Curated OER
Discovering Swahili
Students 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....
Curated OER
Medieval African Kingdoms
Seventh graders examine the geography and political history of West Africa. They role-play as applicants to a company that transports customers to any historic time period. Working in teams, they create promotional products encouraging...
Curated OER
The Ancient World
Students explore the concept of migration. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students watch "The Ancient World" and research life in the Fertile Crescent. Students then write letters from the perspective of people migrating from...
Curated OER
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 plan, they focus on one paragraph of the story,...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Exploring Islamic Lands
Young scholars examine the lives of Islamic teens. In this global studies lesson, students explore selected Internet sites to discover the attributes of Islam, the cultural traditions of Islam, and information regarding Middle Eastern...
Curated OER
Finding Historical Evidence: David Brion Davis
Students study the Tran-Atlantic Slave Trade and learn to evaluate historical arguments. In this slave trade lesson, students read about the Atlantic Slave System. Students take notes on slave trade and make a timeline for the...
Curated OER
Comparing Countries
Young scholars compare facts about different countries. In this comparing lesson, students collect information about the US and another country and compare them. Young scholars locate countries on the map and make a hypothesis about the...
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...
Curated OER
South Asian Architecture
Seventh graders review and discuss architecture from South Asia. They then study images of various buildings from North Africa/Southwest Asia, and make comparisons
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Exile: Cuba and the United States
High schoolers gain an understanding of U.S./Cuban Relations. In this world history lesson plan, students examine the events of the Cuban revolution and their effect on U.S.-Cuban relations and U.S. foreign policy.
Curated OER
Nelson Mandela, Symbol of Courage
Fifth graders study Nelson Mandela. In this leadership lesson, 5th graders study the life of Nelson Mandela. Throughout their learning, they read biographies on Nelson Mandela, compare their community to those in South Africa, discuss...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Where Is Rome?
Third graders discover Ancient Rome through maps and worksheets. In this world history lesson, 3rd graders locate Rome on a world map and identify the scope of the Roman Empire. Students label an entire map of Italy after...
Curated OER
European Exploration, Trade and Colonization
Students complete many activities including mapping, reading books, and Internet research to learn about European exploration. In this European lesson plan, students study geographical mapping, trade, and colonization.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Art and Culture of France
Lessons about France can cover art, history, and the colonization of Africa.
Curated OER
The Clever Monkey Rides Again
Students explore a West African folktale. For this folktale lesson, students read the book The Clever Monkey Rides Again and discuss the trickster characters from the tale. Students participate in a discussion about the folktale and...
Curated OER
What is Kwanzaa?
Describe the general characteristics of Kwanzaa after reading Seven Candles of Kwanzaa. For this Kwanzaa lesson, learners study the principles of the Kwanzaa holiday and interpret the principles through music and dance. They...
Curated OER
The Way of Water in the World
Students explore problems and design solutions in relation to water issues. In this interdisciplinary lesson plan, students play an interactive game in order to explore global water issues to create solutions for the water problems in...