Teaching Tolerance
Why Do We (Still) Celebrate Columbus Day?
What are we really celebrating on Columbus Day? The resource explores the narrative behind Columbus Day and ways for people to change the perception. Scholars also review vocabulary terms associated with the topic and how attitudes have...
Curated OER
Columbus Day (Native American Perspective)
Teach your class the perspective Native Americans had on Christopher Columbus. They will examine the effects of Christopher Columbus' exploration on the Native Americans using a reading theater and a carousel brainstorming activity. They...
Curated OER
Columbus Day-Activity Center
Young scholars participate in various Columbus Day activities. In this holiday lesson, students construct paper boats and read various books about Columbus. Young scholars are shown an educational video about Columbus to reinforce...
Teachers.net
Columbus - Thanksgiving lesson plan
Students learn the history of Thanksgiving and Columbus Day, and they also create a "New World" mural in small groups.
Curated OER
Federal Holidays
Third graders complete various activities pertaining to Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day, Columbus Day, and Veteran's Day. They conduct research and complete writing and art activities on the...
Minnesota Literacy Council
Introduction to Historical Thinking
Christopher Columbus: hero or villain? Prepare class members for the debate with activities that asks them to think critically about how history is reported.
Core Knowledge Foundation
Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
Young adventurers embark on a journey, setting sail along the blue ocean with Christopher Columbus. Teachers will find that this unit makes their lesson planning smooth sailing!
Curated OER
Sail, Sail, Sail Your Ship!
Students listen to the book, Columbus Day, by Paul Showers and discuss the historical significance of Christopher Columbus. They create Columbus Day booklets, sing a Christopher Columbus song, and develop graphic organizers.
Curated OER
Interpreting Christopher Columbus
Students compare historical interpretations. In this research skills lesson, students use Internet and print resources to research the controversy regarding Christopher Columbus's work as an explorer. Students use their findings to write...
Curated OER
Discovery Channels
Students read a New York Times article in order to explore issues about the celebration of Columbus Day. They, working in groups, research the legacy of exploration and colonization. They use the research to create a first person narrative.
Curated OER
Your Day as a Cycle
Fourth graders examine a variety of cycles. They take a look at life cycles of plants and animals, the cycle of the moon and tides, and other sequences of events in their daily lives. An interesting part of the lesson is how kids keep...
K20 LEARN
But What About Me?: Teaching Perspective In The Social Studies Classroom
How would the story of the discovery of America be different if indigenous people told it through their eyes? Individuals compare the conventional account of this moment in history to an account given by one of the native peoples. After...
Curated OER
An Age of Exploration
Students investigate U.S. history by examining North American timelines. In this American exploration lesson, students research the events that led to Columbus finding America and participate in a jeopardy game regarding his adventure....
Curated OER
Introduction to the Caribbean
Students examine the history and culture of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. They conduct research on Christopher Columbus, create a quiz, watch a video about Cuba, and write an essay comparing and contrasting Puerto Rico...
Curated OER
Glaciers and Ice Wedging
Fourth graders observe and identify a variety of weathering and geological activities in the area in which they live. This focuses primarily on what happened during the Ice Age, and how, even today, glaciers are shaping and re-shaping...
Curated OER
Autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Disorders Extending Beyond the "Norm"
Learners develop an understanding of autism by engaging in an inquiry-based discussion. Pupils are exposed to the vast array of defining characteristics of autism spectrum disorders. They create posters about the developmental...
Curated OER
Get Your Facts Right!
Learners explore the life and the contributions of Christopher Columbus. In this Exploration Age instructional activity, students participate in several activities regarding the explorer. Learners use the Internet and print resources to...
Curated OER
Renaissance Trade and Exchange
Sixth graders map out trade routes. In this Renaissance time period lesson, 6th graders complete a Christopher Columbus Map Activity, discuss and identify the parts of a map, and locate Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Students...
Curated OER
Who Writes History?
Students examine why certain historical figures get credit for their accomplishments while others are forgotten. They read and discuss two informational handouts, discuss why people remember Columbus even if he was not the first person...
Curated OER
Voyage to the New World
Students take notes as they listen to a segment from Discoverers of the New World, the Darkness of the Sea. In this Christopher Columbus lesson, students write questions based on the material read and then research the answers.
Curated OER
Cycles and Starting Mealworms
Here is a fascinating lesson about the life cycles of plants and animals, and other cycles found in nature. Learners explore the cycle of the moon, the tides, and other sequences of events in every day life. The big activity is the...
Curated OER
Weather Instruments
Third graders practice making predictions about weather from conditions they observe on weather instruments and weather reports. Learners are introduced to the most basic weather reporting instruments: the thermometer, the wind vane, the...
Channel Islands Film
First Contact: Lesson Plan 4 - Grades 5-6
After watching Treasure in the Sea, a documentary about Channel Islands National Park and the video First Contact, about the voyage of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo to the Channel islands, groups research and then compare the experiences of...
Curated OER
Simple Machines III - Pulleys
The principles behind pulleys, levers, and simple machines are the focus of a science lesson. In it, learners take part in a whole-class activity. There are two groups of pupils who each must lift objects with fixed pulleys and multiple...