Special Olympics
A World of Difference
Kids engage in a series of activities that ask them to consider differences and similarities in characteristics, both visible and invisible. With this new understanding, the class investigates the Special Olympics program and develops...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Strange Fruit: Lynching in America
To continue their study of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the beginning of the civil rights movement, class members watch the YouTube video of Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit" as an introduction to an examination of...
Friends of Fort McHenry
Citizens For and Against the War of 1812
Use this exceptional resource to examine the discourse and debate that occurred at the start of the War of 1812 with your class. Learners will first consider their own position on the war in a silent journal writing activity. Then after...
National History Day
Uncovering a World at War
Has media always had an influence on public policy? After researching and reading news articles written during World War I, learners understand the influence of communication and media. They discuss articles in small groups and as a...
Visa
Nothing But Net: Understanding Your Take Home Pay
Introduce your young adults to the important understanding that the money they receive from their paychecks is a net amount as a result of deductions from taxes. Other topics covered include federal, state, Medicare and social...
Curated OER
Europe in Upheaval (1850 - 1914)
Europe was in a state of transition and upheaval that spanned a time of 60 years, beginning in 1850 and running through the first World War. Uncover the wars, key players, politics, and social movements that marked this time period in...
Council for Economic Education
Mansa Musa: Inflation Then and Now
Mansa Musa was so rich that his gifts of gold made the value of the metal drop throughout Africa. As he traveled from Mali to the Middle East to make hajj, his gifts were so extravagant, they devalued the gold already in circulation....
Curated OER
Social Studies: The Ideology of Slavery
Students examine the development of racial stereotyping beginning with the antebellum years. They research how blackface minstrel songs reinforced the antebellum mindset of African-Americans. Secondly, students investigate "Uncle Tom's...
Curated OER
Spirit Mask Ashira/Bapunu, Ogowe River, Gabon
Explore the concept of beauty as it has been seen through the eyes of various African tribal groups. Learners create masks of beauty as they see it, taking the African concept of inner beauty into consideration. This lesson is great for...
Curated OER
Let Me Tell You About My State
State reports can be a lot of fun, especially when the learners get to choose the state they study. This research and writing-focused social studies lesson engages learners in collecting information, essay structure, research, and...
Library of Congress
Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal: An Educational Voyage
Following the book, Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal, readers complete an activity for each chapter, take part in discussions, and respond to several questions. To show what they know, scholars create an alphabet book using primary...
Curated OER
The Black Death and HIV/AIDS: Which is the Worse Plague?
Exploring the similarities and differences between the Black Death and HIV/AIDS, students write persuasive essays answering which is the "worse plague." This cross-curricular activity between Language Arts and Social Studies addresses...
National Park Service
The Power of Remembrance
On every July 4th, we watch fireworks and celebrate our independence, but how is the history of the American Revolution preserved? Four social studies lesson guide learners through different memorials, commemorative objects, and restored...
Earth Day Network
The Neolithic Revolution
With the abundance of food products we can easily access in our society today, it is easy to forget the toll this can take on our global environment. Young learners will discover how the transition to agriculture and domesticated living...
Missouri Department of Elementary
What Color is Your Apple?
Build your classroom community with an activity that uses apples to examine oneself and their classmates. Participants draw four large apples on blank paper then exchange them within a small group. Group members write a character trait...
Missouri Department of Elementary
What Is Important to Me?
Pupils complete an activity sheet to determine what values are most important to them. They then discuss their responses with partners before sharing the results of the discussion with the class.
Thoughtful Learning
Using Perspective Shifting to Imagine History
Imagine what it would have been like to walk from Georgia to Texas! Perspective shifting, a key part of developing social awareness, involves just this sort of imaging. A short mini-lesson asks learners to shift their point of view and...
Teaching Tolerance
Spotlight on Change Agents
A thought-provoking resource guides learners as they interview agents of social change and share their findings. Scholars select an individual, create questions, conduct the interview, and create a profile of the person they selected....
Learning for Justice
Change Agents in Our Own Lives
Everyone has the power to change their own lives. Young historians learn how they can become agents for change in their own lives and the community. The lesson focuses on positive role models and what motivates individuals to promote...
Global Oneness Project
Practicing Empathy
Spread the love with a heart-warming lesson plan about Jeffrey Wright, a physics teacher who helps his class cultivate empathy by himself being an empathetic role model. After watching a video about how Jeffrey works his magic, class...
Council for Economic Education
What Makes an Entrepreneur?
What do the founders of Wendy's and Virgin Airlines have in common? They are both entrepreneurs! Key definitions and case studies help learners brainstorm their own definitions of what it takes to succeed in business. A series of...
El Museo del Barrio
Dia de los Muertos Educator Resource Guide
What are the origins of el Dia de los Muertos, and how is this tradition observed in contemporary celebrations? With a variety of lesson plans and suggested hands-on activities, here is an excellent resource to reference as you...
Virginia Department of Education
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D.
Here's a great resource for your curriculum library. The 240-page packet, organized into units by topics, includes sample lesson plans, links to primary and secondary source documents, worksheets, activities, and sample assessments.
Committee for Children
Create a Positive Classroom Climate and Help Stop Bullying
Encourage kindness and respect with an activity that challenges scholars to create a poster that details three ways to exhibit the desired character traits.