Students study the concept of the westward expansion. In this exploration of the western U.S. lesson plan, students participate in different activities that explain economic hardships, jobs, and land opportunities. Students describe...

Students create and present a powerpoint presentation.  For this cultures and cuisines research lesson, students select a country, interview someone from that country and visit a restaurant from that country.  Students complete...

Students read articles about various agricultural products and create a map using the statistics in the article.  In this agricultural statistics lesson, students look at the geography of the country and which products come from the...

Young scholars research the native attire of a chosen culture, write an essay reflecting the role of the attire in the given culture, and create a significant piece of attire from that culture that be modeled in a fashion show.

Students determine what factors identify a country's political borders. After reading an article, they investigate questions surrounding the Great Rift Valley. On a map, they trace the valley from Asia through Africa and research the...

Students read and discuss a chapter from the book "A Dog's Life," focusing on the point of view of the dog in the story. They explore dog rescue organization websites, and play the online game "Bone Travels On," creating a story map and...

Third graders explore the Mexican sauce Mole and the culture of Mexico.  In this Mexican culture activity, 3rd graders find Mexico on the map and access prior knowledge about the country.  Students discuss Mexican foods....

Fifth graders examine text features and create a PowerPoint presentation. In this text features activity, 5th graders go over Kagan Cooperative Learning Structures and text features before they choose one to include in a book and...

Second graders investigate tall tales. In this literature lesson, 2nd graders complete a story element worksheet based upon the tall tale of Paul Bunyan. Students create a PowerPoint presentation about a tall tale.

Students create friendly letters and surveys to other schools. In this letter writing lesson, students format friendly letters to other school and request a reply. Students chart the replies on a map and share information from the...

Students examine how healthy eating contributes to a healthy body and life style. They read nutritional labels on food items. They use the Five Foods Pyramid to evaluate their own eating habits. They plan, design, and create a school...

Students view and discuss short sections of movies that relate to immigration. Working in groups, students create a map that shows directions of internal migration in their assigned geographical area. Students review ads/booklets created...

Students investigate their cultural heritage and make observations on how much influence their past has on their current values and lifestyle. They brainstorm a list of things that represent a certain country or cultural heritage and...

Students are introduced to the concepts of latitude and longitude. In groups, they identify the Earth's magnetic field and the disadvantages of using compasses for navigation. They identify the major lines of latitude and longitude on a...

Students investigate the geography of Africa.  In this African culture lesson, students research the lifestyles of African residents and create a PowerPoint presentation based on a single African country.  Students share their...

Students analyze point of view in the novel Number the Stars. Their writing prompt is how would this chapter(11) be different if Peter were telling the story? Students create a class concept web about pride on the board.

Students observe and demonstrate the process of summarizing text. They read and discuss the steps to summarize text, then in small groups read and summarize an article about frogs from "National Geographic" online. Independently they...

Third graders practice creative writing by making a book.  In this book publishing lesson, 3rd graders investigate the steps needed to publish anything by researching the Internet.  Students collaborate on a list of 5 steps to...

Fifth graders explore U.S. history by reading an award winning book about World War II. In this Japanese internment camp activity, 5th graders read the book Under the Blood-Red Sun and discuss the entrapment of Japanese-Americans on our...

Fourth graders become familiar with the explorations of Hernando DeSoto. In this DeSoto lesson, 4th graders recognize the routes and territories of DeSoto's explorations. Students use primary and secondary sources and research to answer...

Young scholars explore conservation of the Great Lakes. In this geography and ecology lesson, students identify the Great Lakes on a map and view a video depicting the history and importance of these lakes. Young scholars work in groups...

High schoolers read sales promotion reports and create a sales promotion summary using information from the report. They develop a graphic organizer to outline their information for a presentation. There is an assessment checklist...

Students consider the purpose of various types of maps and their different uses throughout history. They create their own maps and reflect on the map-making process.

Students watch a portion of "The Wizard of Oz" and discuss how a map could be useful to Dorothy. They identify key components of maps and design a map of their classroom, including a key.