Curated OER
How Often Do You Interact with People of Another Race or Ethnicity?
Is interacting with people from different backgrounds part of a well-rounded education? A big question awaits young readers as they explore two New York Times articles that discuss modern-day segregation, population statistics, and...
Smithsonian Institution
Borders and Community: Early 20th Century Chicago Neighborhoods and Ethnic Enclaves
Chicago is one city, four neighborhoods, and countless nationalities. The lesson explores the ethnic division of Chicago in the early twentieth century. Academics read primary sources, analyze maps, and tour an online exhibit to...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "In a Neighborhood in Los Angeles" by Francisco X. Alarcón
After sketching an essential person and reading an article, scholars read the poem "In a Neighborhood in Los Angeles" by Francisco X. Alarcón. They listen to the poem in English and Spanish and record lines that stand out to them. Small...
Curated OER
Ethnic Humor
Students define ethnicity and ethnic group in their own words. In groups, they view comic strips and identify how the strips relate to their family life. Individually, they write their own comic strip about their own ethnic group. To...
Curated OER
What Is a Neighborhood?
Learners be asked to think about the neighborhoods in which they live, to consider what exactly makes up a neighborhood, and the current issues their neighborhood may be facing.
Voices of a People's History
Voices in The Classroom
Everyone's perspective of the past is different. A thought-provoking unit gives young academics the opportunity to explore their perspectives on history and their neighborhoods. Based on the work of Howard Zinn, each lesson explores...
Curated OER
Families and Neighborhoods
Learners explore the concept of community. For this community lesson, students explore the cultural flavor of their neighborhoods as they discuss the history of their neighborhoods and draw pictures of their family and a building in...
Curated OER
Exploring Racial and Ethnic Diversity
High schoolers explore and examine racial and ethinic diversity in the metropolitan areas of the United States. They examine data from the US Census Description of Race and Ethnic Categories. Students explore the population by race and...
Curated OER
Community Centered Neighborhood Development
Ninth graders explore the culture of the neighborhood. In this Social Studies lesson, 9th graders examine the different development sites in their community. Students research the zoning regulations.
Curated OER
Reformers versus Residents in Five Points: A Role Play
Social Studies and role-playing can go hand in hand. Learners use supporting evidence found in primary and secondary source material to develop a character from the Five Points neighborhood in the 1850s. Each student takes on the role of...
Curated OER
We are all alike, We are all different
Students investigate similarites and differences. In this multi-cultural lesson, students discuss how people are alike and how they are different by comparing apples to people.
Polk Bros Foundation
Harold Washington's Acceptance Speech - April 12th, 1983
Harold Washington forged a coalition of voters and won the Chicago mayoral election of 1983. In doing so he became the first black mayor of that racially and ethnically divided city. Excerpts from his speech are included in a worksheet...
Curated OER
Mapping Your Neighborhood
Students define and outline their neighborhoods using GIS (geographic information systems) or a regional map and relate their neighborhoods to the principles of Smart Growth.
Curated OER
Social Studies: The Connecticut Hill Community
Students discover the reasons for the settlement of the Connecticut Hill Community. Through an examination of the climate, occupations of the inhabitants, and demographics, they discuss reasons people choose locations for settlement. ...
Curated OER
Urbanization As Seen Through Late 19c - Early 20c Architecture
Incorporating the cultures, architecture, and ethnic populations of several American cities (namely Chicago and New York), this presentation displays vivid photographs of buildings and people in 19th - 20th century urban America. The...
Curated OER
4-H Citizenship Activity Page
Using this activity to explore citizenship, learners evaluate the importance of positive participation in their community, neighborhood and country. The 15 questions in this worksheet relate to jobs in the community.
Curated OER
Arkansas Architectural Styles
Students investigate the various architectural styles of Arkansas. They read a handout, complete a worksheet, view images of architectural styles, and take photos and write descriptions of five style elements they observe in their...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Haitians in America
Young scholars examine Haitian culture, including its discovery, colonization, and political and economic development. Role-playing in two ethnic groups, they caucus and develop strategies for the Haitian Revolution. In learning...
Center for History Education
Japanese American Internment During World War II
World War II turned nations against each other and neighbors into enemies. An eye-opening lesson explores the dark past of Japanese-American internment camps during WWII. Scholars learn of the fear and distrust toward Asian Americans...
Curated OER
My Culture
In this culture worksheet, students answer ten short-answer questions about their own culture then write about the major cultural influences in their lives.
Curated OER
English as an Additional Language: The Street
In this ESL street-related instructional activity, students respond to 13 matching questions 4 short answer questions, and 4 fill in the blank questions pertaining to what one might encounter on a city street.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Community Posters As Art
Learners examine posters as art and create their own examples featuring locations or events from their community. They display their works in their schools and discuss their cities and school environments in a live chat setting with...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Immigrant Discrimination
For a class learning about Chinese and Irish immigration in America, here's a great starting lesson plan. It has your critical thinkers examining song lyrics, the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and a political cartoon, and finally...
City University of New York
Urban Politics: Machines and Reformers
Take a trip to the turn of the twentieth century with a resource about industrialism in America. With primary source documents and focus questions, learners think about the ways that government groups and organizations paved the way for...