Annenberg Foundation
Pre-Columbian America
What was life like in America before Christopher Columbus discovered the New World? Scholars investigate life in the Americas through the eyes of Native Americans in the first lesson of a 22-part series covering America's history. Using...
Curated OER
Words in the News: New Zambezi Bridge
Students discuss what they know about the country of Africa. They examine the transportation infrastructure on the continent. They practice using new vocabulary words. They also read articles and answer questions.
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Adinkra Cloth
Students explore traditional African culture, symbols and symbol making and printing, and create class adinkra cloth.
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Discovering Swahili
Learners investigate the African language of Swahili by translating vocabulary words. In this foreign language lesson, students write 26 English words that define Africa and utilize the Internet to translate them into Swahili. Learners...
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The Ancient World
Students explore the concept of migration. In this ancient civilizations activity, students watch "The Ancient World" and research life in the Fertile Crescent. Students then write letters from the perspective of people migrating from...
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What Sharing Really Means
Students read the story "Sharing in Africa". As a class, they brainstorm a list of holidays and celebrations in various cultures and identify the Congo on a world map. To end the lesson, they focus on one paragraph of the story,...
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The Real Eve
Students research about human migration during a specific time period. In this physical science lesson, students watch a video about human evolution. They prepare a presentation on human migration and share it with the class.
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
A Thematic Learning Guide to Lions
Written as an accompaniment to a field trip to the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Arizona, this is an interdisciplinary, themed lesson on lions. Even if you cannot take your upper-elementary kids to this attraction, there are a few...
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Wildlife
The centerpiece of this lesson plan is a predator-prey simulation in which colored paperclips represent different species of animals camouflaged against a colored background. Relevant follow-up questions are provided. The activity is...
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
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Circling Ethiopia: A Novel Approach to Introducing a Region
Students read a novel to gain insight into a different region of the world. Using a graphic organizer, they share the information they have already gathered about Ethiopia. They draw an outline map of Africa and read the opening pages of...
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The Dawn of Humanity
Students investigate recent archaeological challenges to theories of human origins. They research the history and geography of various African regions to create proposals for future excavations.
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New Food Saves Lives, Could End Hunger
Students locate the country of Niger, then read a news article about a new type of food that is being used to fight childhood hunger in Africa. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with map and vocabulary...
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Art and Culture of France
Lessons about France can cover art, history, and the colonization of Africa.
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We've got the whole world in our hands
Students explore spatial sense in regards to maps about the globe. In this maps lesson plan, students label oceans, locate the continents and poles, follow directions, and explain the symbols on a map.
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Drake’s West Indian Voyage 1588-1589
Learners examine the exploration routes of Sir Francis Drake. In this American exploration lesson, students investigate primary sources to trace the routes and contact with the natives that Sir Francis Drake experienced on his voyages in...
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Going...going...gone? Tropical Rainforests-How They Work, What They Do for Us, What's Being Done to Them...
Sixth graders explore the Tropical Rainforest and come to understand what it is and how it affects the ecosystem. In this rainforests instructional activity, 6th graders write about the Tropical Rainforest, imagine they are in the...
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The Westward Movement
Students study the westward movement through examining stamps. In this westward movement lesson plan, students draw conclusions, determine cause and effect relationships and examine the westward movement of the United States by...
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Under the Spell of Spiders
Young scholars examine spiders. In these spider lessons, students will view spider images and live spiders to determine physical characteristics, habits, and habitats. Young scholars will examine fantasy and folklore about spiders to...
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Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination
Students participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the function...
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Rocks and Minerals
Learners bring rocks and minerals from home to investigate in the classroom. In this rocks and minerals lesson plan, students observe all the rocks and minerals brought into the class and answer 7 questions about the features of the...
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This Is Tanzania
Students begin the lesson by locating Tanzania on a world map. While reading an article, they note what the author's opinion is of the people who live there and discover the connection the people have with the land. They examine the...
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The Great Lighthouse at Alexandria
Young scholars read and research about Alexandria's Great Lighthouse. In this Greek architecture lesson, students create a timeline of events in Alexandria, and design a lighthouse. Young scholars research lighthouses online and write a...