Students read several fictional pieces which examine issues of urbanization and rural cultures. They discuss how the place a person lives affects the kind of person they become.

In this word search activity, students locate a variety of vocabulary words. The word list includes dreams, objective, and person.

Fourth graders conduct a novel study of the book Freedom Train North. They identify the parts of a story that include beginning, middle, and end. Students also recognize the setting, plot, and theme after reading a part of the book daily.

Students explore the struggle that Kansans had over the slavery issue. They read a letter from John Brown to his family, and write a newspaper article about the Battle of Osawatomie from John Brown's perspective.

Fifth graders read and analyze the novel, 'Dancing Feathers.' They identify the main story elements, develop personal and fictional narratives, retell the story from a different point of view, create a mask, and design a postcard.

Students read," The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush" by Tomie dePaola and discuss the way legends are passed down orally. They then create their own legend and illustrate it on a simulated "Buffalo Skin" made from brown paper.

Students access and evaluate authority of electronic resources. They synthesize data from multiple sources. Students compose a Works Consulted page. They prepare and deliver an informative speech on a disease or medical condition.

Learners forge a compassionate link to the large numbers of people who were the victims of slavery as opposed to thinking of them simply in terms of numbers. They perform a math exercise to put the number of people in slavery into...

Students use various types of media to research a historical event of their choice that affects a large language group. In groups, they write a news story and present it to the class. They must note the relevance and impact to the...

Fourth graders review the most effective test taking and studying skills. As a class, they are introduced to how to self-manage themselves when it comes to the activities they have to complete. To end the lesson, they complete a pretend...

Young scholars explore their own heritage as they learn more about Roger Clemente. In this social studies and music lesson plan, students study cultural heritage through a study of Puerto Rican music and instruments.

Students discuss elements of fairy tales, examine selected piece of Robert Harris' art, and compose fairy tales based on what they see and imagine. Students then view homes in Harris' artwork collection, create home in which they would...

Young scholars design a unique basket plaque incorporating at least one symbol from their chosen tribe. They also identify, share, and give rationales for the symbols in basket plaques. Whole class discussion jig-saws their discoveries.

Students consider slave culture during the time of Andrew Jackson. In this instructional activity on slavery, students watch a PowerPoint presentation, take notes, then analyze an extensive list of primary sources in order to understand...

Young scholars choose an element of Roman society they feel has had the most impact on modern society. Students then trace how that particular element has evolved over time and how it has influenced the development of its present...

Fifth graders become familiar with the geography of New Hampshire and the importance of specific sites in history.  In this New Hampshire lesson, 5th graders create a brochure including points of interest and showing distances...

Fifth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling lesson, 5th graders discover the history of waste management and discuss how the U.S. should respond to the issue of ever-increasing waste.

Fifth graders discover how reconstruction had an impact on racial issues in the United States. In this Reconstruction lesson, 5th graders are introduced to primary vs. secondary resources and then rotate through stations to view...

Students explore lives of African-Americans in Iowa. Students will examine biographies and discuss perspectives of African-Americans. They will then create posters illustrating elements of those lives finally, putting on a five act play...

Sixth graders investigate a Japanese dyeing method, Arashi shibori, its history and its process. They are introduced to hachimaki, a Japanese headband, and make their own to wear.

Eleventh graders analyze photographs representing leisure and transition during a global conflict. Working in groups, 11th graders review pictures from a web exhibit. The group completes a graphic organizer analyzing the photograph for...

Students examine and analyze photographs of other cultures. They answer discussion questions, identify bias and point of view in the images, conduct research on another photo, and compare and contrast two cultural images.

Students research Arizona maps. In this map lesson, students discuss map titles, scales, directions, elevation, and symbols. The class will examine topography, landforms, and rivers found on an Arizona map.

Students follow directions to draw a map of an island. They complete the island map adding their own details using symbols and a legend.