Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Physical Geography of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students access information from the United States Geological Survey's Web site This Dynamic Earth to research the Ring of Fire. They answer four questions and then apply what they have learned to create a bulletin board display.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hispanic Heritage: Introduction to Hispanic Culture

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders locate the country of Mexico on a map and discuss its relationship to the United States. They examine the Mexican flag and discuss the colors and symbolism used in the flag. They create an original and accurate drawing of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

It's a Grand Ol' Government!

For Teachers K - 4th
Students discuss the three branches of government and the different levels. They talk about the purpose of laws and use the Internet to locate information about governments. They watch the video, "United States Constitution" and look up...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Women's Suffrage

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Pupils investigate the changes of attitudes about Women's suffrage over the passage of time. They read a background on the fight for women's suffrage and its eventual success in the United States and also around the world.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Africa's Climatic Regions

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students are introduced to the different climates and vegetation of Africa, and compare them to similar climatic regions found in the United States.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Collage of Canada

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Learners explore geography and culture of Canada. They play game that involves reviewing materials and answering questions about Canada, and create posters and brochures about life in Canada.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Imperialist Vision

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students explore imperialism and why the United States became an imperial power. After reading from their textbook and answering questions, students compare and contrast two political cartoons. They create a bubble map of events...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Imperialism: Locations of Colonial Rule

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders examine the conquest of the Americas. In this Exploration activity, 8th graders locate the areas of colonization. Students create a visual map of these areas of conquest.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Molly Pitcher -- "Out of Many, One"

For Teachers K - 4th
Young scholars research, brainstorm and analyze the events that lead up to the Revolutionary War. They critique a piece of artwork depicting a scene from the Revolutionary War. Each major battle is plotted on a map to show a visual...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

If You Were a Pioneer on the Oregon Trail

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students examine what it was like to travel west on the Oregon Trail. They develop a list of questions about the trip, explore various websites, and create a story about the experiences of a 19th century family travelling on the Oregon...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Comparing the Effects of El Nino and La Nina

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students examine the differences between an El Nino and La Nina year.  In this investigative lesson plan students create maps and graphs of the data they obtained. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Build a Model Watershed

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Collaborative earth science groups create a working model of a watershed. Once it has been developed, you come along and introduce a change in land use, impacting the quality of water throughout their watershed. Model making is an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How To Write a Social Studies Outline

For Teachers 5th
One of the keys to success in school is organization. This resource leads learners through the process of creating an outline for a chapter from a social studies text. In addition, they review facts they have learned in their class...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making a Cartogram

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students interpret statistical geographic information by creating a cartogram.
Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Native American Cultures Across the U.S.

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Young scholars examine how American Indians are represented in today's society. They read stories, analyze maps, and complete a chart and create an illustration about a specific tribe.
Lesson Plan
Sea World

Whales

For Teachers K - 3rd
A whale of a lesson is sure to intrigue your elementary oceanographers! Learn about the mammals of the sea with a series of activities about whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Kids complete worksheets about the anatomy of a whale, create a...
Lesson Plan
Science Matters

Energy and Winds

For Teachers 6th Standards
In the study of wind energy, scholars build a small windmill and observe how it transfers wind into mechanical energy. Learners will make connections to the previous instructional activity with concepts such as the...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Modeling an Invasive Species Population

For Students 9th - 10th Standards
Context makes everything better! Groups use real data to create models and make predictions. Classmates compare an exponential model to a linear model, then consider the real-life implications. 
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Global Warming

For Teachers 11th
A series of independent learning activities teaches learners about global warming as it relates to economics and industrialization. The culminating project requires them to create a multimedia presentation identifying the problems,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Bozeman Trail

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders are introduced to the Bozeman Trail. Using the internet, they research the trail to discover the forts located on its path. They must also locate and label landmarks on a map using symbols they create. They answer...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

National expansion of the United States (1815 to 1850), and its connection to local Illinois history.

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students discuss the importance of establishing the I & M Canal water route. They watch a video about the canal's history. They collect and write a personal migration story by interviewing a family member. They analyze trends and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

TORNADOES!

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders compare the parts of a real tornado with the parts of a tornado created in a demonstration, label "Tornado Alley" on their maps, and label the locations of famous tornado disasters on their maps.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Battle Over Reconstruction: The Aftermath of War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore public sentiment regarding Reconstruction. In this Reconstruction activity, students analyze primary sources for evidence of the political, social and economic stability of the U.S. following the Civil War. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Question, Mr. Lincoln!

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students discuss Abraham Lincoln. In this social science lesson, students describe key events in Lincoln's life. Students practice using interviewing skills to gather information pretending to be Lincoln.