Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Strategy 3: Using Graphic Organizers Implementation Guide
Whether or not you are new to using graphic organizers with informational or expository text, the materials in this guide will prove useful.
C-SPAN
Should Your State Modify Its Voter Registration Laws and Methods for Submitting a Ballot?
What is the balance between democracy and security? Using articles and videos that examine state voting procedures, learners explore the difficult question. After looking at voting regulations in their state and nationally, they consider...
Administrative Office of the US Courts
Snyder v. Phelps
Does the Westboro Baptist Church have the protection of the Constitution when protesting military funerals? High schoolers examine the 2011 Supreme Court case of Snyder v. Phelps before comparing the situation to a fictional...
Curated OER
Comparing Michigan to Other States
Fourth graders work in groups of 2 or 3 and choose a state to compare with Michigan. They use the Internet to locate information on other states allowing students time to research how Michigan compare to their state and incorporate their...
Curated OER
Food, Glorious Food?
How are the reactions between American and European consumers different when it comes to genetically modified foods? Use the New York Times article "Consumers in Europe Resist Gene-Altered Foods" to inform your middle schoolers...
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...
Curated OER
Geography: Puerto Rico
Take a trip to Puerto Rico! Learners engage in a web quest, identify Puerto Rico on the map, and gather information related to physical features and cultural factors. Their efforts culminate when they design a brochure comparing the...
Smithsonian Institution
The Soldier’s Experience—Vietnam versus World War I
The Vietnam War and World War I were two very important—and different—wars. To understand the differences, and similarities, class members watch videos, examine primary source documents, and then create a newscast that examines the...
Curated OER
Comparing the Similarities and Differences of Medieval Castles
Students compare and contrast a Japanese castle with a Welsh castle. In groups, pupils use the internet to research specified topics on a castle. They explore the government, construction and military function of the area. Classmates...
Curated OER
Conserving Electric Energy
Another fantastic lesson on energy is presented by the American Coal Foundation. This one focuses on electricity; how it is produced, how it is delivered, and how it is used. Some excellent handouts are embedded in this fine plan which...
Curated OER
Unit 1: Building Historical Background Knowledge: The Road to Revolution 1754–1776
What were the conditions that led to the American Revolution? What are the conditions that lead to revolution in other times and places? Class members examine primary source materials and use evidence drawn from these documents to craft...
New York State Education Department
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 1
Work out your core, Common Core State Standards, through the first workshop in a series of 15 designed for educators. Inquiry-based activities designed for all content areas and grade levels explore the shifts to new standards,...
Minnesota Courts
Inside Straight: the Third Branch
Learners use the worksheet as they view the film Inside Straight: the Third Branch. Multiple case studies and the history of the judicial branch of the US government are included via hyperlink and act as the topics of discussion...
Curated OER
Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Landscape Long Ago and Today
Combine a fantastic review of primary source analysis with a study of Captain John Smith's influence on the Chesapeake Bay region in the seventeenth century. Your young historians will use images, a primary source excerpt, and maps...
Curated OER
What was School Like 100 Years Ago?
Focussing on the Edwardian Era culture, students view photographs of students at school in the past and compare and contrast them to their school now. Students describe the differences in dress, classrooms, and classes. This could...
Curated OER
Comparing North American Colonies Vs. Britain
Fifth graders practice creative writing by describing events from the Colonial era. In this U.S. History instructional activity, 5th graders identify King George III and George Washington, the roles they played, and the...
Curated OER
Moving West with the Forts: Using an Interactive Map
Seventh graders practice reading maps and locating the forts stationed in Texas. Using the internet, they analyze westward movements from statehood to the Civil War. In groups, they complete a worksheet about the forts and share their...
Curated OER
Northwest Hawaiian Islands
Students compare and contrast places around the world. Students analyze the effects of human activity on the physical environment and devise plans to address the consequences. Students also focus on geographical topics such as formation...
Curated OER
The Nifty Fifty-What's Your Size?
Young scholars explore state populations. In this state geography lesson, students use a variety of technology tools to research and graph population and area of assigned states.
Curated OER
The Election Connection
Learners participate in a mock election. In this election activity, students vote online in a mock election, graph the results, and compare their results to the nationwide results.
Curated OER
Race and Ethnicity in the United States
Students explore race and ethnicity as it is defined by the U. S. Census Bureau. They compare data from 1900, 1950, and 2000 and identify settlement patterns and changes in population. In groups, they map these changes and discuss...
Curated OER
Teaching with Poster Art: World War I Posters
Learners interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this World War I lesson, students examine World War I posters. Learners investigate the use of propaganda strategies in the posters and discuss the visual metaphors.
Curated OER
Electrifying Franklin
Fourth graders research and present information about Benjamin Franklin's life and accomplishments. In this instructional activity on Benjamin Franklin, 4th graders review idioms and sayings written by Franklin then compare and contrast...
Curated OER
Alaska
Fourth graders explore how humans adapt to variations in physical environment, compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify the physical environment and identify and compare the human characteristics of selected regions.