Every class enjoys reading new books at the beginning of a unit. Use this resource to identify a variety of books for kindergarten to third grade that can be used to complement social studies standards. The books can kindle learners'...

Fifth graders enact working and/or being a customer at French markets. Students then buy all the items on a shopping list at the appropriate markets (this is different from our supermarkets).

Looking for ways to increase engagement by bringing technology into your elementary social studies class? Teachers are introduced to the technology resources available for social studies and then they show their students specific...

Identify core social studies subjects with adult learners. They will discuss key issues from twentieth century American history and identify key social studies concepts taught at elementary grade levels. They then modify this activity to...

How can social media help or hinder civil dialogue? How can information shared on social media be verified? As the investigation of media reports of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown continues, class members read news...

Kids might know how to walk like an Egyptian but in this lesson they will learn how to read primary source documents like a historian developing critical thinking and research skills.

Word splashes, read-draw-talk-write activities, exhibits. Middle schoolers use the Storypath approach to a unit study of America's concerns during the Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Teams organize a 21st century world's fair,...

It's no myth: this packet on Greek mythology is an excellent addition to your social studies curriculum. With writing activities, such as short answer responses and biopoems, and reading activities, which include creation stories and...

Even lawyers can find the US Constitution to be very wordy! Help learners create a foundation for understanding the Constitution with several analysis essays. Multiple activities complement the reading and allow for active and meaningful...

Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address provides the text for a series of close reading exercises that model for instructors how carefully crafted guiding questions can help readers think critically about what they read, thus developing...

Focus on a particular geographic location with this resource. Learners use their social studies textbook to look up information about a specific place. They write down a list of facts and read them to the class. Classmates guess which...

To generate interest in post‐Revolutionary Philadelphia and colonial times, class members read and discuss Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Fever, 1793. A simulation helps them grasp the magnitude of the yellow fever epidenic.

Children learn about bullying in schools while being tested on their ability to read closely and identify the main idea and supporting details of a text. Following the assessment, young scholars participate in a chalk walk, during which...

Learn all about Eric Carle, find out about his famous caterpillar, and try out related art, science, writing, math, and social studies activities. The resource comes with plenty of materials to support your instruction.

Why is the bald eagle the national bird of the United States? Who built the Statue of Liberty? Where did the stars and stripes on the American flag come from? Elementary learners research prominent American symbols in a social studies...

Photos can capture a complete story in a single image. Class members closely examine a photo of a homeless camp and attempt to read the story told by the picture. They then read the caption for the photograph and compare their notes with...

A social justice instructional activity focuses on the Supreme Court case Loving v. Virginia which struck down laws that prohibited marriages between African Americans and white Americans. The instructional activity begins with class...

How would the story of the discovery of America be different if indigenous people told it through their eyes? Individuals compare the conventional account of this moment in history to an account given by one of the native peoples. After...

¡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 activities...

Providing background information on a topic is key to building a deep understanding. This resource is less of a presentation and more of a complete lesson which will use images, bio information, and activities to build your students...

Was there really a guy named Homer? Was the Odyssey written by one man or many? Are the stories original or a retelling of well-known myths? It may not contain all the information that viewers need to know about The Odyssey but this...

Connect social studies and language arts using this resource. After studying root words, have learners locate five words from their social studies book that have a prefix, suffix, or root word. This puts a new twist on practicing basic...

Take your middle schoolers back to the first Thanksgiving with an engaging cross-curricular unit that ties together topics in social studies and ELA. While learning about he settlement at Plymouth young scholars participate in a series...

Young scholars demonstrate their knowledge of geography with this fun, collaborative social studies project. Working in small groups, students develop their very own countries, writing descriptions of their physical location, social...