Students view the film "The Ballad of the Sad Cafe" and analyze it for stereotypes of mountain and hillbilly communities. They identify and discuss Appalachian values represented in the film and write a report on their observations.

Students examine the history of blues music and discover how it relates to the music of today. As a class, they listen to the drum songs of Africa and compare it to the use of drums in pop music today. Using the internet, they research...

Students study the geographical structure of the continent of Africa. They discuss how and why there are so many tribes and kingdoms of Africa and dsicuss customs and traditions to determine how they come about in any ethnic group.

Students examine why fabric was first sewn in layers and how it was used. They identify, compare and make 3 different fabric design types which will become a basis for looking at the quilts created by African Americans. They begin the...

Learners research the geographical histories of various musical genres and make maps that note important places in music history. They Write geographical biographies about one of their favorite musical artists.

Students read The Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa. They view video from Roots by Alex Haley on the capture of Kunta Kinte and reenact household slavery as practiced by the Igbo people. The make a list of major differences...

Students participate in different activities and discussions to analyze the energy crisis in the United States and other parts of the world. In groups, they research the availability of fossil fuels and the possible alternatives. Using...

Young scholars explore the oceans from their origin. In this oceans lesson, students read and discuss excerpts from the Book of Genesis regarding the creation of the ocean. Young scholars then clean up a mock oil spill, measure the...

Students explore how portfolios are a marketing tool for job seeking. In this employment lesson, students identify parts of a professional portfolio and the importance of having one as a perspective employee.

Twelfth graders engage in a ten-month long elective course focusing on college board review and an advanced writing workshop. Both course components focus on thinking and reasoning skills. Various approaches include sentence combining,...

Students write a report about a paleontologist. In this paleontology lesson, students research and write a report about a noted paleontologist. They discuss the importance of technology to paleontologists and how paleontologist excavate...

Students explore and study the celebration of Kwanzaa in which African-Americans remember their heritage and remind people of the importance of sharing with family and friends. They participate in a chant about the seven continents and...

Young scholars celebrate Earth Day by applying what they've learned about studying the natural world. In this Photo Scavenger Hunt lesson plan, students use a digital camera to capture outdoor imagery and to help them understand the...

Fourth graders explain how California became an agricultural and industrial power. They trace the transformation of the California economy in its political and cultural development since the 1850's.

High schoolers survey flags of Europe. Students read news stories dealing with the European Union. They discuss the importance of symbolism and identity. High schoolers design one flag to represent all members of the European Union.

Discuss the life of Franklin D. Roosevelt. This story, called "Franklin D. Roosevelt" by Laura Hamilton Waxman, is used to explore comprehension skills. Some of these skills include identifying prefixes and suffixes, making comparisons,...

Color is the focus of this amazing resource packed with math, social studies, science, and language arts activities. Kids create a color word wall and post symbols, graph the number of objects they find of each color while on a...

Help empower your class by learning about the editorial section of the newspaper. They will have the option to also write to a politician. The goal is to teach students how to speak-up and express their opinions on important issues....

Learners investigate child labor during the Great Depression. In this US policy lesson, students evaluate multiple layers of the social, economic, and political affects of policy during the Great Depression. Learners will engage in 5...

After completing Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner, readers research a topic of interest and prepare a five-minute presentation, and share their findings with the class.

Connect the geography and history of Illinois using an art-centered lesson on the railroads. The railroad connected once-distant places, particularly in the Midwest. Using research, class members create postcards of fictional cross-state...

Sixth graders examine the culture and celebrations associated with Chinese New Year in this unit of lessons