What a model community would look like? Get your kids talking with an activity that allows them to create their own town. After printing out a "fold out village," groups of students use a variety of resources to help them build an actual...

Once learners are ready to choose a bank, how do they make a smart decision for their financial needs? Scholars help each other by jigsawing the research in groups. After introducing checking and savings accounts with the attached...

North is to factory as South is to plantation—the perfect analogy for the economy that set up the Civil War! The first lesson in a series of five helps teach beginners why the economy creates a driving force for conflict. Analysis of...

Students examine famous woodblock prints of artists such as Hiroshige and Hokusai as primary documents to help them gain insight on Japanese history. They relate the woodblock images to the social hierarchy of the period.

Help youngsters get to know their states and capitals, explore their own country, and study American symbolism. They take a "trip" across America collecting symbols, images, and information about each state as they go (through text and...

Darwin kept a travel diary as he voyaged to South America, noting the politics, geography, cultures, animals, and interesting facts he encountered. Your class will do the same. Each student chooses a country to research and keep a five...

Help your young economists put the current financial situation into context with this fluid and informative presentation. Complete with a thorough list of key terms at the end and a useful navigation tool on each slide, the presentation...

Help your class determine why European was able to dominate the African continent. They read 5 excerpts, each related to a reason why Europe colonized Africa. Then they answer 4 critical-thinking questions.

What does your class think about big business bailouts by the U.S. Government? Find out with this activity, where learners analyze a political cartoon comparing the "Big Three" automakers with the Greek Myth of Sisyphus. Background...

Combine two current events (2008) in one political cartoon. This handout examines the Large Hadron Collider, a scientific invention that caused a sudden fear of black holes, and the financial meltdown on Wall Street. Background...

It seems that print media is slowly being replaced by electronic versions. Get your kids reading the New York Times e-style. They'll read the provided article entitled, "Pass This Jobs Bill" then answer six comprehension questions. Two...

Ninth graders brainstorm words they typically use to label each other, discuss effects of labeling, including reinforcement of stereotypes, and experience potentially harming and limiting effects that labels have by participating in...

Help your learners gain sensitivity and become aware of the implications of the words they see, hear, and use about lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. After making lists of words or phrases they hear or use in school...

Middle schoolers give examples that demonstrate how people are connected to each other and the environment. They idnetify current or historic conflicts and explain how those conflicts are or were influenced by geography. Students explore...

Should land be redistributed to former slaves after the Civil War? This essential question guides a instructional activity on the Reconstruction Era, as learners analyze primary sources (linked), recording responses on a worksheet...

Students consider feelings. In this positivity lesson plan, students realize how they can create a peaceful environment with their words and actions. They discuss feelings and personal experiences as a class and expand out to the rest of...

Take a trip back in time with this political cartoon analysis worksheet, which has scholars reading background information on the heated 2008 primary campaign to help them approach two political cartoons. Three talking points (or writing...

While not everybody will end up married, everybody does need to know how to resolve conflict. Learners examine several real-life scenarios involving a married couple. They use problem-solving strategies to help the couple come to an...

The New York Times published an article on the tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri in 2011. Learners read the article then answer each of the 11 who, what, when, where, and why questions. Hint: This article and ones like it link to a...

Most young people don't spend a lot of time thinking about why some foods cost less than others. This resource uses clips from the documentary, Food, Inc. to explore the impact of agricultural subsidies on nutrition, health, and the...

Use oral history as a way to help learners develop communication skills. They interview a trusted adult about their life as a young person, challenges they overcame, and what they are proud of. Learners are then interviewed themselves in...

Score a home run with this packet of information on the very first player of the Negro League to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame — cultural groundbreaker and sports legend Satchel Paige. These worksheets include a...

What kinds of media do your pupils use to read and publish information? After a discussion about what publishing means, and about the freedom of the press, class members interview one or two other people about their publishing habits....

Arm your class members with the six C's of primary source analysis—content, citation, context, connections, communication, and conclusions—and help them to establish a solid system for analyzing historical sources of...