Take young scholars on a trip through history with this unit on the mathematics and architecture of the Mayan civilization. Starting with a introduction to their base twenty number system and the symbols they used, this eight-lesson unit...

Math can be taxing at times. With a short activity, pupils determine how income tax affects take-home pay. Learners determine their net pay based on tax tables and how adjustments in their gross pay changes the paycheck.

Sixth graders carefully analyze a triptych of the nativity, paying close attention to the lines, shapes and symbols included in the artwork. They explore the role of the Catholic church in society at the time the piece was created and...

Learn about the California Gold Rush from an institution that has been in place since the early days of the American West: Wells Fargo History Museum. From domain-specific vocabulary review to group research projects, an expansive packet...

If you're looking for a fantastic cross-curricular lesson on the Statue of Liberty, then this lesson is for you! Learners watch a Reading Rainbow episode which focuses on the Statue, then gather facts about the creation, construction,...

Young cartographers in groups hide treasure at school and then create a map to find it using pattern blocks and tiles. They make paintings with clues to create a visual representation of the location of their treasure. Groups present...

Just like a painting or the symbols on a flag, quilts can express ideas that reflect a cultural context, space, and time. The class discusses the history of quilt making throughout US history and what different types of quilts mean. They...

Students analyze a symmetrical stamp design with an equal balance of light and dark to create a pattern in succession. In this shape design lesson, students review concepts of sign, symbol and language across cultures. Students analyze...

Sixth graders analyze the Aztec calendar and create their own examples of them. They determine the meaning of the symbols used in the calendars and record their ideas in journals. Students host a parent breakfast for them to observe...

Sixth graders complete worksheets and make journal entries to interpret mathematical expressions about the pyramids. In this equality by balancing equations lesson, 6th graders participate in groups or by themselves to complete exercises...

¡Celebramos Kwanzaa! Celebrate Kwanzaa through the fictional story Celebra Kwanzaa con Botitas y sus gatitos to delightfully explain the seven principles of Kwanzaa. Dual language learners participate in reading and vocabulary...

The Olympic Games are indeed a significant and far-reaching cultural component in our international community today, but from where do they originate? Where do our traditions stem from, and how do we choose the sports that constitute...

Pupils research ancient civilizations, and develop story problems using symbols and coins from those times. They retell these story problems using modern terms and coins.

Pupils find lost "treasure" using a treasure map after being shown a map that you have created where terms and symbols are discussed. The class is divided into small groups where they locate your treasure and then read a section from...

Students are assigned to shape groups and explore three-dimensional shapes. They review math skills and two-dimensional shapes.

Students explore printmaking which began with the ancient Chinese who carved seals from stone, inked them and used the seals as identification symbols. They produce a print in this lesson.

Fourth graders work in groups to research fair trade products from various countries in the world. In this fair trade lesson, 4th graders work in 5 groups and make a chart or graph to detail the important information from their handout....

Second graders calculate mileage for a journey. In this place value and measurement lesson, 2nd graders read Johnny Appleseed, work in groups to locate his birthplace on a map, locate the other states he stopped in, and measure the...

Students explore weather instruments. In this weather lesson, students make rain gauges, anemometers, and barometers following the instructions given in the lesson. Students set up a weather station using their instruments and record and...

Students read Dancing With the Indians by Angela Shelf Medearis. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the study of Native American festivals and traditions. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing,...

Students experience how to turn firsthand knowledge of common products into a useful way of choosing stocks for the Global Stock Game. They engage in a simulation of buying stocks.

Students investigate city management and government by creating a fictional city in groups.  In this civics lesson, students create rules and a mascot for their fictitious city which they create from poster board cubes....