Curated OER
Treasure Chest
Students explore Chicago in the fur-trading era. In this Chicago activity, students discover what life what like during this time. Students read an historical fiction story about life in the fur-trade era. Students view replicas of...
Curated OER
African Independence Movements
In this African independence movement worksheet, students respond to 6 short answer questions that accompany a reading selection featuring Uganda, Guinea, Kenya, and Ghana. Students also complete a graphic organizer based on the selection.
Curated OER
Enduring Cultures
Students research the art, dance or a game from the Pacific Northwest Coast Aborigines. In this Canadian Cultures lesson, students view a PowerPoint about the Inuits. Students choose a game , type of artwork or dance to research....
Curated OER
How Do We Learn About the Past?
Students examine archaeological discoveries. For this learning about the past lesson, students view a "Magic School Bus" video, discuss the role of an archeologist, and complete a graphic organizer. Students discuss a variety of...
Curated OER
What Are Your Human Rights?: Post World War II and Human Rights
Young scholars define and discuss human rights, make lists of human rights they think everyone deserves, and create class list of ten most important rights. Students then translate formal language of Universal Declaration of Human...
Curated OER
How Do We Spend, Save, and Donate?: Penny Drive
Students explore the power of money. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students investigate how money is used in society. Students record data regarding money patterns on graphic organizers.
Curated OER
Battering Through the Seasons
Learners define bartering and barter to investigate supply and demand. In this bartering instructional activity, students read A New Coat for Anna and recall how they exchanged merchandise in the story. Learners complete a sequential...
Curated OER
Situation of America, 1848
Students explore 19th century American artwork. In this cross curriculum New York history and art appreciation instructional activity, students view a reproduction of the painting "Situation of America, 1848," and identify visual...
Curated OER
Well-behaved Women [and Men] Seldom Make History
Students examine historical context. In this historical perspectives lesson, students read and discuss instructor-selected picture book biographies. Students then complete graphic organizers based on the challenges the main characters...
Scholastic
It's a Whatchamacallit
Learners formulate new applications for simple machines in an original invention that solves a common problem. They brainstorm ideas for a new product using simple machines and communicate a finished project through an oral, written, and...
Historical Thinking Matters
Spanish-American War: 3 Day Lesson
Why did the United States choose to invade Cuba in 1898? As part of a 3-day lesson, your young historians will first develop working hypotheses to answer this question, then work with a variety of historical primary source documents that...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 3
How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West of the...
iCivics
Limiting Government
While this lesson includes several nice worksheets to identify and discuss the various limits on government (i.e. a constitution, the rule of law, separation of powers, consent of the governed, etc.), its main value lies in a case study...
Newsela
Mexico: Art, Food and Culture
What can we pick up from the culture of others? Scholars learn much about people of Mexico by completing a close reading of articles about the country's culture. After completing the selection, readers carry out tasks, complete quizzes,...
University of North Carolina
The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave
After reading excerpts from Frederick Douglass' autobiography, pupils will draw on what they've learned about the cruelty of slavery to write and present an anti-slavery speech or editorial.
Curated OER
Art as Advocacy for Social Change
“Humanscape No.65” by Melesia Casas and Ester Hernandez’s “Sun Maid Raisins” launch a study of how works of art can advocate for social change. After examining these two works and discussing the human rights issues raised, class members...
Curated OER
Journal of Time: A Historical Perspective
Analyze the setting behind the Great Depression in California with Pam Munoz Ryan's Esperanza Rising. Middle schoolers assess the protagonist during her coming-of-age moments, while migrant workers manage the hardships of the era. Each...
Curated OER
Digging Up Facts About Dinosaurs
Second graders conduct research on a given dinosaur using various resources, complete an information sheet that be used to create their graphic organizer from, and produce a graphic organizer, using the Kidspiration software.
Curated OER
Music and Dance Celebration
Third graders demonstrate effective use of a Venn Diagram Graphic Organizer by comparing and contrasting music and dance. They discover how different cultures around the world celebrate with music and dance.
Curated OER
How Do You Celebrate?
Investigate the customs of Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa with a holiday instructional activity. Pupils use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the customs of each holiday before writing an informative paragraph about one...
Curated OER
Manifest Destiny, Louisiana Purchase, and Lewis and Clark
Students discuss famous explorers. They discuss manifest destiny and watch a PowerPoint presentation. Students relate the explorers trips to a trip to Mars. They create a graphic organizer showing what they would bring on a trip to Mars....
Curated OER
Discovering the Oregon Trail
Students explore U.S. history by researching the Oregon Trail. In this American exploration lesson, students read the story On the Shore of the River and define the exact path early settlers took to find the state of Oregon. Students...
Curated OER
Economic Concepts and Definitions
Third graders identify producers and consumers in SE Utah and Four-Corners communities. They identify the factors that determine economic development and name some occupations in their community. They show and share their graphic...
Curated OER
Inside Information
Learners research and write reports about inventions and inventors. They develop graphic organizers to organize their information, and create reports on the impact of inventors and inventions.