Here is a nicely designed lesson on ancestry and family history. In it, learners read an article entitled, "Where Were Your Ancestors in 1871?" Then, they make up a series of questions to profile their family and their community 100...

Students investigate the concepts of ancestors and citizenship. For this citizenship lesson, students listen to Betsy Maestro's Coming to America . They learn the definitions of immigrants and melting pot using a recipe for Rice Krispie...

We are all immigrants to this country and the study of immigration can help learners connect to history in a personal way. Students will listen to audio clips from the Ellis Island web site, discuss the treatment of immigrants in the...

Students identify countries of origin of their ancestors, graph patterns of migration to the U.S. and Hawaii, then utilize oral history as a primary document by interviewing their ancestors or parents to explain why they moved to their...

Students use a variety of maps to locate their home, their school and the origin of their ancestors.

Fourth graders explore family histories. In this social studies instructional activity, 4th graders identify the countries from which their ancestors came and locate them on a map. Students discuss the role that Ellis Island played in...

Oral storytelling has been an important part of every culture. The time-honored practice uses stories as a conduit for a culture's values and customs from one generation to the next. Keep the tradition going with a family interview...

Students identify the foods associated with the "Days of the Dead Celebration." They compare and contrast these foods to the foods associated with American celebrations and become familiar with the foods of Mexico and their relationship...

Looking at evolution in detail, this thorough worksheet has complex questions requiring details and explanations of natural selection and diversity. Various examples of biological characteristics are available, and students choose the...

As the great and hilarious Tim Minchin once said, "Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity." Science is more than just a guess; it is based on questions, observations, and evidence. High...

Students create a family tree. In this ancestry instructional activity, students research a country that one of their ancestors is from. Students interview a grandparent and map out a family tree.

Contained here is a six-paragraph article about mammoth ivory for learners to read. They read the article and then respond to short answer, fill-in-the-blank, discussion, and comprehension questions. Vocabulary words and definitions are...

High schoolers are introduced to the characteristics of documentaries and making films. Individually, they write their own proposal for an idea of a documentary making sure to identify the point of view of which it is going to be...

Pupils examine the theory of immigration and how their ancestors became part of this Nation. They determine how immigration affected the United States through research and language activities. They construct a timeline of a time in...

Students examine the similarities and differences between modern day immigrants and pilgrims. They listen to stories, discuss their ancestors' origins, and create a native costume for a paper doll for where their ancestor is from.

The Civil War is undoubtedly a part of America's history, but could it be part of your pupils' history as well? Middle schoolers conduct research to discover a connection between their ancestors and the American Civil War. Whether they...

In this Napier's Ancestor worksheet, students complete a chart using the family tree as a guide. Student figure out how many years are in a generation as well as the number of relatives in each.

Here is a two-part instructional activity that introduces learners to genealogy by having them create family trees, and map the movements of their ancestors. While this resource is designed for kids who live in Arkansas, it certainly can...

Second graders explore the geography, holidays, important teachers, and inventions from China in the nine lessons of this unit. The results of their inquiries are expressed through a variety of products, writings, and presentations.

Examine the evolution of various species of hominids from their earliest existence approximately 4.5 million years ago to today. In small groups, learners research one of the ten stages of hominid evolution and then create a poster and...

The Pilgrims may have arrived in North America by way of the Mayflower, but chances are, your class members' ancestors came to the United States in another way. Guide them through an exploration of their own heritage, countries of...

Where did I come from? How did I come to be in this classroom? Using curriculum from Kidspiration, class members research the homelands of their ancestors, as well as the journeys that began from many parts of the world and ended with...

Should Americans provide compensation to those whose ancestors suffered from slavery? Read and analyze the arguments of two modern-day journalists on the topic. Then, have a discussion on both the merits of the arguments as well as what...

Pupils research primary and secondary sources to find information about their ancestors. They write a series of journal entries, from the perspective of one of their ancestors, on what life was like in that given time period.