Council for Economic Education
Why Didn't China Discover the New World?
Who was Zheng He and why haven't we heard of him? Scholars consider the question as they compare his vast expeditionary force to that of Christopher Columbus. Young historians then ponder the intersection of science, economics, and...
Earth Day Network
The Neolithic Revolution
With the abundance of food products we can easily access in our society today, it is easy to forget the toll this can take on our global environment. Young learners will discover how the transition to agriculture and domesticated living...
Council for Economic Education
Entrepreneurs in Mesopotamia
While ancient Mesopotamia didn't have the TV show "Shark Tank," it was a time of entrepreneurship as workers began to specialize. Both individual workers and the societal structure encouraged individuals to consider how they could...
National Endowment for the Humanities
People and Places in the North and South
North and South: two opposite directions and two opposite economic and social systems in time of the Civil War. Pupils peruse census websites and primary source photographs to understand what life was like for the everyday person before...
Water
Global Water Supply Middle School Curriculum
We take a steady shower stream and clean drinking water for granted, but in many countries around the world, the lack of water or a clean water supply is responsible for higher sickness and death rates. Taking a closer look at the water...
Curated OER
Grade 8: Intermediate-Level Social Studies, Booklet 2 Document-Based Question, 2002
In this 8th grade social studies standardized test practice worksheet, students respond to 1 essay and 12 short answer questions that require them to review their knowledge of history and government in the United States.
Curated OER
The Economic Way of Thinking - About Everything
Young scholars write their definitions of economics on index cards and revise them as the lesson continues. They discuss the principles of economic reasoning and after completing a quiz, use economic reasoning to solve "real life"...
Council for Economic Education
India and the Caste System in 200 B.C.E.
Many young people know India had a caste system that prevented social mobility and structured Indian society. The connections between the caste system and economics may not be as clear, however. A reading, chart activity, and PowerPoint...
Curated OER
The Journey of a Banana
To investigate the price of bananas in order to evaluate basic counting and number sense skills, your mathematicians focus upon multiplication and problem solving that incorporates social studies in the form of building awareness about...
Curated OER
Community Research and Action Plan: Economic and Social Rights
Students research human rights problems in their community. They analyze and report on data gathered, and develop an action plan to address problems related to social and economic rights.
Virginia Department of Education
World History and Geography: 1500 A.D. (C.E.) to the Present
Intended to help Virginia teachers align their curriculum to the state's history and social science standards, this packet provides a wealth of materials for any social studies or science instructor. Loaded with plans, suggestions for...
Theodore Roosevelt Association
Roosevelt's Legacy: Conservation
The legacy of Theodore Roosevelt carries through modern American politics, economics, foreign policy, and society. But his proudest and most profound efforts were in the world of conservation, and in preserving the natural beauty of...
Curated OER
Africa: Economics And Change
Learners examine the gold-mining industry in Africa. In this geography skills lesson, students watch "Africa: Economics and Change," investigate the challenges of working in mines, research attributes and production of gold and discuss...
Curated OER
Prioritizing National Economic Goals
Eighth graders define the generally accepted list of national economic goals. They discuss the compatability/incompatibility of goals. They participate in a consensus-building exercise to rank economic goals in order of importance.
Curated OER
TECH: The Trading Game
Property ownership, restricted trade, and free trade are the topics of this game. Kids play a trade game to better understand the interrelationship between technology, economics, and personal choices. Rules to the game and a series of...
Curated OER
Quilt Block Collage
Learn the art of quilting with this lesson plan that can be connected to a history activity on quilts in Ancient Egypt, China, and modern art. After studying a general history of quilts, its uses, and the history of different patterns,...
Albert Shanker Institute
Economic Causes of the March on Washington
Money can't buy happiness, but it can put food on the table and pay the bills. The first of a five-lesson unit teaches pupils about the unemployment rate in 1963 and its relationship with the March on Washington. They learn how to create...
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 sources, learners...
Dream of a Nation
Creating Awareness through Action Oriented Writing and Research
Middle schoolers aren't too young to feel strongly about politics, social issues, consumer rights, or environmental problems. Demonstrate the first steps toward social change with a project about action-oriented writing. Eighth graders...
Curated OER
Oil: The Problem or Solution to the World's Economic Future
Students map the major oil producing and consuming countries and regions. They identify current and future topographic and political problems that could affect the production and transportation of oil.
Curated OER
How is the Game Played in an Economics Class?
Young scholars research companies, choose stocks, and create portfolios online while playing the stock market game.
Federal Reserve Bank
Ben Franklin: Highlighting the Printer
By studying Benjamin Franklin's work as a printer, your class will have a fantastic opportunity to learn about the economic concepts of entrepreneurship, human capital, and investment.
Annenberg Foundation
Antebellum Reform
Scholars investigate the Antebellum period in the United States in an engaging lesson. Groups analyze technological, religious, economic, and social changes occurring during the time period prior to the Civil War. Using their new...
Teach With Movies
Title: "Pygmalion" - Topics: Drama/England; World/England
“What do you mean that my language is improper?” Prior to My Fair Lady was Pygmalion. Fair Eliza’s struggles with English, which according to George Bernard Shaw “is not accessible even to Englishmen,” come alive in the 1938 film version...