Curated OER
Christopher's Crossing
In this lesson and game, the teacher supplies the initial instruction about Christopher Columbus. Then, through role-play and readings from their social studies book, students will learn about Columbus, discover his interest in a short,...
Curated OER
My World
Students study maps. For this social studies lesson, students draw a map of either their room at home or the route they take to school. Students label items on their maps.
Curated OER
Willing to Participate: Political Engagement of Young Adults
Students consider what it means to be politically involved. In this civics lesson, students discuss voting as a privilege or right. Students also discuss how they may be able to effect social change through political involvement.
Federal Reserve Bank
Ten Mile Day
Get your class working on the railroad with this detailed and interactive lesson. After reading and discussing Ten Mile Day, learners explore division of labor, human capital, and productivity with a hands-on group activity in which they...
Federal Reserve Bank
Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building
How tall is the Empire State Building? Lead your class through a collaborative estimation activity to determine the number of quarters it would take to reach the top and teach the following concepts: human capital, human resources,...
Facing History and Ourselves
The Importance of a Free Press
"Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;. . ." Why is this guarantee of free speech and a free press the First Amendment to the US Constitution? Why are these rights so essential to a...
Media Education Lab
The Ethics of Propaganda
What are the short and long-term consequences for consumers and producers of modern media propaganda? Class members ponder this essential question as their unit study of ethics of propaganda concludes. After examining two case...
Carolina K-12
Are You a Democrat or a Republican? Are You Really?
Have new or soon-to-be voters examine different political parties and their platforms as they figure out which one aligns most with their beliefs. After taking a few online quizzes, students split into pairs to discuss and then...
Curated OER
EXTRA! EXTRA! Read all About It!
Young scholars are able to synthesize information on increasing regulatory reforms during the Progressive Era through individual research and presentation of material. They are responsible for a list of regulatory reforms with dates and...
Curated OER
Seasoning the School Year
Learners observe the changes a class tree goes through as the seasons change and record observations in journals. They investigate changes in the weather, changes in the length of the day, and how that affects people. They create...
Curated OER
Change the World, One Month at a Time
Students complete monthly acts of kindness using the given instructions. In this acts of kindness lesson, students follow the directions for each month to create and give an act of kindness to their classmates or other individual.
Curated OER
Identifying Social, Cultural, and Historical Perspectives That Changed the World
Students complete a graphic organizer as they watch a video about the roles of dogs in society. For this social and cultural perspectives of dogs lesson, students view a video and sort information into a graphic organizer. ...
Curated OER
Opening Eyes, Changing Minds. Talking About Personal Transformation And the Development of World Views
Students read one teen's story of personal growth through learning about racism and the criminal justice system to explore how individuals' world views are shaped and changed through experiences and education.
Curated OER
Who’s Got Rights? An Introduction to Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders
Students explore human rights issues. In this social justice instructional activity, students examine human rights as they read segments of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," discuss photographs with human rights implications,...
Curated OER
Feathers
First graders examine the character values of kindness, responsibility, and decisions making by playing circle games, listening to a read aloud of the story "Feathers," and discussing the story. They discuss the facial expressions of can...
Curated OER
The Manhattan Project
Learners discover the technological and scientific requirements for making the atomic bomb, the immediate effects of an atomic bomb, and the social and political changes that have resulted from the Manhattan Project.
Curated OER
The Brief American Pageant: The Cold War Begins
With the beginning of the Cold War came numerous social and political changes around the world - many of which are featured in this series of maps and graphs. This short but informative slideshow will help to bridge the gap between a...
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning
The intent of this resource is to explore Latin American accomplishments in baseball, recognizing the changes in demographics of players over the last century. Social studies classes begin with a discussion and brainstorm surrounding...
BBC
Conflict
Middle schoolers take a close look at the different forms that bullying can take, and share their ideas of ways to stop bullying in schools. Learners get together in groups of three and come up with a scenario that depicts a...
Curated OER
Just Like the Old Days
Students examine customs of rural Mongolia. They read and discuss a letter, discuss families, locate Mongolia on a map, reenact scenes from the letter, and write a prediction of how life change in rural Mongolia during the next 50 years.
Curated OER
Children's Attitudes about Slavery and Women's Abolitionism as Seen through Antislavery Fairs
Students examine attitudes of children from the North growing up during the time of slavery. Using documents, they discover how abolitionists tried to change people's ideas of using slaves. They explore how women used antislavery fairs...
Curated OER
A Sample of What?
Learners are introduced to the connection between women and the textile industry. Using primary source documents, they complete a handout on how gender roles have changed over the years. They examine a sampler which is connected to the...
Curated OER
"Herstory" in Michigan - Great Women of our Great State
Students discover the struggles and achievements of women throughout Michigan's history, the changes that have taken place in women's roles, and the difference one person can make. This lesson focuses on the impact women have made on the...
Curated OER
My Alamo
Students explore the events of the Alamo. They observe images of the Alamo and discuss the visual changes in the building over time. Students create their own version of the Alamo.