Students explore why the need arose for laws to govern society, comparing and contrasting hunter/gatherer societies vs. agrarian societies. They write letters to the editor of the Babylonian Times, discussing their opinion of Hammurabi's...

Creative projects are great ways to increase interest in topical research. Middle schoolers learning about primitive life styles in the Americas explore the importance of music to hunter gatherers. They research and create musical...

Sixth graders identify how geography and climate determine the lives of early hominids, the characteristics of hunter-gatherer societies, how animals affected the lives of early hominids, and how hominids overcame their physical...

Eighth graders discuss the impact geography had on hunter-gatherer societies, their toolmaking. They work in groups to create a Web page that links pictures of artifacts to explanations about what the artifact tell us about the lives of...

Sixth graders investigate the role of wheat in society. In this Social Studies lesson plan, 6th graders explore wheat production from ancient civilizations to modern times. Students describe wheat's importance in shaping culture.

If you're interested in teaching your class about the impact of the Columbian Exchange on contemporary society, this is worth a look. The plan begins with an introduction to the topic, which stems from a cell phone poll...

Fourth graders describe the social, political, cultural and economic life and interactions among the people of California from the pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods.

Students define civilization as it was in ancient times.  In this world history lesson plan, students work in small groups to write a recipe that has all the combined ingredients of early civilized societies and share their results...

Fourth graders discuss the major nations of California Indians, their geographic distribution, economic activities, legends and religious beliefs. They describe the function of Spanish missions and the influence of Catholicism. In...

Students watch a slideshow about the technological advances in agriculture. After viewing, they complete an index card about one aspect of the slideshow. In groups, they create a cause and effect timeline in which they identify specific...

Students study the lives of the Abenaki before contact with Europeans and how their lives changed after contact with the Europeans.

Students read passages and research the Cherokee Tribe and write an account of a typical day as a Cherokee Native American. For this Cherokee lesson plan, students listen to Cherokee music, read Cherokee passages, fill out worksheets,...