Lesson Plan
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Incorporating Literature into Social Studies Teaching and Learning

For Teachers Higher Ed
Students engage in a study of incorporating literature into the Social Studies classroom. They review a variety of literature sources and then create a bulletin board with the information. Then students practice using the Reader's...
Lesson Plan
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Surprise at Pearl Harbor

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students review the concept of courage and relate it to their daily life. As a class, they are introduced to the events of December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Using a map, they locate Hawai'i and label the islands. They use the internet to...
Lesson Plan
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School Yard Park/ Ecosystem

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders examine ecosystems in their schoolyard. In this nature and ecosystem instructional activity, 5th graders map their schoolyard into workable plots. They classify plants and animals found in the plot. They revisit their site...
Lesson Plan
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Writing a Children's Book -- Young Authors

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers practice their writing skills by creating a children's book. They integrate five elements of short stories into the narrative. They share their stories with their book buddies.
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Urban and Rural Communities

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students discuss similarities and differences of urban and rural communities.  In this urban and rural communities lesson, students compare urban and rural communities using a Venn Diagram.  Students examine maps of each type...
Lesson Plan
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Order My Steps

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students organize and sequence their writing ideas using different graphic organizers. They use the ideas to write a story that takes place over two days.
Lesson Plan
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Group Rehearsal

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Pupils study their national and family heritage while working in groups.  In this personal history project, students examine the family shield or crest of the teacher while preparing to create and share their own with the class....
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Character and Citizenship Education

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Students analyze the importance of being a socially healthy citizen. In this character education lesson, students brainstorm personal traits that they think make the world a better place. Students compile their ideas as a class to...
Lesson Plan
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The Barnum and Bailey Bartered Bride

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students focus on the study of The Bartered Bride by integrating the theme of the circus begin the lesson with a "KWL" strategy map on the Circus. Students are asked: What do you know about the circus?
Lesson Plan
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What Do Plants Need to Grow?

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders control variables to determine the effect on plant growth. They collect information by observing and measuring and construct simple graphs, tables, maps and charts to organize, examine and evaluate information.
Lesson Plan
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Count Down

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students are introduced to useing websites as a data source. Using bird population predictions, they test their predictions from various websites. They record, organize and graph the data and share their results with the class.
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Native American Culture Region Collages

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students research various Native American tribes. In this Native American history instructional activity, students follow the provided rubric to create collages on the cultures of selected Native American tribes.
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Where in the World is Flat Stanley?

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders analyze the proper form of a friendly letter and send flat Stanley letters all over the United States. In this letter writing lesson, 2nd graders read the book Flat Stanley by Jeff Brown and create their own Flat...
Lesson Plan
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Our State Road Trip

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Students take a virtual tour of the country of China instead of a state. Using the Internet, they examine the differences between a political and physical map and use latitude and longitude to locate specific places. They also research...
Lesson Plan
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Hoosier Artists

For Teachers 1st - 12th
Young scholars examine the paintings of various Indiana artists. Using the internet, they relate the landscapes shown to the history of the state and how it affected Native Americans. Using the information they gathered, they write story...
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Connections Between World Events, Geography and the Human Quest for Knowledge

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students examine the relationship between innovations in geography and world events. Using maps, they report different information from a spatial perspective. They develop hypothesis about how man's quest for knowledge has impacted the...
Lesson Plan
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Endangered Animals

For Teachers K - 12th
Students listen to a teacher led lecture on jaguars, their habitats, and how they became endangered. Using a specified web site, they choose an endangered animal to research. After gathering information, students participate in...
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My Neighborhood

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders discuss maps and identify boundaries found on a map. They walk through their school and nearby neighborhood and collect information regarding important features of the area.
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Geography Grid

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders search a database to find images and scan and affix them on an 8-foot long map of the state of Illinois. They then use it as a basis for discussion.
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Create a Weather Newscast

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore, research and study how to make and give a weather newscast. They assess a variety of weather terms, research skills on the Web and develop an oral presentation on a weather newscast to present to their classmates.
Lesson Plan
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The Regions In Which I Live

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students investigate different regions. Beginning with the idea that a neighborhood is a region, students explore maps to discover that towns, states, and countries can also be considered regions. Students create a book, with...
Lesson Plan
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Where in the Usa is Radon?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students determine the areas of New Jersey and the US that are likely to have high radon concentrations. Students draw a map of their own neighborhood that show soil associations in their neighborhood.
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Where Do Animals Come From?

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners use library search engines to research an animal and its origin. In this animal research lesson plan, students research their assigned animal using ProQuest. Learners then find the country of origin of the animal using a library...
Lesson Plan
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What Is That Bubblin' In My Back Yard?

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Students are introduced to the GIS system. They create a map plotting local sites the Environmental Protection Agency has on its EPA Regulated Sites list. They identify a list of schools that are near potentially hazard sites.