Curated OER
My World
Learners study maps. In this social studies instructional activity, students draw a map of either their room at home or the route they take to school. Learners label items on their maps.
Curated OER
Putting It All Together: The Personal Plan of Study (Part 3)
Eighth graders discuss the culminating activity to a unit in which they determine how they will present their "Design for My Future" and "My Personal Plan of Study." They pull together all of their work from the unit before writing a...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Nature: Friend and Foe: Challenge Activities (Theme 6)
The teacher doesn't always have to be the expert in the classroom. The first in a series of three supplementary activities Nature: Friend or Foe uses hands-on research tasks and projects to enhance readers' understanding of non-fiction...
Curated OER
Social Studies - State Riddle Lesson Plan
Students make distinctions between the states, their cities, and capitals, and create riddles for classmates to solve.
Curated OER
Rendezvous at Promontory: A New Look at the Golden Spike Ceremony
Learners complete a variety of activities as they examine the historical significance of the Transcontinental Railroad and the Golden Spike Ceremony in Promontory, Utah, which honored its completion. In one activity they plan and...
Curated OER
I Am Freedom Bound!
Upper elementary and middle school learners engage in this awesome lesson plan on the Civil War. In it, they watch streamed video, perform Internet research, engage in hands-on activities, and use their geography skills to locate...
Curated OER
Ka'ianaa'ahu'ulu: A Leader of Hawai'i
Learners evaluate leadership traits in 18th century Hawai'i and modern times. For this leadership skills lesson, students identify leadership traits and read the story of Ka’iana. Learners monitor the leadership activities of a partner...
Curated OER
China: Land Beyond the Wall
An excellent series of five lessons on China awaits you and your young geographers. In these lessons, learners engage in hands-on activities, watch streamed video, access websites, and complete activities in cooperative groups in order...
Curated OER
Database in Social Studies
Fourth graders search a database for information on North Carolina lighthouses and Old Mills. Using their research, 4th graders generate further questions on these subjects and then research the answers.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Czech Republic Nature Journals
Students create nature journals of imaginary trips to the Czech Republic. Included in their reports are information and descriptions of the landscape, climate, animals, plants, and elements to create a realistic impression. From the...
Curated OER
Promoting Disability Awareness and Acceptance in Childhood
Create a safe and respectful school environment with the help of this special education teaching guide. Offering dozens of instructional ideas and activities for raising awareness and acceptance of children with disabilities, this is a...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Issues of Asylum in the U.S.
Who gets to come to the United States? Examine cases of individuals seeking asylum with an informative reading passage that includes examples, statistics, and representations of public opinion regarding asylum. Groups then go on to...
Curated OER
Orville and Wilbur Wong and the Fantastic Flying Machines
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine the role of Chinese immigrants in America. They investigate literature, history and cultures of Chinese-Americans. This ambitious plan takes two weeks to complete, and it brings in elements...
Pulitzer Center
The Crisis in the Ivory Coast
Through reading a variety of news articles and other informational texts, learners discover the political turmoil and intense ethnic and religious tensions that envelop the Ivory Coast today. Class members research the historical...
Curated OER
Create a Magic Lantern Show; Freed People in the Reconstruction South
Engage your scholars by having them create "magic lantern shows" inspired by the film Dr. Toer's Amazing Magic Lantern Show: A Different View of Emancipation. As they study the South's Reconstruction through primary...
University of California
Equal Rights? The Women's Movement from Suffrage to Schlafly
If you've never heard of the Equal Rights Amendment, it's probably because there isn't one in the United States Constitution. Delve into the contentious history behind the ERA, its founders and supporters, and reasons for its political...
Curated OER
Map Exploration
Are you looking for a terrific lesson plan on map activities for your second graders? Then, this resource is for you! The activities range from decoding, to fill-in-the-blank, to read-and-search. There is a website activity related to...
Curated OER
Articles of Confederation Game
Why did the Articles of Confederation fail? Your historians will find out firsthand through this simulation activity, during which they will use money (consider using extra credit) to demonstrate the inherent flaws. It's simple: each...
Curated OER
"Old Glory"
Youngsters study and discuss the history and importance of the American Flag. They explain the meaning of the Stars and Stripes, the name "Old Glory," and discover when and how the flag is displayed. This well-designed plan has many...
Curated OER
Gas Prices Keep Rising
Students discuss rising gas prices, then read a news article about how the increase in fuel cost may affect other prices. In this economics and current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Refugees From Vietnam and Cambodia
The United States may have pulled its troops from the Vietnam War in 1973, but the conflict was far from over for the citizens living in Asia at the time. An informative resource lets learners know about the wave of over 220,000...
Curated OER
The Life of Harriet Tubman
A well-designed lesson teaches about the history of Harriet Tubman, the Underground Railroad, and the issues of civil liberties. Young historians watch a video, access Internet resources, and engage in cooperative activities which should...
Curated OER
Ye Ole Middle Ages
Upper graders get a glimpse into the amazing time period known as The Middle Ages. In this history instructional activity, learners use video, engage in hands-on activities, and access websites to get a good look at this mysterious, and...
Curated OER
Westward Ho!
For any teacher of American History, The Lewis and Clark Expedition is a watershed event that should be shared with your young scholars. This is a very good lesson on the Expedition, and the events that led up to it; including The...