Curated OER
51st State
Students, in small groups, design a new state and create a brochure to present to an agency representative outlining the given information in the lesson. Students use templates in the compute lab to write sentences they have created...
US Mint
Desert Dwellers
What can a quarter possibly teach young learners about desert ecosystems? More than you might think. After displaying and discussing the included picture of the Arizona state quarter, the class participates in a series of shared reading...
Curated OER
Regions and Habitats
Fourth graders identify the different habitats found in the seven regions of the United States. In this ecology lesson, 4th graders write an essay about how humans affect the ecosystem and vice versa. They discuss how changes on one...
Curated OER
Cross Country Adventure
Students practice measurement and geography in this instructional activity. They build a Lego vehicle using an RCX. They predict how many seconds it will take their vehicle to reach a specific state on the United States of America map...
Curated OER
State Poster Fair: US Geography, Social Science, Art
Students research a US state, design and construct a state 'poster' to display important facts about that particular state. They present their work to the class.
Curated OER
No Magic Borders: Haleakala Style
Students discuss borders and boundaries. They discuss pollution and the fact that boundaries cannot stop pollution and that pollution affects even protected wildlife and plants. They participate in an activity in which they must place...
Curated OER
Kansas Crops: From Seeds to Food
First graders explore U.S. geography by researching food production. In this agriculture lesson, 1st graders identify the process of crops from a seed to a plate and discuss the importance of farmers in the production of such crops....
Curated OER
Abigail Adams: Integrating Social Studies and Language Arts
Third graders increase reading strategies while learning about Abigail Adams and her role in history. In this Abigail Adams lesson, 3rd graders read about the American Revolution and Abigail Adams using all the balanced literacy...
Curated OER
Discovering Your Heritage
Students interview a family member about their heritage. They listen to and record part of their family's oral history. Students also create and label a family tree going back a minimum of two generations and compare and contrast...
Curated OER
Conflicting Views
Young scholars complete a Venn diagram comparing the United States and Afghanistan. They research the history of the Taliban and how they relate to the United States and its foreign policy. They write a paper on possible solutions.
Curated OER
The Westward Movement
Learners study the westward movement through examining stamps. In this westward movement lesson plan, students draw conclusions, determine cause and effect relationships and examine the westward movement of the United States by...
Curated OER
The Other Americans
Students explain the concept of culture and identify the components of a culture. They describe the characteristics of selected immigrant groups and the conditions they faced upon arrival in the United States. Students analyze the...
Curated OER
The Great Depression and Everyday Life
Examine everyday life during the Great Depression, as well as the effects if the Depression on American population, society, and economy. Learners write who, what, where, when, and why summaries of a person who relocated to California...
University of California
The Civil War: Strategies and Battles
Was it the War against Northern Aggression or the War to Unify the Union? Scholars investigate the key battles and strategies of the American Civil War to determine just why the North was victorious in the end.
Curated OER
Point Me to Puerto Rico
Students research the physical features and geography of Puerto Rico as well as locate it on a world map and identify its major characteristics. Pictures and postcards are shown to each class for a visual connection to Puerto Rico as...
Curated OER
Introduction to Symbols
Learners study the concept of picture symbols as a way to express ideas without using words. In this picture symbol instructional activity, students place symbols on a U.S. map according to meaning. Learners then review various symbols...
Curated OER
Finding Your Spot in The World; Geography, Maps, Multi-Culturalism
Students use a variety of maps to locate their home, their school and the origin of their ancestors.
Curated OER
Island Culture: Puerto Rico
Students explore the culture of Puerto Rico. They create maps of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. They work in small groups to research a decade in history and add drawings and pictures to a timeline of their decade. They practice...
National Park Service
Glaciers and Water
Explore the amazing power of glaciers with a hands-on earth science experiment! After first learning basic background information, learners go on to create their very own chunks of frozen water and gravel in order to observe first-hand...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Geographic Regions
Third graders create Powerpoint presentations about the five themes of geography in regions of the United States. They focus on the Northeast, Southeast, and Midwest regions. Students use both pictures and words in their shows.
Curated OER
The Desert Alphabet Book
Learners use a book to discover an interesting fact from the desert using each letter of the alphabet. Using a United States map, they identify the meanings of symbols and locate deserts within the U.S. In groups, they participate in...
Curated OER
Unit of Study Mural
Students make a mural after reading about the art of Diego Rivera. In this mural lesson plan, students read a book about Diego Rivera, discuss him and his artwork, and make their own class mural.
Curated OER
Traveling Through Literature
Integrate geography with literature in this interdisciplinary lesson. Begin by reading a poem such as The Time We Climbed Snake Mountain by Leslie Marmon Silko. On a large map, place push pins in the cities or states mentioned. An...
Syracuse University
Erie Canal
While canals are not the way to travel today, in the first half of the nineteenth century, they were sometimes the best way to move goods and people. Scholars examine primary sources, including maps and pictures, to investigate the role...