PBS
Who Knows Best
Finding an expert in a given field when conducting research can be a challenge. This guide provides step-by-step directions as well as links to resources that help young sleuths find the authorities and experts they need. As a bonus, two...
PBS
Going Back In Time
History detectives eschew that time machine and follow the paper trail to go back in time to investigate an unfamiliar object. The goal is for class members to develop their skills as historical detectives.
Curated OER
Case Studies of American Innovation
Studnets discover how the Industrial Revolution came to be in the United States. In this technological advancements lesson, students research creations by Henry Ford, the Wright Brothers, and Thomas Edison. Students create PowerPoint...
Curated OER
Civil War Museum Exhibit
Fourth graders summarize the participation of Indiana citizens in the Civil War. They research an assigned topic and build a museum exhibit that displays at least five points of information relating to the topic. Students write a...
Curated OER
Ka'ianaa'ahu'ulu: A Leader of Hawai'i
Students evaluate leadership traits in 18th century Hawai'i and modern times. In this leadership skills activity, students identify leadership traits and read the story of Ka’iana. Students monitor the leadership activities of a partner...
Curated OER
Lesson: Urban China: Contemporary China
The urbanization and consumerism of modern China is the hot topic up for critical analysis. Kids view a series of photographs that specifically describe Chinese modernization, urbanization, consumerism, and waste. They discuss each...
Curated OER
Jews in America at the Time of Growth and Change: Forging New Frontiers
Tenth graders examine the role of Jewish Americans in the 1900s. They examing the changes in industry and inventions. They also identify how Jewish Americans changed society and religious organization.
Curated OER
Changing the World: Social Entrepreneurs Part Two
Students explore the work of social entrepreneurs. In this entrepreneurship lesson, students research a specific entrepreneur and create a presentation introducing him or her to the class. Students design a seminar on social...
Curated OER
Immigration to the Golden Land: Jewish Life in America
Students examine Jewish life in America. In this social studies lesson plan, students read the article "We Shall Go to America" which features the experiences of Jewish immigrants in America. Students respond to questions regarding the...
Curated OER
Place and Date
In this social studies instructional activity about the past, students use information from a web site to write a caption, place, and date for each of 9 photographs given. Then they describe some of the changes that have occurred in...
Curated OER
Social Studies
Third graders explore maps and models. They discuss communities and the buildings within their community. Students construct a model of the downtown area of their town. They construct a map of their town and write facts about the...
Berkshire Museum
The Three Life-Giving Sisters: Plant Cultivation and Mohican Innovation
Children gain first-hand experience with Native American agriculture while investigating the life cycle of plants with this engaging experiment. Focusing on what the natives called the Three Sisters - corn, beans, and squash - young...
Skyscraper Museum
What is a Skyscraper?
Skyscrapers are amazing feats of architectural design that create the iconic skylines of the world's biggest cities. Young architects explore the defining characteristics of these monstrous towers with the first lesson in this four-part...
Curated OER
Celebrate Native American Heritage
Students examine Native American heritage. They explore a museum of Native American culture and explore their food, dress, and customs. They also explore the Native Americans role in the first Thanksgiving.
Curated OER
Examining Slave Auction Documents
Students compare the social and cultural characteristics of the North, the South, and the West during the antebellum period, including the lives of African Americans and social reform movements such as abolition and women’s rights.
Curated OER
Modern Japan Unit Plan
Sixth graders research modern Japanese culture, society and traditions, examine relationship between Japanese culture and its environment,
compare and contrast Japanese Society with Canadian Society, compare lives of people in Japan with...
Curated OER
Don't Miss The Boat
Fourth graders study immigration and what it is like to be an immigrant. They choose immigrant identities, dress appropriately, and role play during an International Fair where each student displays some aspect of his/her "home country."
Curated OER
Lesson: Michael Blum: National Identity at a Distance
Immigration, refugees, and cultural change due to the movement of people around the globe is discussed. Learners examine the work of Michael Blum to gain an understanding of how national and cultural identities shift due to immigration....
Curated OER
Lesson: An Exploration of Places and Spaces Part I
The concept behind this lesson is fantastic. Learners explore how different locations and situations affect them as individuals, focusing heavily on the impact of the urban environment. They question how location can make them change...
Curated OER
The Great Migration
What a terrific instructional activity! Have your class learn about immigration using this resource. Fourth graders discuss the Great Migration in Ohio through art, writing, and discussion. Afterward, they create a presentation in which...
Curated OER
All About Me Museum
Pupils investigate the concept of self-esteem and image with the creation of a personal display of items of significance. They put together a project composed of pictures and writings to describe themselves and are assessed according to...
Curated OER
My Home, Your Home
Students evaluate different kinds of homes and living situations. They focus on a Korean grandfather's home and analyze the effects of culture upon home lives and structures. They draw their own homes as a final project.
National First Ladies' Library
Mining Disasters
Learners examine the risks and sacrifices miners have made in order for all of us to have the use of precious metals. They explore the "Miners Museum" website and read the article on uses of coal. They brainstorm a list of what would be...
Curated OER
Trouble in the Fields: Mexican Migrant Workers
Young scholars become curators and museum reviewers for an online gallery using a selected group of primary sources on Mexican migrant workers. They share and reflect on their own and each other's ideas though participation in an on-line...