Library of Congress
Investigating the Building Blocks of Our Community’s Past, Present, and Future
As Ken Jennings said, "There's just something hypnotic about maps." Certainly, the longer you look at them the more you can learn. In this project-based learning lesson plan, individuals study both historic and present-day maps...
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 Homestead Act Signed: Who were the Settlers?
Life in the great, wide-open spaces of the West! Scholars analyze the reasons behind the vast movement to the Great Plains after the passing of the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Homestead Act. Using photographic, document, map, video, and...
Citizens Crime Commission of New York City
A Student’s Guide to Using Social Media Safely
While the kids in your class tap quickly on their electronic devices to stay in touch with their peers, they may not know the consequences of online social lives. Take them through a discussion about potential downfalls of a social media...
Core Knowledge Foundation
Year 2: Northern Europe
How is life in Northern Europe different from other areas of the world? Historians journey through the various regions of Northern Europe discovering what type of climate, animals, and lifestyles exist in that section of the world. They...
Project Articulate
Textured Landscapes with Grant Wood
Explore the world of textured landscapes through the eyes of the famous artist, Grant Wood. Here is an elementary art instructional activity in which scholars learn about Grant Wood's life, view his work, draw their own textured...
Smithsonian Institution
Weather Widget
What's so difficult about predicting the weather? Scholars work collaboratively to build a device that models how meteorologists use computers to forecast weather. Team members collect and interpret data while working together to...
Teach Engineering
Hurricanes
When a levee fails, it means disaster. Introduce your class to hurricanes and the technologies used to help protect against them. The included presentation provides background information using Hurricane Katrina as a reference.
Curated OER
The Gift of Gatsby
A reading of “Gatsby’s Green Light Beckons a New Set of Strivers,” a New York Times article by Sara Rimer, triggers a discussion of the American Dream and what it means to strive for something. Following the discussion, class members...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's New South Era
The industrialization and urbanization of Alabama during the New South era (1865-1914) is the focus of a lesson plan that asks class members to use primary source documents to examine the impact of industrialization on Alabama workers...
San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Water from the Well
How much water does it take to brush your teeth? How about to wash your clothes? Perform an experiment that measures water usage in everyday tasks and compares them to the days before indoor plumbing, specifically the California...
Film English
World Builder
If you could build your own world from the ground up, what would you include? Ask your pupils this question, and have them write about their worlds and share with partners. Then, show the short film, which includes some impressive world...
PBS
The Media and the War: The Penny Press, Walt Whitman and the War
The Mexican-American war marked a significant moment in United States history, as well as in the history of American media. The mid-nineteenth century saw the introduction of the Penny Press, which provided many American citizens with...
Poetry4kids
Writing Riddles
What's got 60 eyes, 150 fingers, and an endless number of ideas? Your language arts class! Challenge young writers to come up with clever riddles with an online poetry lesson.
Curated OER
A Tour of Rome Fit for an Emperor
Students travel to Rome. For this geography skills lesson, students explore famous places in Rome with Google Earth tools. Students research the city of Rome and create touring brochures of the city from the perspectives of past emperors...
Curated OER
Grid it, Map it
Students participate in designing a city layout using grids and coordinates. They work on a city space and create a grid on a life size layout on the gym floor.
Curated OER
Savannah, Georgia Historic District
Students complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible fieldtrip to the Savannah, Georgia Historic District.
Curated OER
Guillermo Kuitca Art
Learners analyze the art work of Guillermo Kuitca. In this art analysis lesson, students analyze the geographical art of Kuitca and complete discussion activities. Learners read about the artist and complete a related activity.
Curated OER
Words in the News: New Orleans Job Losses
Students discuss what they know about Hurricane Katrina and the city of New Orleans. In groups, they use they match the new vocabulary words to their definitions. They read an article about Hurricane Katrina and answer questions.
Curated OER
Words In the News- Canada Elects New Government
Students participate in vocabulary building activities to read an online article about Canada. They complete worksheets and an online quiz. They work in groups to to develop policies for holding a class election.
Curated OER
Measure for Measure: Lengths and Heights
Students explore measuring tools by calculating heights and lengths of random objects. In this distance measurement lesson, students utilize the Internet service MapQuest to measure the distance between their current towns and many other...
Curated OER
Saving and Creating a Personal Budget
Fifth graders brainstorm ways to save money. In this financial awareness lesson plan, 5th graders read a chapter from the book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and create a personal budget for themselves.
Curated OER
American Democracy
Twelfth graders represent a specific interest in the business community and must present a plan that benefit the community and present the least amount of danger to the community. They must convince the city fathers that their venture is...
Curated OER
The World's Water Woes
Students discuss their community's water sources and assess the factors affecting the water availability and quality. They research water disputes around the world and explain common factors among them.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 4: The Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, and Us
Learners review knowledge gained in the three-part unit on the history of the alphabet. Using maps and images, learners consolidate their understanding of ancient Greece, the Romans and the Phoenicians, and their respective impacts...