Military Kids Connect
Military Life 101
Here's a very powerful video that deserves a place in a Veterans Day lesson. Four young girls talk about what it's like to have a parent deployed and how they support one another during the deployment.
Visa
Privacy Please: Protecting Your Identity
What are the different ways we are susceptible to identity theft? Impress the importance of protecting personal information and privacy with this resource, which includes an excellent video clip, discussion prompts, and worksheets for...
PBS
The Goals of the March on Washington
Who else had a dream other than Martin Luther King, Jr.? Pupils explore civil rights leaders in a fourth lesson plan out of a series of five about people who paved the way to freedom for African Americans. The inquiry-based unit has your...
American Documentary
The Benefits and Drawbacks of Plea Bargains
The outcome of 90 percent of criminal cases in the US is determined by plea bargains. Clips from the documentary Better This World create the backdrop for an investigation of the benefits and drawbacks of the plea bargaining process....
National Endowment for the Humanities
Cultural Change
High schoolers research the passage of the 19th Amendment as an illustration of the mutual influence between political ideas and cultural attitudes. They also read the Seneca Falls Declaration and explore the cultural shifts it both...
Curated OER
Developing Dialogue
Why do people argue? Use the article "A Holiday Medley, Off Key" to discuss the struggles that interfaith couples face when choosing to celebrate certain holidays. Then, in small groups, encourage learners to write dialogues that...
Odyssey of the Mind
Odyssey of the Mind Curriculum Activity: Performing Arts
The classical arts have made a lasting impact on our society and your advanced learners get to find out why. The activity starts as the children create a list of the arts found in society, they discuss how these art forms impact their...
Curated OER
Social Movements of the 20th Century
Sixth graders study the social movements of the 20th century. In this social movements lesson, 6th graders discuss social unrest, review social and political movements of the 20th century, and discuss the main movements for unrest....
Curated OER
Teaching Elementary School Social Studies
Students explore numerous instructional materials that may be used in an elementary social studies classroom. After analyzing each type of material, they discuss and make informed decisions concerning the quality and use of the material....
Curated OER
Social Studies Timeline
Third graders make a timeline for the information covered in their social studies textbook. They use Inspiration software to create a timeline that includes information from the social studies chapter.
Curated OER
RBG Dr. Martin Luther Jr. Studies Lesson Plan-Guide
Explore Martin Luther King Jr. Young scholars listen to a speech given by Martin Luther King, and interpret his message. They discuss civil rights and how Martin Luther King Jr. exhibited good citizenship, then brainstorm ways in...
Miama-Dade County Public Schools
Ancient Rome
This resource outlines several general activities for a study of Ancient Rome, and includes guiding questions, a handout on the story of Romulus and Remus, and ideas for incorporating mapping and timeline activities into your review.
San Bernardino Co. Supt. of Schools
Was Julius Caesar a Good Leader for Rome?
Learners consider the various perspectives that different groups in Roman society may have had for Julius Caesar, such as Roman soldiers, senators, the working class, and slaves. The primary activity involves a reading of Caesar's...
Eastconn
Learning to Analyze Political Cartoons with Lincoln as a Case Study
Discover the five main elements political cartoonists use—symbolism, captioning and labels, analogy, irony, and exaggeration—to convey their point of view.
Curated OER
Japanese Music Study
Gagaku is music traditionally played in the Japanese imperial courts of long ago. Learners listen to this and other traditional Japanese music to gain an understanding of culture and music history. They work to identify Japanese...
Curated OER
Art On Trial (A Mock-Court Activity)
Students engage in a mock trial to decide if a work of prospective public art is "art" and accepted for a city park. They broaden their definitions of what "art" is. Students distinguish between opinion and informed judgment of art works.
Curated OER
Independent Studies Movies
History comes alive as groups work cooperatively to create short iMovies about a specific historical period of their choice. Ideal for late elementary grades, the lesson plan includes a video demonstration and a short materials list.
Curated OER
Stereotypes
Assumptions and misconceptions are two things that underlie stereotypes. Introduce youngsters to the concept of stereotyping with a role-play activity. They pretend they are employees at a restaurant who have accused a person of...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr. Team Activity
Young scholars sequence the events of Martin Luther King Jr.'s life, after first being read a biography. The facts are on strips of paper, which are later glued end to end.
Curated OER
Our Diverse Classroom
Celebrate the diversity in your classroom with an activity that has children explore the backgrounds and experiences of their peers. Each child is given a worksheet intended to foster a conversation about things commonly associated with...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The First Communities
These documents list essential questions and foundational concepts associated with early civilizations and farming communities in the agricultural revolution. Use this as a starting point for developing specific lessons and activities...
California Academy of Science
Guess That Spice
From medical treatments to cooking, people have been using herbs and spices for thousands of years. Perform a blind smell test of household herbs and spices to engage students in learning about ancient spice trading. Research the history...
Curated OER
Simulations
Students utilize simulation methods and other teaching strategies within elementary-level social studies classrooms. They identify methods of delivering social studies content that enables learners with special needs to learn from and...
Curated OER
Governance
Third graders participate in decision-making situations. In this social studies lesson students make connections between rules and laws and the purposes for those rules and laws. Students use critical and creative thinking skills to...