While the French were once the allies of Americans, the Napoleonic Wars saw the United States almost drawn into a war with its one-time friend. Wars in Europe threatened to draw in the early republic. A primary source-based activity...

The tradition of the First Thanksgiving is really a story of immigration. Connect the feelings and customs of the early Pilgrims to the experiences of the immigrants in your class with an introduction to the 13 colonies, the Mayflower,...

Who doesn't enjoy an engaging scavenger hunt? Here, scholars listen to, and discuss, the informative text, Where is my Continent? by Robin Nelson. They then explore the seven continents and four major oceans using...

Learn more about maps by examining Christopher Columbus's voyage to the New World. Kindergartners will learn about basic map skills and how to identify the compass rose, oceans, and land masses. They will also discover the purpose of...

Students examine the role that the U.S. played in bringing about victory in the two major theaters of the war in the Pacific and Europe. How the various military campaigns contributed to the war's successful conclusion forms the focus of...

Young scholars investigate the Atlantic slave trade. In this slavery lesson plan, students watch "Slavery, Society, and Apartheid," as well as "Slave Ship." Young scholars discuss the information presented in the videos, especially St....

Gathering information, distinguishing between arguments, preparing an oral presentation; these skills are fostered as 10th graders explore aspects of global trade and politics. They use the Internet to gather information about NATO, The...

Young adventurers embark on a journey, setting sail along the blue ocean with Christopher Columbus. Teachers will find that this unit makes their lesson planning smooth sailing!

High schoolers examine the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). In this NATO lesson, students research the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, Winston Churchill's "Iron Curtain" speech, and the Berlin airlift and how...

Take photos of human activities that impact air quality. Collaborative groups present one of the photographs, identifying how the activity contributes to air quality and what can be done to minimize the impact. As one in a series of...

Students study the Titanic disaster. In this research skills instructional activity, students watch "Turmoil in 20th Century Europe," and then discuss how experts have provided the public information about the disaster. Students research...

Students identify the differences between maps and globes. In this map skills instructional activity, students are shown a globe and a map and recognize the differences. Students use post-it notes to locate several locations on the world...

Students study the Tran-Atlantic Slave Trade and learn to evaluate historical arguments. In this slave trade lesson plan, students read about the Atlantic Slave System. Students take notes on slave trade and make a timeline for the...

Young scholars explore Paris. In this geography skills instructional activity, students watch "City Life in Europe," and conduct further research on the city of Paris and the country of France. Young scholars create postcards that...

Film is a wonderful way to communicate any concept or idea. Fifth graders will use IMovie and GarageBand software to create a IMovie about one of eight European explorers. They will chose an explorer, research his travels and life, then...

Students are introduced to the forces that are responsible for generating waves in the ocean and how these forcesf differ from those that cause currents. They are able to explain how water molecules in a wave do not move in the direction...

Students practice their map skills. In this Colonial geography lesson plan, students complete an activity that requires them to locate English colonial locations using latitude and longitude coordinates.

Students assess the effect of contact between the Native Americans and Europeans after 1492. They explore the lives of the early European colonists and the Native Americans living along the East Coast of North America. Lesson contains...

Students identify the reasons why the U.S. government decided to focus on the defeat of Germany and Japan and assess the wisdom of this decision. They analyze the magnitude of the U-Boat threat in the Atlantic.

Students research the history of the Statue of Liberty and the symbols associated with it. They read and discuss Emma Lazarus' poem and why it should persuade people to donate money to bring the statue to America. Students role-play as...

Students analyze primary source documents and photographs to analyze the implications of the Lend-Lease Program. In this research lesson plan, students read and discuss letters and speeches related to the Lend-Lease Act, evaluate FDR's...

Students examine a globe and the world map to see what constitutes the differences. In this world map introductory lesson, students discuss what they see when they view the globe. Students then, look at a world map and compare the...

Here is your go-to student resource on primary geography concepts, including facts about the surface of the earth and its hemispheres, latitude and longitude, globes, types of maps, and identifying continents and oceans.

Seventh graders explore the titanic disaster.  In this geography lesson, 7th graders research basic facts about the Titanic.  Students create Titanic scrapbooks.