Curated OER
Gingerbread Map
Second graders read the book Gingerbread Baby, identify local features and cardinal directions on a map, and then construct their own map. In this mapping lesson plan, 2nd graders construct their own map in groups based on where the baby...
Curated OER
History - Up Close And Personal
Young scholars identify national origin and population movement across U.S. of ancestors and/or community residents, explain historical development of major local industries, identify local social patterns/economic development as...
Curated OER
I Live in Kansas!
Student research and apply information about communities in Kansas. In this Kansas lesson, 3rd graders study ten communities in the state, complete a booklet, and compare the communities to their own. They use the information to design a...
Curated OER
Life of a Civil War Soldier
Eighth graders write about the physical hardships endured by soldiers of the Civil War. They compare the losses between two communities during the Civil War. They analyze personal letters to understand what a battle was like. They...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Color Your Destiny
Class groups bring feeling words alive by creating a poster that illustrates with images and colors, but not words, the feeling conjured by the word. The posters are then combined into a mural for the classroom wall.
Chicago Botanic Garden
Impacts of Climate Change
Scholars become experts on the eight major impacts of climate change through a jigsaw and grand conversation. They then research and present what they learned about effects specific to their region.
Curated OER
The Urban Heat Island Effect - Lesson 2 (Grade 5)
Fifth graders use the scientific process to examine how when various surfaces are exposed to similar environmental conditions, surface temperatures may vary. They conduct an experiment to show the relationship between surface and...
Curated OER
Treaties
Students explore Canadian maps. For this map skills and Canadian history lesson, students locate reserves that originated from treaties made while establishing the Saskatchewan First Nation reserve communities. Students research these...
Curated OER
Good Citizen Posters
Third graders create a poster documenting the responsibilities of a good citizen. During group discussion, they develop a list of ways in which they can participate as responsible citizens in their society. Students use their list to...
Curated OER
Community Journals
Pupils visit a multimedia online journal as a model for their research and journal about their own communities. They examine writing for themselves and writing for an audience as they study the community and present it in more than one...
Curated OER
Basket Making
Students create a basket. In this basket making lesson, students explore the Ojibway culture and discover the history of basket making. Students design and construct a basket.
NOAA
Deep-Sea Ecosystems – Chemosynthesis for the Classroom
Photosynthesis was discovered in the 1770s, but chemosynthesis wasn't discovered until 1977. While many have performed an experiment to show how photosynthesis works, the activity allows pupils to observe chemosynthesis. Scholars set up...
Missouri Department of Elementary
The Many Roles I Play in My Community
Small groups brainstorm their roles in the community. Then, individually, complete a community roles web worksheet. Peers share their completed product and extend the conversation to include the feelings and character traits that go...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Keep Finding the Positive
Group members take on roles to create a positive classroom community. Learners perform their role—leader, recorder, presenter, timekeeper, encourager, and collector—in preparation for a formal presentation of their positive thinking...
Curated OER
Every Building Tells a Story
Examine images from past that depict buildings and towns from their own communities, and compare images with photographs taken at present locations, interview local architect and compare role of 19th Century architect to 21st Century...
Missouri Department of Elementary
Getting Caught in the Web
When it comes to teamwork, it's best not to drop the ball. Pupils stand in a circle, tossing around a ball of yarn to one another to create a web. Next, they use teamwork skills to keep a soccer ball from falling off the web before...
Missouri Department of Elementary
How I Act Is Who I Am
A lesson centers itself around the topic of family roles. A whole-class discussion uses puppets and posters to go in-depth into the following character traits; caring, responsibility, respect, and cooperation. The discussion closes with...
Curated OER
Historic Cemeteries: "History Written in Stone"
Students explore the history of their community through researching grave markers. They visit a local cemetary, partcipate in a cemetary scavenger hunt, conduct a survey for various graves, and write an essay describing their cemetary...
Curated OER
Michigan History Through HyperStudio
Students explore the history of their local community. They visit historical landmarks in the city of Marshall. Students create a HyperStudio project about local Michigan history.
Curated OER
Tour of the Town of Andrews
Third graders describe local services being provided on a tour of their town. During community-based instruction, they visit several local government buildings. Upon their return, 3rd graders document in their journals, the services...
Curated OER
The Joy of Community Field Day
Students engage in community related activities to recognize and thank local merchants. Merchants raise awareness regarding what resources are available in the local and neighboring area for students and their families.
Curated OER
Letters from the Road
Students examine and differentiate between rural, urban, and suburban communities. They describe their local areas, view and discuss the images on the West Virginia Quarter, and write a friendly letter describing a camping trip.
Curated OER
Signs of Our Times
Students view photographs of the signs and symbols in their local community. As a class, they note the reason for the signs and write the words on the board. Individually, they complete a worksheet in which they match the symbols with...
Curated OER
Preserving the Past with Oral History
Students engage in oral history learning by conducting interviews and recording them to documents for the local community.