Lesson Plan
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Letters from Rifka

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read Letters from Rifka and discuss the feelings of people forced to leave their homes and countries.  In this migration lesson, 4th graders relate their feelings about moving from their home forever. Students trace...
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Early Explorers

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate the routes taken by the early explorers. In this explorers lesson, 5th graders use interactive notebooks, discussion and maps to discover the routes taken. Students get into pairs and label maps, and create...
Lesson Plan
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Life Cycle of the Monarch Butterfly

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders access prior knowledge of the monarch butterfly and discuss what they would like to know.  In this Monarch Butterfly lesson,students read Monarch Butterfly and discuss the life cycle of the butterfly. Students gather...
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Popular Sovereignty Under the Kansas-Nebraska Act

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders examine the implications of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. In this slavery activity, 7th graders examine a map of 1820 America and discuss the balance of power implied by the map. Students then read Stephen Douglas's speech on...
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The Civil War Comes to Kansas: The Battle of Mine Creek

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders explore the impact of Price's Raid and the Battle of Mine Creek. In this American Civil War lesson, 7th graders examine a list of events based on the war in Kansas and then put them in chronological order. Students also...
Lesson Plan
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Using Text Features

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read a nonfiction story that is presented to them with graphic features, and presented to them with only the text.  For this text features lesson, 4th graders decide what the benefits of text organizers are and create...
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The Battle of Corydon

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study the Battle of Corydon, its military leaders, and its influence on the town. In this Battle of Corydon lesson, 4th graders develop vocabulary needed to complete the lesson, listen as the teacher reads The Battle of...
Lesson Plan
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Landmarks of the Underground Railroad

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students explore Civil Rights by reading several books in class. In this Underground Railroad lesson, students discuss The Story of Henry Box Brown and identify the location and functionality of the Underground Railroad. Students answer...
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Underground Railroad

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders read about Harriet Tubman and develop vocabulary lists.  In this Underground Railroad lesson, 4th graders find similarities and differences in primary and secondary sources, create a timeline and recognize important...
Lesson Plan
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Africa Falls Prey to H.I.V.

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use maps, statistics, and written texts to recognize the H.I.V. explosion in Africa.
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Going to the Promised Land

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students analyze primary resources and map in order to draw conclusions regarding the migrant-worker experience during the Great Depression. They explain and explain the impact of economic and ecological events on individuals.
Lesson Plan
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Africa Unite!

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars work in pairs to research assigned African countries. They compile their research to label a continent map of Africa, present their research to the class and design a game of trivia using their findings.
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Book: First Encounters Between Spain and the Americas: Two Worlds Meet

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars, after reading Chapter 1 in the book, "First Encounters Between Spain and the Americas: Two Worlds Meet," design and create a map of the Aztec Empire at the time of the first contract with the Spanish. They create the map...
Lesson Plan
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Stories of Hope: Dragonfly and Mosquito

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students identify and interpret the value of the dragonfly as a predator of the mosquito. They create their own folktales using the dragonfly or a creature of their choice to solve the malaria problem or another issue. Students also...
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Bullying

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders define the role of a bully, then participate in skits with bullying situations. In this health and safety lesson, the teacher introduces the idea of bullying with the book Enemy Pie. Then students create a double bubble...
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Where Do I Come From?

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students research immigration from Europe to the United States. In this immigration lesson, students read the book, The Long Way to a New Land. Students use a world map to locate Sweden and other countries in Europe. Students pretend...
Lesson Plan
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Look! You're Wearing Geography

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders explore economic systems. For this economics lesson, 6th graders discover global markets. Students work in small groups to identify where their clothing and materials originated. Students locate countries on a map and...
Lesson Plan
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Mapwork: A Place In the News

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Students determine how to find geographic information about places they read about in the news. In this geography lesson, students look at political and physical maps to determine the difference. They access maps online to find the...
Lesson Plan
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The Dip Felt Around the World

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students share their opinions about a story about a sudden decline in China's stock markets. After reading an article, they identify the global impact of China's falling stock markets. They create a cause and effect map about the fall...
Lesson Plan
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Our Town

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young scholars read and discuss an online article as they consider what makes a center of activity in a city or town. They produce a documentary film of the hub of activity in their school.
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Case Study: Hutu and Tutsi

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students analyze the ethnic conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi in Rwanda and Burundi. They identify the three elements of ethnic conflict, read a handout and answer questions, examine a timeline, conduct research, and write an essay.
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A Neighborhood Expedition

For Teachers K
Students plan and conduct an expedition through their neighborhood based on the techniques used by the Harriman Expedition to Alaska in 1899. They research the Harriman expedition on the internet and then create a route and collection...
Lesson Plan
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Rising Temperatures Threaten Penguins

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students examine the continent of Antarctica, then read a news article about the decline in the Antarctic penguin population. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary activity,...
Lesson Plan
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Biodiversity in an Estuary

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students investigate the biodiversity in estuaries. In this estuary lesson plan, students use Google Earth to explore the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. They produce a biodiversity concept map and portray the life of a...