Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Things Fly

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students, by drawing on their own experiences, discuss and examine the basic physics of flight. They participate in a variety of activities regarding flight.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lake Tahoe Then and Now

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate the differences in Lake Tahoe from the past to the present. In this geography lesson, students read the book Washoe Seasons of Life and identify the descriptions of the land and lake. Students create a Venn diagram...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Under the Spell of Spiders

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Young scholars examine spiders. In these spider lessons, students will view spider images and live spiders to determine physical characteristics, habits, and habitats. Young scholars will examine fantasy and folklore about spiders to...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

MAPPING THE BLACK ATLANTIC

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars examine the geographic characteristics of Western and Central Africa, the impact of geography on settlement patterns, cultural traits, and trade. They compare political, social, economic, and religious systems of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fighting Disease

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore the concept of medical intervention in African nations. In this geography lesson, 7th graders research primary and secondary sources in search of information regarding Guinea worm disease. Students use their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Architecture

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders investigate cultural influences on architecture in Africa south of the Sahara. They compare the architecture to that in North America, Europe, Russia, and North Africa, Asia, and South America.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

African Safari

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders gain an appreciation for the different cultures that inhabit the Earth by focusing on the people of Africa
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Cultural Connections

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Pupils explore cultures through storytelling. They read African folktales. Students discuss characteristics of folktales. They research and write a folktale that includes an animal. Additional cross curriculum activities are included.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Climate and Cultures of Africa

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students gain an understanding of the relationship between climate and culture in the sub- Saharan Africa. Students will complete short exercises pertaining to the various cultures of Africa and the climate in which they live....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Japan: Images of a People

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students learn the geography of Japan and its location in reference to the United States.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Taste of the Caribbean

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students are introduced to the foods and traditions of the Caribbean. In groups, they brainstorm their own definition of culture and review the physical and political geography of the Caribbean. They spend time sampling different foods...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

"ART ZOO 'Blacks in the Westward Movement', 'What Can You Do with a Portrait', and 'Of Beetles, Worms, and Leaves of Grass'"

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and  investigate their natural environment. This humanities lesson provides a text that can be used to teach lessons in black...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Learners investigate the global importance of the African and Asian countries that export petroleum. They access the OPEC website and research this organization. They answer questions and write an essay about alternative energy sources.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Is A Nation Always A Region?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students define the term, "nation," and analyze the boundaries established in Africa by colonial powers. In small groups, they participate in a simulated United Nations, develop a list of questions, analyze the nations of Africa, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

East Asian Architecture

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders compare architecture in East Asia to North American, European, Russian/Eurasian, North African/Southwest Asian and South American architecture. They search the internet for current and historic images of East Asian...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Southeast Asian Architecture

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders search online for current and historic images of Southeast Asian architecture. They compare architecture in Southeast Asia to North American, European, Russian/Eurasian, North African/Southwest Asian and South American...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reaching Across Borders In Southern Africa

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Learners gain a greater understanding of how political borders impact human and environmental development. Then, either individually or as a class, establish a correspondence with a Peace Corps volunteer working in Africa.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Baga Drum

For Teachers K - 6th
Students examine a Baga Drum in order to explore the history of the Baga people of West Africa. In this art history lesson plan, students recognize figures used in Baga Drum design that represent aspects of Baga culture. They also design...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

South Asian Architecture

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders review and discuss architecture from South Asia. They then study images of various buildings from North Africa/Southwest Asia, and make comparisons
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Watching Crystals Grow

For Teachers 5th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Revolutionary Money

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wildlife

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
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...
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Traveling the Silk Road: A Multimedia Approach

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students transfer what they have learned about China into an electronic project. In this collaborative project, students take what they have learned from their textbooks and synthesize the information in order to create an electronic...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

All The Way to Timbuktu

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students discuss the concept of historic preservation and relate it to their own families and communities. After reading an article, they discuss the efforts of Mali to preserve their history. Using the internet, they research one...