Work on your map skills with a packet of activities about the river basins in the Democratic Republic on Congo. Learners study the maps provided before answering the geography questions and writing an acrostic poem about the region.

Visible Thinking Routines are designed to help learners deepen their understanding of what they are learning and enable them to communicate their understanding of concepts to others. Individuals adopt one of these routines to use to...

Family is a wonderful subject for little learners to get excited about. Family is also the theme for a social studies unit that uses literacy standards throughout. The guide outlines approximately three weeks of instruction and breaks...

Students study the interview process by interviewing each other in pairs using a name game. They formulate and ask effective interview questions and practice interviewing skills. They invite a guest to their classroom or go outside the...

While learning about the Louisiana Purchase, pupils practice map skills. This motivating instructional activity has them answer questions about the Louisiana Territory and the United States. It provides a quick and easy way review of...

Christopher Columbus: hero or villain? Prepare class members for the debate with activities that asks them to think critically about how history is reported.

How can we locate places? Maps, of course! Expose second graders to the tools available in maps and discuss how these tools can help people find locations. Students also look at communities, including what makes a community and the...

Take a virtual trip to see other countries and cultures! After learning about different cultures and populations, English learners think about a place they'd like to visit. Small groups or individuals plan a trip to a country...

Hot topics are often engaging and can get heated. High School students engage in an academic discussion were they must learn to engage with a person holding a different view than their own. They practice discussing different opinions...

In collaborative groups, young US historians sort cards (each labeled with a single early American event or issue) according to which of the first four presidents was leading the country at the time. Learners copy the events onto a...

Do you ever give your class the "teacher look"? Without saying a word, they become silent and engaged (hopefully). How do they know what you're thinking? Explore the concept of nonverbal communication and how it relates to our...

A wonderfully graphic cartoon entices learners to read more about issues near the Arabian Peninsula. They will use the provided cartoon and critical thinking question to practice building their analytical and critical thinking skills....

Teach young adults how to become advocates for their privacy in the modern information age. In a series of five lessons, learners explore their beliefs and opinions about privacy vs. the actual laws regarding who has the right to access...

Even young children watch sports and like team logos and products. It's never too early to think critically about what's onscreen. This exercise develops awareness that media communicate values (i.e. who participates in sports and who...

Learners practice critical thinking skills by defending their beliefs orally in a "hot seat". In addition, they communicate their feelings about an inssue in writing.

A critical discussion regarding the nature of Shinique Smith's second-hand clothing art is the foundation for the lesson. Critical thinkers fully analyze the meaning behind her work, taking close consideration of where the clothing came...

The teen years are nothing but a series of personal, social, and academic changes. Help kids understand what to expect as they mature and give them ways to make good decisions. After discussing they types of changes they'll go through,...

Students practice the higher order thinking skill of drawing conclusions.  In this language lesson, students use the Miss Navajo pageant to discuss the role of language in selecting a winner.  They view portions of the pageant,...

During elections, headlines constantly lament the issue of low voter turnout. Help class members understand why this is such an important topic with relevant articles, a discussion of both sides of the issue, and a reflective essay. 

This activity uses a question and answer format to scaffold students comprehension of a short dialogue about the Chesapeake Bay and its tradition of log canoes. After reading the short passage, students are prompted to find three facts...

How do you create a classroom environment where hot button topics may be discussed in a respectful manner? As part of a series of lessons that focus on immigration issues, class members examine the rules for civil discussion before...

Political cartoons add an element of fun as your scholars study current events in Washington D.C. This analysis handout uses two cartoons to bring learners into discussion about the many issues democrats have concern over as November...

Introduce your young learners to some of the basic skills of listening, and getting along with others in this sociology PowerPoint. Pupils practice asking for help, asking for a favor, dealing with teasing and anger, and showing...

Middle schoolers practice their map skills. In this Colonial geography lesson, students complete an activity that requires them to locate English colonial locations using latitude and longitude coordinates.