Middle schoolers put their geography skills to work. In this geography skills lesson, students research maps and other primary and secondary sources to simulate the site selection process for the Pennsylvania Railroad Shops post World...

Students explore how technology has slowly changed the world, starting in the 18th Century.  In this United States History lesson, students work in teams to complete numerous activities that compare and contrast life before and...

Students read the Trail of Tears about the Cherokee Nation removal and write a letter pretending they are the grandparent of a Cherokee child. In this Trail of Tears lesson plan, students understand the changing of boundaries.

Students discuss water rights. In this science lesson plan, students simulate an exercise whereby they begin to understand the meaning of water allocation and limited water supplies by actually passing out water from a jug.

Seventh graders compare artifacts used by archaeologists to theorize the first inhabitants of the Americas migrated from Asia across the Bering Land Bridge.

Students draw physical land features using ClarisWorks or Kid Pix, write their definitions, create slideshow, and create class geography book.

Students investigate their cultural heritage and make observations on how much influence their past has on their current values and lifestyle. They brainstorm a list of things that represent a certain country or cultural heritage and...

Investigate Pennsylvania Barns. Have your class consider the elements common to Pennsylvanian barns and why they are significant to the food production process. They write summaries of Frederick Watts and his impact on agriculture.

Students read factual stories of migration to Hawaii, analyze and explain push and pull factors, interview parents about their cultural heritage, identify countried of origin of their ancestors, graph migration patterns on an world map,...

Students identify how do geography and ecology influence a region's folklife. Then they investigate this question and consider how an outsider might view their own region in this lesson. Students also identify how the natural world, even...

Eighth graders explore the American West. In this Westward Expansion instructional activity, 8th graders examine primary sources to investigate the dangers travelling to and settling in the American West. Students design brochures that...

Students explore the effects of population growth in Arizona.  In this history lesson plan, students work in small groups to create a "perfect" city. Activities include examining the Arizona census results then discussing the...

Students define the following words: extinction, endangered species, meteorite collision, glaciation and climate warming. They investigate that there are 307 species on the endangered list, and an average of 10-20 species are added each...

Students collaborate in groups of four students to create a written description of their community during a specific year. They analyze data provided by maps and newspaper articles. They meet as a whole class to discuss their conclusions.

Students complete a population pyramid for a city they are studying. They may complete a population pyramid for their city and another one for the country in which the city is located. They compare and contrast the results of the two...

Students list at least five different kinds of artifacts archaeologists have found in U.S. excavations. They cite artifacts when describing life at a particular archaeological site.

Students view and discuss short sections of movies that relate to immigration. Working in groups, students create a map that shows directions of internal migration in their assigned geographical area. Students review ads/booklets created...

Students explore Colonial papermaking.  In this Colonial America U.S. history lesson, students analyze two poems written in the 1690s about the Rittenhouse paper mill to learn about papermaking.  Students produce their own...

Students practice analyzing skeletal remains for clues by using the Internet.  In this scientific investigation lesson, students research the La Belle shipwreck using the Internet and written materials, later completing a Skeletal...

Fourth graders investigate Indiana transportation. In this transportation lesson students discover early forms of transportation such as railroads, rivers, boats, and roads. Students compare and contrast the different...

Students research and learn about the Underground Railroad. In this Underground Railroad lesson plan, students take 2 weeks to research an individual, complete journal writings, read passages in small groups, list major events, and more.

Fifth graders explore U.S. geography by reading assigned text about American Indians. In this migration lesson, 5th graders identify the differences between Native Americans and European settlers who traveled through middle America in...

Students investigate U.S. history by researching the Internet and taking a test. In this American Indian group lesson, students identify the many specific Native American tribes and their geographic locations. Students research the web...