Everyone comes from somewhere. An interdisciplinary lesson on Elvira Woodruff's The Orphan of Ellis Island includes discussion starter and writing prompts for the novel, as well as a graphic organizer to help learners begin their...

Visit the Magic Treehouse and take your class on a trip through time with a reading of the children's book Mummies in the Morning. Using the story to spark an investigation into Egyptian culture, this literature unit engages...

Students examine how to save and protect trees.  In this conservation lesson, students read books about the usefulness of trees, write ideas in their journals about how trees can be used, and make a book of ways to protect trees.

Students identify how do geography and ecology influence a region's folklife. Then they investigate this question and consider how an outsider might view their own region in this lesson. Students also identify how the natural world, even...

Fourth graders trace the emergence and development of culture in Utah. They study the contributions of the American Indian culture on the development of Utah. They create their own rock art by using signs and images that show something...

Fourth graders study the contributions of the American Indian culture on the development of Utah. They examine and create American Indian rock art.

Students present a play based on The Lorax.In this environmental issues lesson, students read and discuss literature and complete activities pertaining to environmental stewardship.

The teacher reads and retells Californian tribal origin or creation stories that come from the traditions of a variety of California Indian tribes. Then, pupils get together in groups and retell the stories they just heard; just as...

Students write an essay. In this comparison lesson, students read about a child's typical day on a fair trade cocoa farm in the Dominican Republic. Students write about a typical morning of a child in the US and make comparisons.

Second graders examine the artwork of Robert Harris and discuss how trees are an important part of their lives. In groups, they discover how people's use of the environment has changed over time and describe the climate and vegetation...

First graders share their wishes for the future and discuss changes that have taken place. They observe a puppet who describes life in the future and identifies positive and difficult challenges he may face. Individual students draw a...

Early settlers in the American Midwest experienced constant struggle. This reading passage describes for young learners the hardships of homesteaders as they journeyed west and sought to start a new life. When finished, students identify...

Here is a nicely designed lesson on ancestry and family history. In it, learners read an article entitled, "Where Were Your Ancestors in 1871?" Then, they make up a series of questions to profile their family and their community 100...

Students compare and contrast the details from the life of the real David Crockett and the legendary folk hero he later became. They identify the characteristics of a tall tale and follow a rubric to create a tall tale of their own.

Have your class explore Buddhist Jataka Tales to compare and contrast them to European fables. After defining fables, Jataka tales, and the elements of each, learners identify themes and patterns for both types of narratives and the...

Growing up within a culture leaves a lot of ideas and values unspoken. Take a closer look at the cultures in which your learners live with a discussion activity that addresses cultural identity and traits of those living within the...

Students explore the concept of culture. They discuss the Washoe culture, create a word web, develop a family tree of their own family for a class book, and complete a writing assignment.

Students use the internet to gather information on the Japanese Gardens. They discuss topics with a horticulturist and build a replica of the gardens at their school. They work together to identify different types of plants.

Honor family traditions with a lesson that examines the variety of winter celebrations. Class members discuss their family's traditions then complete a cut-and-paste practice page in which they match a picture to the name of a holiday....

Over the course of the lesson, your pupils read and analyze a translated eight-line poem from the Tang Dynasty written by Du Fu, a poet caught behind enemy lines during the An Lu-Shan rebellion (755-763). Literary/historical context is...

Students explore the relationship between names and certain cultures and locations. In this identity lesson, students create family migration or immigration maps. Students read excerpts from When My Name was Keoko and Lost Names: Scenes...

Students read books, make turkey hands, eat gingerbread cookies, and more to learn about Thanksgiving. In this Thanksgiving lesson plan, students also write what they are thankful for.

Students examine the genealogy of King Arthur. They create a poster of his family tree and shares with the class. They also place other key figures of the time period on the poster to put his life in perspective.

Here is a week-long lesson plan on the roles of family members designed for first graders. In it, learners share stories of their families, listen to books about families read to them by their teacher, complete homework assignments and...