The Navajo people build their dwellings with the doors facing the rising sun in the east to welcome wealth and fortune. Pupils learn about the traditions of the Navajo people in the first part of a 16-part unit. They explore American...

Investigate the life of Mahatma Gandhi by researching non-violent lifestyles. Learners define the word ahimsa and discuss the personal characteristics that made Gandhi a peaceful warrior. They also create a poster about the story "The...

Fifth graders define character words, look for real-life examples of the traits "in action," and write an acrostic poem based on one of these qualities.

“Anyone who thinks small towns are friendlier than big cities lives in a big city.” Mary Alice, the fifteen-year-old narrator of A Year Down Yonder, is forced to leave Chicago and spend a year with her Grandma Dowdel in a small rural...

Does your conflict management style keep you cool and persuasive, even under pressure? Young behaviorists practice analyzing conflicts and using conflict management skills during lesson five in a 15-part series. The resource contains...

John Q. Public was a notable cartoon representation of the average American; but how accurate was this portrayal? Emergent analysts consider several topical points as they take a critical look into a cartoon portrayal of the American...

Students learn about the civil rights movement and create a timeline to understand events in chronological order. In this history lesson, students work in groups to choose one activist from the Civil Right era to research. Students then...

Are some characteristics more desired than others?Scholars examine attributes of characters in books, models in catalogs, and articles in magazines. Discussion leads to identifying characteristics they see more often as well as...

Third graders, after reading a one-page biographical essay, write in paragraph form how an African American has demonstrated a certain character trait.

Middle schoolers considers the piece of artwork entitled, The Nataraj, Lord Shiva and Lord of the Dance to visualize several of the most important ideas of Hinduism.

Young scholars analyze people's choices from different points of view. They read different scenarios and explain how they would react personally in that situation. Then they analyze what they would do in another character's position and...

Young readers explore philanthropy and its effects on the public good. They discuss athletes and their examples as philanthropists. They research a sports hero and play "The Match Game" to determine what they know about other sports...

Should Internet users who send data-heavy content pay higher fees than those who are involved in activities, like sending an email, that have less content? This question is at the heart of the Net Neutrality debate. After watching a PBS...

"Love it or leave it." "You're either for us or against us." Rhetoric and it's polarizing effects are the focus of a lesson that uses John Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry as an exemplar. Groups examine primary source documents,...

Students create a pictorial timeline of a biographical character. In this timeline lesson, students create a slide show illustrating the life of the person from a biography they've read. Students also use Kid Pix to create a pictorial...

Seventh graders explore what it takes to be courageous.  In this social studies lesson, 7th graders analyze different character traits.  Students explain their feelings on their specific character traits. 

Students analyze geographic maps. In this map analysis lesson, students analyze the symbols in geographic maps and the impact of cultural, historical, and political concepts. Students compare and contrast maps in various mediums by...

Middle schoolers explore trustworthiness. In this character development lesson, students brainstorm synonyms for trustworthiness. Middle schoolers consider two communities to which they belong, and compare and contrast these communities...

Seventh graders are shown a variety of advertisements and commercials and note the product being sold. As a class, they compare and contrast their answer to the actual product. To end the lesson, they discuss whether or not they would...

Students explore children's literature by reading biographies in class. In this history analysis lesson plan, students read books written by Jean Fritz about the Revolutionary War and discuss the events that led up to the critical...

Students examine the use of the Hindu Kush mountains by explorers and traders. Using Afghanistan as an example, they research how different events can effect human settlerment patterns. They discuss how the physical characteristics of...

First graders engage in a lesson that demonstrates the character trait of thankfulness. The teacher enthusiastically shares something to be thankful for with the class. Then they spend the time to draw an idea of something to be thankful...

Students discuss their answers to a given set of questions regarding Earth Day and Arbor Day. They research using the internet then write a bigraphical sketch of their character.

Seventh graders examine music examples to investigate a conflict in history about Hitler's invasions during WWII. In this music analysis instructional activity, 7th graders discuss vocabulary and the history for the Holocaust and...