Curated OER
Lori Schmidt's Lovely Lesson
Young scholars color code a world map by region to show the different amphibians and reptiles that live there. They discuss the Nile Crocodile, Snapping Turtle, Komodo Dragon, Indian Python, and Lacertidae. When completed, they create a...
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Discovering Swahili
Students investigate the African language of Swahili by translating vocabulary words. In this foreign language lesson, students write 26 English words that define Africa and utilize the Internet to translate them into Swahili....
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Medieval African Kingdoms
Seventh graders examine the geography and political history of West Africa. They role-play as applicants to a company that transports customers to any historic time period. Working in teams, they create promotional products encouraging...
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The Ancient World
Students explore the concept of migration. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students watch "The Ancient World" and research life in the Fertile Crescent. Students then write letters from the perspective of people migrating from...
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What Sharing Really Means
Students read the story "Sharing in Africa". As a class, they brainstorm a list of holidays and celebrations in various cultures and identify the Congo on a world map. To end the lesson, they focus on one paragraph of the story,...
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The Real Eve
Students research about human migration during a specific time period. In this physical science lesson, students watch a video about human evolution. They prepare a presentation on human migration and share it with the class.
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Exploring Islamic Lands
Students examine the lives of Islamic teens. In this global studies lesson, students explore selected Internet sites to discover the attributes of Islam, the cultural traditions of Islam, and information regarding Middle Eastern...
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Comparing Countries
Students compare facts about different countries. In this comparing lesson, students collect information about the US and another country and compare them. Students locate countries on the map and make a hypothesis about the lives of...
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
A Thematic Learning Guide to Lions
Written as an accompaniment to a field trip to the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Arizona, this is an interdisciplinary, themed instructional activity on lions. Even if you cannot take your upper-elementary kids to this attraction, there...
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South Asian Architecture
Seventh graders review and discuss architecture from South Asia. They then study images of various buildings from North Africa/Southwest Asia, and make comparisons
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Wildlife
The centerpiece of this lesson plan is a predator-prey simulation in which colored paperclips represent different species of animals camouflaged against a colored background. Relevant follow-up questions are provided. The activity is...
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
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Circling Ethiopia: A Novel Approach to Introducing a Region
Learners read a novel to gain insight into a different region of the world. Using a graphic organizer, they share the information they have already gathered about Ethiopia. They draw an outline map of Africa and read the opening pages of...
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Exile: Cuba and the United States
Students gain an understanding of U.S./Cuban Relations. In this world history lesson plan, students examine the events of the Cuban revolution and their effect on U.S.-Cuban relations and U.S. foreign policy.
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Nelson Mandela, Symbol of Courage
Fifth graders study Nelson Mandela. In this leadership lesson, 5th graders study the life of Nelson Mandela. Throughout their learning, they read biographies on Nelson Mandela, compare their community to those in South Africa, discuss...
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The Dawn of Humanity
Learners investigate recent archaeological challenges to theories of human origins. They research the history and geography of various African regions to create proposals for future excavations.
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Where Is Rome?
Third graders discover Ancient Rome through maps and worksheets. In this world history activity, 3rd graders locate Rome on a world map and identify the scope of the Roman Empire. Students label an entire map of Italy after...
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European Exploration, Trade and Colonization
Students complete many activities including mapping, reading books, and Internet research to learn about European exploration. In this European lesson plan, students study geographical mapping, trade, and colonization.
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New Food Saves Lives, Could End Hunger
Learners locate the country of Niger, then read a news article about a new type of food that is being used to fight childhood hunger in Africa. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with map and vocabulary...
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Art and Culture of France
Lessons about France can cover art, history, and the colonization of Africa.
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The Clever Monkey Rides Again
Students explore a West African folktale. In this folktale lesson, students read the book The Clever Monkey Rides Again and discuss the trickster characters from the tale. Students participate in a discussion about the folktale and...
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The Way of Water in the World
Students explore problems and design solutions in relation to water issues. In this interdisciplinary lesson plan, students play an interactive game in order to explore global water issues to create solutions for the water problems in...
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We've got the whole world in our hands
Students explore spatial sense in regards to maps about the globe. In this maps lesson plan, students label oceans, locate the continents and poles, follow directions, and explain the symbols on a map.