US Mint
Symbols in My Eyes
Explore the hidden meanings behind the images on US currency with this elementary school lesson on symbolism. Starting with a class discussion about symbols, children go on to brainstorm different objects that represent the Unites...
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Mapping the News
Students explore cartography. In this map skills and map making lesson, Students work in groups to create wall size world maps including legends, compass roses, latitude and longitude, and physical features. Students collect...
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Vanished Occupations: Life on an Iron Plantation
Learners analyze photographs to understand life on a plantation. In this vanished occupations lesson, students examine why iron plantations were created and what natural resources were needed to make iron. Learners compare the...
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Let the River Run
Young scholars explore the environment by reading a story in class. For this water formation lesson, students define environmental terms such as rivers, streams, gulf, oceans and lakes. Young scholars read the story A River Ran Wild and...
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Community Treasures (Rivers and Trees): An Integrated Curriculum Unit
Third graders demonstrate an understanding of geography and its effects on lifestyles and culture. Then they apply basic economic terms and principles
and identify the United States government and history. Students also identify and...
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Ancient Egypt: Connecting Literature and Geography
Students brainstorm prior knowledge of Ancient Egypt, locate Egypt on map of Africa and on world map, watch King Tut film, discuss term biography, and map geographical information mentioned in stories and documentaries about Ancient Egypt.
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Mountain Magic: Identifying the Basic Physical Characteristics of Mountains
Students read about and identify on maps the physical characteristics of mountains. In this mountains lesson plan, students also write about the characteristics using personification.
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Exploring an Atlas
Students explore global geography by participating in an atlas activity. In this countries of the world lesson, students collaborate in small groups and analyze an atlas while researching continents, countries and demographics. Students...
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Honing in on Hummingbirds
Young scholars explore ruby-throated hummingbirds. In this cross-curricular hummingbirds lesson, students listen to the book The Mystery of the Missing Hummingbirds and choose related topics to research with a partner. Young...
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The Queen of Sheba
Learners discuss various versions of the myth of The Queen of Sheba and the basic characteristics of myths. They research how different cultures interpret the story and include it in their religious beliefs. They create projects about...
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Catch Me If You Can: Over and Under
Pupils read a story. In this vocabulary skills lesson, students read The Gingerbread Man, use flannel cut outs to re-enact the gingerbread man running over and under.
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Island Inquiry: Based on the Northern Mariana Islands Quarter
Students research two physical and/or human characteristic topics of the Northern Mariana Islands in groups of four students. In this social studies lesson, students analyze how to write magazine articles and research the two topics...
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Setting the Story: Techniques for Creating a Realistic Setting
“It was a dark and stormy night.” Thus begins the 1830's novel Paul Clifford and, of course, all of Snoopy’s novels! Encourage young writers to craft settings for their stories that go beyond Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s often-mocked phrase...
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Animal Adaptations
Students expand their knowledge of animal features and behaviors that can help or hinder their survival in a particular habitat. They participate in classroom discussions and visit a website to research animals
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Time Signifiers - Past or Present Perfect?
Students refine their usage of past simple or present perfect. After a lecture/demo, students work in pairs and utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to help them gain practice with time signifiers.
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Developing, Developing, Developed!
Students differentiate among and explain various levels of economic development around the world. They see that levels of economic development vary greatly in different countries according to many different measures.
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Foods and Languages of the World
Students review Mexico's location and language and learn to pronouns 10 new Spanish food words. Students listen as the book, Corn is Maize is read, touching and passing around an ear of Indian corn. Students discuss the contribution of...
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Order Out of Borders
Students examine the differences between natural and man-made borders by investigating the Texas quarter. They create clay models of the state of Texas.