Curated OER
Mapping the Aegean Seafloor
Earth science learners create a two-dimensional topographic map of the floor of the Aegean Sea. They use it to then create a three-dimensional model of the ocean floor features. This comprehensive resource delivers strong background...
Curated OER
Map Skills
Students examine the nations, battlefields, troop movement of the Germans through Belgium and the location of both fronts during World War I by creating a map. They visualize the strength of the Germans early in the war.
Curated OER
Determining Cutting Site Locations
Students explore DNA restriction mapping. They cut pieces of paper into lengths representing those produced when specific enzymes are used to cut a strand of DNA.
Curated OER
Borrowing Narrative Skills from Mr. Fletcher: Using a "Prompts in Reverse" Technique to Inspire Your Writers
Help your class find their writing voices with this lesson which uses the work of Ralph Fletcher to guide a "Prompt in Reverse" activity. Using the chapter "First Pen" from Fletcher's Marshfield Dreams, learners decipher what they...
Curated OER
The Case of the "Lost Gorge:
Students examine the case of a map making expedition. In groups, they read a case study on "The Lost Gorge" in the Finger Lakes region of New York state. They examine maps and determine where the error in the map-making occured to end...
Curated OER
once and future MOON
Beyond the phases of the moon, this comprehensive lesson plan covers geologic history and geology. Amateur astronauts examine photos of the lunar landscape, experiment with the creation of craters, and delve into information about the...
American Immigration Law Foundation
No Pretty Pictures
Here is a nice set of activities and discussion questions to accompany your class reading of No Pretty Pictures, a memoir of a young girl's experiences and struggle for survival during the Holocaust.
Curated OER
Bears and Panthers Aplenty: Early Settlers Make a Home in Arkansas
Young historians research the Southwest Trail, which ran through Arkansas back in the 19th century. Pupils are divided into four groups. Each group researches a pioneer who blazed the Southwest Trail. Then, the group presents an oral or...
Smithsonian Institution
Who's in Camp?
Pupils complete readings, a group activity using cards, and a writing activity to better understand people's lives during the American Revolution. The resource emphasizes people such as the militiamen, women, officers, and children,...
Curated OER
Early Explorers Web Quest
Students use the Canadian atlas online to research early explorers and settlers in Canada. They also complete a Web Quest to gather information from maps. They make generalizations about the early settlement patterns as well.
Curated OER
Mapping the Ocean Floor
Students study the bottom structure of underwater habitats and how they can be mapped.
Ocean Explorer
Looking for Clues
Upper graders become "shipwreck detectives" by studying the debris field from a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea which took place in the 700s. A website is accessed that gives specific information about the debris field, and pairs of...
Curated OER
Four Immigrant Groups: Their Lives and Music
Fourth graders examine the experiences of four immigrant groups. Class members brainstorm a list of misconceptions of those groups and discuss if these perceptions are still present today. Using maps, groups locate the countries of...
Curated OER
Discovering Conic Sections in the Motion of Heavenly Bodies
Math scholars study conics and how they are used today. In this mathematical lesson, pupils construct and slice cones after viewing a demonstration.
Curated OER
A Place Called Fairfax
Pupils are introduced to the various types of maps of Fairfax County, Virginia. Using the maps, they explain the relative and absolute locations of the county and discuss the importance of both. They also discover how the county is...
Curated OER
Movement of Native American Tribes 1830-1890
Students examine the movement of Native American tribes during the mid 1800's. In this American History lesson plan, students study two Native American tribes that live in the United States and complete a comparison/analyze project....
Curated OER
Patterns of Settlement in Early Alabama
Fourth graders study the settlement of Alabama. They collect data from the U.S. census website and answer questions regarding settlement patterns in the counties of Alabama in 1820. They write a paagraph describing where they would have...
Curated OER
Technology Integration
Third graders describe and locate the five geographical regions of the state of Virginia. Using that information, they organize the descriptions in a database they created. They are graded based on accuracy and spelling all noted on a...
BBC
Walk Through History
First the Vikings raided Great Britain, and then they set up camp and moved in. Learners explore Viking times and discuss reasons why groups choose to settle. They construct a class timeline, engage in several online activities, and then...
Curated OER
Have Respect
Students learn the value of respect. In this Clifford the Big Red Dog lesson plan, students read the story, discuss respect, and experience a mini-international festival.
Curated OER
Westward Expansion and the Frontier
Students explore U.S. history by researching a historic map. In this westward expansion instructional activity, students discuss the mystery of the western U.S. in the early 1800's and the impact expansion had on Native Americans and...
Curated OER
More Than One Grain of Rice
Students explore mathematics, geography and agriculture by studying world rice production. In this production of rice lesson plan, students read One Grain of Rice and use a worksheet grid to calculate how much rice was received. Students...
Curated OER
The High and the Flighty
Learners study women aviators and act out a talk show-style interview with one of them. They plot Amelia Earhart's flights on a map.
NPR
Same-Sex Marriage
The battle over same-sex marriage is a prevalent issue in the United States, and a valuable topic to be discussed in your social studies classroom. Here is a basic outline of introductory questions, focus questions, vocabulary, and media...