Teaching Tolerance
Community Bulletin Board
A project-based lesson has pupils create a bulletin board to share artwork, nonfiction articles, and messages based on social justice themes. The finished board is displayed in the community to create a place for discussion.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Early American Civilizations Tell It Again!™ Read-Aloud Anthology
Bridge subjects ancient history and English language arts together with a unit all about the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. Eleven lessons begin with a read-aloud followed by a whole-class discussion in preparation for practice by...
EngageNY
Shared Reading: Learning About Colonial Trades
Trading in Colonial America is the focus of a lesson plan that boosts reading skills. As a class, scholars examine the informational text for crucial details, use their newfound knowledge to share information with their peers, and write...
Minnesota Department of Natural Resoures
Getting to Know Trees
Celebrate the beauty of trees with a packet full of activities designed to help kindergarteners get to know about their leafy nature friends. Covering a variety of subjects, scholars go on a nature hike, read Shel Silverstein's The...
Curated OER
Children's Literature Across the Curriculum Ideas-Lincoln: A Photobiography
Students read Lincoln: A Photobiography by Russell Freedman. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the life of Abraham Lincoln, including, but not limited to, the Civil War. Included are reading, art, math,...
Curated OER
Lesson Ideas to Enrich Student Inquiry into the Holocaust
Learners inquire about the Holocaust. In this Holocaust lesson, students read books and discuss their thoughts. Learners also collect current event articles from newspapers. Students investigate ghettos, Pearl Harbor and Navajo Code...
Curated OER
Lesson 3: Branches of Government
Young historians climb through the three branches of the US government in the third lesson of this five-part series. While reading the first three Articles of the Constitution in small groups, children write facts on paper leaves...
Scholastic
Explore the Seven Principles
A lesson shines a spotlight on what makes Kwanzaa special by taking a close look at its seven principles. Gift ideas encourage scholars to make and give one to their family members. Class members celebrate heroes and role models of...
Curated OER
Convergence with The Cay: Exploring Geographic Concepts Wrapped in a Story
Here's an awesome unit that uses The Cay as the anchor text. The 16-page packet is loaded with teaching ideas, activities, and suggested adjustments.
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Ellis Island—The “Golden Door” to America
Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...
Channel Islands Film
Dark Water: Lesson Plan 1 - Grades 3-4
As part of their study of the history of the Channel Islands, class members craft an informational article to post on a bulletin board that features the Chumash ancestral tradition of tomol paddling.
Curated OER
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King, Jr.
Primary learners will embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism through these engaging activities. Which include reading the story Martin Luther King and singing the song "A Man Named King." They will also explore the...
Curated OER
Flat Stanley, a Literature Lesson Plan Transformed into a Multiculturalized and ESOL Strategy-Infused Lesson Plan
Third graders complete a variety of reading and writing activities related to the book "Flat Stanley." They create an illustration and write a short summary for each chapter, and write a letter and send a "Flat Stanley" to a friend or...
Curated OER
Our Story: Martin Luther King Jr. and Nonviolence
In this parent and child activity, young learners read Martin’s Big Words and a biography of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. There is a wonderful guided reading pdf that defines challenge words and provides reading tips. The object of...
Scholastic
Groundhog Day
A simple activity for a simple, but special, holiday. Young learners read a brief history of Groundhog Day, practice reading aloud, and then discuss how shadows are formed.
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs
Students draw names of dinosaurs out of a hat and write a report about the one they picked. Students write a riddle about their favorite prehistoric animal, post it on a bulletin board, and have other guess which animal it is about....
Curated OER
Re-Name That Tune: A Vocabulary Activity
Students build vocabulary skills by rewriting the names of some popular holiday songs, and create a fun "Holiday Tune" bulletin board display.
Curated OER
All About Me
This is an awesome resource for any elementary or middle school teacher about to start a new school year! This resource includes an extensive list of activities for introducing the members of your class to each other. Some of the ideas...
Curated OER
Ways to Set Up Creative Classroom Environments
Here are a few ideas to freshen up your classroom environment.
Curated OER
"Green Holiday Night" or "Green Family Night"
Young scholars examine alternatives to wasteful, non-environmental holiday season and general gift-giving practices and discuss ideas for saving energy in holiday celebrations and day-to-day practices.
Curated OER
Prosecution or Persecution
Investigate the future of the presidency in the wake of the House of Representatives' vote to impeach President Clinton. The class brainstorms both sides of the argument, reads and discusses an article, then analyzes and writes a journal...
Curated OER
Learning From Peace Makers
Students examine The Dalai Lama as a Nobel Laureate and research other men and women who have been recognized as peace advocates, as well. They compare and contrast The Dalai Lama's contributions to the world with the contributions of...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Personal Chronology
Fourth graders draw ten significant events from their lives on index cards, shuffle them, and trade sets with other students. Their classmates try to place them in chronological order. Next, 4th graders tape their index cards next to...
Curated OER
Holocaust Theme
Students complete a unit of lessons on the events of the Holocaust during WWII. They write daily journal entries, create a collage, view and discuss videos, read and analyze novels and poetry, and complete a novel project.