air and Space Museum. By research into the major milestones of aviation history your students will recognize features that enable flight,...
Curated OER
Girls Around the World: Communicating Through First-Person Narratives
Teams select a society to investigate and create a chart comparing and contrasting the status of girls in that society with their own. They then craft and illustrate a personal narrative written from the point of view of a girl living in...
Curated OER
Benjamin Franklin: Goods and Services in Colonial America
Fifth graders examine the impact of Benjamin Franklin's ideas on the goods and services available in Colonial America as well as analyze the importance of Franklin to modern society. While listening to "How Ben Franklin Stole the...
PBS
Inventions
Use this lesson plan to discuss inventions that have changed your class's world and have impacted society. Middle schoolers investigate important inventions of their time and design an invention in a simulated business atmosphere. Modify...
Curated OER
Origin of the Modern Summer Games
Where did the Olympic Summer Games originate? The class takes a look at ancient origins of modern Olympic games. They research the Olympics and write a compare and contrast essay that describes how the Olympic Games have changed since...
Curated OER
Telegrams!
Students read and analyze original telegrams to learn about people involved in and process of building the world's first Ferris wheel, examine correspondence between inventor and engineer to understand planning necessary to build Ferris...
Curated OER
The Civil War
Although we currently focus on Abraham Lincoln's positive contributions in creating a more equal society, the truth is that Lincoln was actually a controversial character in his time! After studying the Civil War, give your high...
Curated OER
Celebrating Women: Toni Morrison
How authors address issues of their societies is addressed in this very detailed lesson plan. After researching Toni Morrison and her work, groups create a dramatization based on a scene from one of Morrison’s novels and act it out....
Curated OER
The Origin of Humans
Where did human beings come from? How did they settle into communities and civilizations? Your class will find the answers in this fascinating presentation, which takes the viewer through the stages of mankind, from the primitive...