Students identify the main ideas from expository text. For this main ideas lesson, students read a piece of text and practice identifying what is most important. Students complete another sample reading with a group then discuss as a class.

Young scholars research and discuss the origins of the American colonies and explore how colonists were still influenced by English culture. As a follow-up project, students produce a portrait of an individual.

Immigration to the US has been a topic of discussion for many years. Inform your class about discrimination against immigrants during the Gold Rush with a short reading passage. After reading, class members answer five questions related...

Teach the class to separate fact from fiction. Scholars explore the topic of fake news as they read PEN America's News Consumers' Bill of Rights and discuss the rights and responsibilities outlined in the bill. Next, they read an article...

First graders sing America the Beautiful and understand the words to the song.  In this singing social studies instructional activity, 1st graders become familiar with the images and vocabulary in America the Beautiful while singing...

Students examine the economics of a time period along with the music.

Fifth graders study the immigration station on Ellis Island. Through several activities, they see that immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island came to America from different countries, mostly those in Europe, for a variety of reasons.

Students, in a high school class for autistic children, take a virtual tour of Boston's "Big Dig" and the artifacts discovered there. During weekly lab sessions, they discover the processes involved in artifact preservation. Using...

Students Examine how earthquakes work and what plate tectonics and fault lines are.  In this earthquake lesson students complete an earthquake scavenger hunt.

Students participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the function...

The Japanese communicate in very different ways than people in the US. Using three essential questions as a guide, learners look at different scenarios (included) and compare customs seen here and there. All the materials you need are...

Pupils explore the change in values from the 1920's to the present. In groups, students use the internet to analyze Pete Rose and gambling in sports. The 1919 scandal of the World Series is explored and discussed by pupils. They compare...

Students research the history of the Meals on Wheels program. Using the internet, they discover their community's connection with the program and other programs similar to them. They discuss options in which to help more organizations...

In need of a 14 question multiple choice quiz on the space race? This quiz will challenge your class to recall facts related to the moon landing, Neil Armstrong, Sputnik, and America's race to space with Russia.

Students research how childhood was depicted in art in the 17th through 19th centuries. In groups, they research pieces of art and write a paper explaining how the portrayal of students in art changed at the end of the 18th century.

Students read Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the life of the 20th century composer. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and...

Recover sunken treasure with this interactive PowerPoint! Break your class into two teams: the divers and the surfers. They'll work together to answer 20 multiple choice questions, reviewing major events that occurred during the 1800s....

Learners read stories, look at maps, and write journal entries to learn about the language and artwork of Nahuatl culture. In this Nahuatl culture lesson plan, students research the Nahuatl culture and present their findings.

Young scholars read Challenger: America's Space Tragedy by MichaelD. Cole. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of the Challenger space shuttle tragedy. Included are reading, art, math, science,...

Can a negative perception of a president's foreign policy harm his or her historical legacy? A project that winds the clock back to the date of Theodore Roosevelt's death puts students at the editorial desk of a fictional newspaper....

Students identify, research, and discuss similarities between the Civil Rights Movement and the grassroots hip hop movement in America.

Students put themselves in the shoes of a Chinese immigrant to America. In this immigration instructional activity, students read an account from Lee Chew, a Chinese immigrant to America in the 19th century. Students discuss their...

Students show the movement of people to the United States from other countries on maps. They study the geographic cultural roots of foods that contribute to the melting pot of food in America. They research where an ingredient comes from...