Curated OER
Our Fifty States
Seventh graders identify and locate all fifty states in the United States and their capitals. Individually, they research one state identifying when it became a state, its motto, song, flower and nicknames. To end the lesson plan, they...
Curated OER
Study of States in the five U.S. Regions
Fourth graders identify the five regions and the states within them. They research a state from each of five regions, then they choose one of those states to do an extensive research report on following teacher guidelines. They work in...
Curated OER
Train Of States
Fourth graders create a class book with information about each of the United States. After students draw a state name out of a hat, they use various resources to fill in a facts chart about their state. Students draw the state flag and...
Curated OER
Trade Between The US and Japan
Students engage in a lesson that involves the trade relationship between the US and Japan. They research to find the history and facts concerning the current trends.
Curated OER
A Stately Comparison
Fifth graders research two United States. They draw each state and contact state tourism departments for travel brochures and guides. They create a graph of where people live and why and a letter explaining why they would move to one...
Giraffe Heroes Project
It’s Up to Us
The Giraffe Heroes Program is designed for teens willing to stick their necks out to make a difference, and to create community service projects that tackle real world problems. The resource guides teens to choose an issue,...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Look at Us!: Challenge Activities (Theme 1)
Challenge your advanced learners with this set of activities based around a common theme. Learners draw, research, share, retell stories, compare and contrast, and more over the course of these activities, which focus mostly on animals...
Illustrative Mathematics
US Garbage, Version 1
An interesting example of a discrete function and how it is applies to the real world. This could easily make a good collaborative instructional activity with an environmental science class. Practice reading a table and drawing a scatter...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Red States/Blue States: Mapping the Presidential Election
Young historians investigate how voting patterns have changed by comparing the outcome of the 1960 election to the outcome of the recent election. A creative final assessment has participants making a news show wherein they provide...
Carolina K-12
Writing Prompt: The Death Penalty
Is the death penalty unjust because it violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution, "cruel and unusual punishment"? Or is it just a form of permissible capital punishment? After weighing arguments for and against the...
Curated OER
Regions of the United States
Your learners practice writing ideas on paper and logically presenting them in an organized manner. They brainstorm ways to write down ideas while creating a travelogue about a particular U.S. geographic region. When they present...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Winner-Take-All: The Two-Party System
Two's company, three's a crowd. High school historians learn about the Electoral College, a two-party, winner-take-all voting system in the United States. The instructional activity explains the pros and cons of the two-party system,...
Student Handouts
Constitutional Principles
Keep track of constitutional principles with a graphic organizer. Pupils define, describe the origins of, and note down the location of the following terms: checks and balances, federalism, individual rights, limited government, popular...
Polk County Public Schools
The Blame Game for the Loss at Pearl Harbor
Known as the day that will live in infamy, the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 was a shock to all. But why was the United States unprepared on that December morning? Study a series of primary sources in a document-based question that...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Sunshine Week
Do the people have the right to know? Is there a real dialogue between U.S. political powers and the American people? Upper graders evaluate these concepts and more when they critically examine two political cartoons depicting Sunshine...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Bipartisan Filibusters
There is no doubt many changes or lack of changes are due to bipartisanism in the capital. Learners analyze a political cartoon that describes the issues surrounding changes to the current health care system, and consider whether...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Recession Puts our Patients to the Test
Cartoons for the classroom has put out another great worksheet intended to get upper graders thinking. They analyze a political cartoon regarding economic recovery and President Obama. Three great discussion questions and a web link make...
Curated OER
Spanish Influence on United States Currency: The Origins of the "Dollar"
Sixth graders research the Spanish influence on early colonial America and the process of establishing the present U.S. currency. They read and discuss an informational handout in small groups, and take a short quiz. Students then...
Curated OER
State Flowers
Students become acquainted with the state flowers of the 50 United States through observation, comprehension, and research. After discussing the State Flower Chart and how state flowers are selected, they research their state flower to...
California Polytechnic State University
Australian Geography Unit
At the heart of this resource is a beautifully detailed PowerPoint presentation (provided in PDF form) on the overall physical geography of Australia, basic facts about the country, Aboriginal history, and Australia culture and lifestyle.
Constitution Facts
U.S. Constitution Crossword Puzzles: Intermediate #1
All of the details of American history fall into place with a clever crossword puzzle. Nearly 100 clues prompt middle and high schoolers to fit the correct answers to topics including the American Revolution, the Civil War, and...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's 1901 Constitution: What Was at Stake?
Who should be able to vote? As part of a study of the 1901 Alabama Constitution, class members examine primary source document that reveal the reasons the authors gave to support their positions on this question and their assumptions in...
Curated OER
Past and Present
Providing an interesting way to discuss the U.S. presidency, this lesson has learners compare George Washington to the current president. They listen to books about George Washington, discuss the current president, and complete worksheets.
Smarter Balanced
Growth and Expansion of America
Despite the difficulty of travel, the US expanded significantly between the 1800s and the early 1900s. To prepare for a performance task assessment on the rapid expansion of the US in the 1800s, class members engage in a...