National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 1: On the Road with Marco Polo: A Boy in 13th Century Venice
Learners investigate Marco Polo's life as a young boy in 13th century Venice. They analyze maps, explore various websites, complete a chart and answer discussion questions, and create a travel brochure about visiting 13th century Venice.
Curated OER
Where's the Water? Stream Side Science
After a whole-class discussion of water reservoirs, ten liters of water are given to each lab group to represent Earth's total amount of water. They divide the water into smaller containers, each representing one of those reservoirs. The...
National Geographic
Altitude: What's in the Air?
Introuduce your scientists to the differences in air at varying altitudes with a colorful explanatory graph. After some discussion, they view unbelievable footage of mountain-climbing Leo Houlding and a narrative about how he might do...
Sea World
Whales
A whale of a lesson is sure to intrigue your elementary oceanographers! Learn about the mammals of the sea with a series of activities about whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Kids complete worksheets about the anatomy of a whale, create a...
Chicago Botanic Garden
Faces of Climate Change
How does climate change affect you? First in a three-part series, the activity focuses on how individuals living around the world are affected by climate change. Individuals take on the role of a given character and share their...
Curated OER
Maps
First graders look at their classroom or school setting. They use positional word to describe where things are located in the school. Students discuss a map and why they are important. They read the story "Taylor's New School" and...
Curated OER
COLD SEA WATERS
Students examine how old sea waters affected the local and state area during the summer of 1998. Studying a detailed web-site helps students examine sea temperatures.
Curated OER
Walking that Line
Students attempt to describe and use longitude and latitude. They will identify different countries, their neighbors, and borders around the world. Included in the lesson the students identify natural features that control the borders of...
Curated OER
Folktale Unit: The Princess and the Golden Shoes
Students study variations of classic folktales while deciding why the tales were so popular many years ago. They write a letter to an author.
Curated OER
Home: the Story of Maine "A Love for the Land": Where Are You? Who Are You?
Learners investigate their neighborhood both as it is now and as it was 100 years ago. They take a walk around their neighborhood and fill out a worksheet before completing a worksheet.
Curated OER
The Bozeman Trail
Eighth graders are introduced to the Bozeman Trail. Using the internet, they research the trail to discover the forts located on its path. They must also locate and label landmarks on a map using symbols they create. They answer...
Curated OER
Terrestrial Ecozones, Population Density and Species at Risk
Tenth graders navigate and use the online Atlas of Canada. They explain the cause and effect relationship between human settlement and the natural environment and wildlife species. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan.
Curated OER
Yaks, Yurts, and Yogurt: A Look at China's Autonomous Regions
Students are introduced to five Chinese geographical areas. They, in groups, research these areas and develop presentations including information on the physical characteristics, climate, elevation, agriculture and language.
Curated OER
National expansion of the United States (1815 to 1850), and its connection to local Illinois history.
Students discuss the importance of establishing the I & M Canal water route. They watch a video about the canal's history. They collect and write a personal migration story by interviewing a family member. They analyze trends and...
Curated OER
Where In the World Are You?
Fourth graders fill in blank copies of the United States Map and then the World Map.
Curated OER
Anansi Goes to Lunch
Second graders read the story Anansi Goes to Lunch and complete language arts activities connected to the story. In this language arts lesson plan, 2nd graders complete activities including discussion, reading, writing, drawing, and role...
Curated OER
States
Second graders look up their assigned states on the internet, cut and paste pictures on word document, and print out the pictures.
Curated OER
Japan
First graders investigate the similarities and differences between Japan and the United States. They develop a KWL chart, locate Japan and the U.S. on a globe, conduct Internet research on life in Japan, conduct an interview, and create...
Curated OER
Where is Everybody?
Young scholars collect data from different grade levels at their school and develop thematic maps which show population density, and determine how this might affect the school and themselves in the future.
Curated OER
Rain Forests: A Disappearing Act?
Students examine and locate rainforests on maps, and research the patterns of their destruction. They develop a bar graph of rainfall and temperature data, write a journal entry, and research the people, animals, and plants/products of...
Curated OER
The Mysteries of El Nino: How Much do We Really Know?
Seventh graders investigate the causes and effects of El Nino and explore its global impact on weather related occurrences through this series of activities.
Curated OER
Dinosaurs
Second graders classify and analyze living things by structure and function and make predictions based on observations rather than random guesses. They make predictions about where dinosaurs lived and correctly place their databases onto...
Curated OER
Video Boxes
Learners create a video box about a Central American country. In this world history lesson plan, student research Central America and pick a country they want to investigate. They work in groups to create a video box that shows images...
Curated OER
Graphing Ordered Pairs On A Coordinate Plane
Sinking ships, construction paper, coordinate planes, sounds like fun day in math class. Play the game Battleship with your class and reinforce the concept of graphing ordered pairs.