Students research the culture of feudal Japan. They discuss shoguns, emperors and clans. They practice writing Japanese letters.

Students complete a Venn diagram comparing the United States and Afghanistan. They research the history of the Taliban and how they relate to the United States and its foreign policy. They write a paper on possible solutions.

Young scholars analyze different maps of the region. They create a timeline of the area in dispute, focusing on the creation of Pakistan, Indi and Kashmir and previous conflicts between Pakistan and India over Kashmir. Students construct...

Ninth graders investigate the symbols and historical figures of the five main religions of the world. They participate in a class discussion, listen to a lecture and take notes, and write five Haikus, one about each major religion of...

High schoolers examine extension ideas concerning 9/11, Defining Moments. They analyze a variety of Supreme Court cases, the U.S. Constitution, Mass Media Interpretations, Racism, Immigrant groups and U.S. geography. Many questions are...

Students i examine 10 pieces of evidence for the Pangaea theory and use them to reconstruct the super continent. They determine that land masses on Earth are slowly changing shape as a result of moving for millions of years.

First graders analyze the events of early American exploration. This is a unit resource for teachers in which there are six lessons about the American Western exploration and expansion. Within each lesson there are objectives, materials,...

Students explore philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students read The Seven Chinese Brothers, identify the elements of the story, and then go out in the world to help others by sharing their talents.

Fifth graders investigate agricultural sources. In this agricultural lesson, 5th graders read the book Have a Hamburger and See the U.S.A. and record each component of a hamburger. Students use a map of the U.S.A. to locate the...

Fourth graders locate Antarctica and recognize it as the setting of Mr. Popper's Penguins. In this Mr. Popper's Penguins lesson, 4th graders understand the financial decisions made by Mr. Popper. Students discuss wise spending. Students...

Students recognize Michigan on a map and understand how its climate is affected by the Great Lakes. In this Michigan food lesson plan, students play a trivia game to identify the produce of Michigan. Students relate the climate in each...

Students consider the impact of family differences. In this culture activity, students choose from a variety of cultures to research how children grow up differently in each family. Students use a variety of resources to discover the...

Fifth graders study early explorers. In this World history lesson, 5th graders draw an outline of a map labeling each part, build geographical features out of dough, and paint each of the land and water features.

Students role-play early 20th century immigrants on their way to Indiana. They consider the methods of travel available to them and write a letter to a friend outlining their travel plans and adventures during the trip.

Pupils view satellite pictures of the ocean, and discuss the presence of phytoplankton and the colors of the ocean. Students compare/contrast ocean satellite images with maps and globes, then color world maps to replicate the satellite...

Students explore the soil and vegetation found in their home and/or school environment and map a familiar area. Each group is assigned a section of the schoolyard. They draw maps of their assigned places and gather soil and vegetation...

Students use position words to describe where their teacher is sitting and read a story that makes use of position words. In this spatial lesson, students make a stick puppet and play Simon Says focusing on using position words in the...

Students read books by Michael Arvaaluck Kusugak to explore life in the Artic Circle. After reading the books, students compare and contrast life in the Artic Circle to life in the United States. They write and illustrate a story about...

Ninth graders illustrate the routes taken by different explorers on a world map. They explain the need for the different exploration voyages. Students explore the web for information that may contain different points of view or...

Students read parts of the Journals of Lewis and Clark focusing on the descriptive writing of Meriwether Lewis. They examine pictures of animal and plant species, and listen to nature tapes. They simulate the experience of the explorers...

Students research a selected explorer and teach their small group about their explorer during a jigsaw activity. Independently they write a letter as if they were on a voyage with their explorer, and create a world map that includes the...

Students examine the similarities and differences between rural, suburban, and urban communities. They read about type of community in their social studies textbook, analyze the differences between Tokyo and Chicago, and complete a chart...

During this game, kids become migratory shorebirds and fly among wintering, nesting, and stopover habitats. If they do not arrive at a suitable habitat on time, they do not survive. Catastrophic events are periodically introduced that...

Young scholars explore how construction of a dam on the Gila River affected the lifestyle of Pima Indians. In this social studies lesson, students locate the Gila River and the Coolidge Dam. Young scholars record dates on a timeline and...