Curated OER
Let's Discuss Current Events
Investigate articles from the daily news and share opinions with classmates. Using current events, learners view a news program without sound and predict what news is being discussed by analyzing the visuals. Then they read news articles...
American Constitution Society
Constitution in the Classroom: The Right to Vote
The system of checks and balances is integral to the functionality of the United States government. Learn more about the ways the three branches of the government work together—and about the limitations of their power—with an informative...
College Board
Reading—Synthesis and Paired Passages
Good readers make connections between texts. The SAT regularly assesses the ability to make those connections using paired reading passages, a topic discussed in an official SAT practice lesson plan on synthesis. During the lesson,...
Curated OER
Presidential Places Quilt
Students design historical quilts. In this presidential history lesson, students research past presidents and landmarks named for them. Students create quilt squares to represent the landmarks and piece all of them together in a large...
Curated OER
The Perfect President
Students advertise for the perfect president. In this presidential duties lesson, students determine the attributes that the ideal president should have and then write job descriptions for the role.
Peabody Essex Museum
Chinese New Year Celebrations
Gong He Xin Xi! Happy New Year! Planning a Lunar New Year/Spring Festival Celebration? Check out the activities and resources in a packet that encourages pupils to research the cultural values and traditional practices associated with...
Curated OER
Middle-East Reflections
Practice symmetry and patterns with this Mid-Eastern art project. Your class will create beautiful, reflective mosaics that will brighten up the classroom! A list of necessary materials is included.
Curated OER
Organizing Info into Short Reports
The class brainstorms a list of prominent people from their knowledge of social studies. Groups of two pupils get together and select one of these people to research. They create five questions to research on their person and record them...
Digital Forsyth
Restoration Project
In need of a neat idea that incorporates technology skills, art, and history? Young art historians will each select an old photograph from a local archive to digitally restore. The primary focus is to add color, clarity, and remake the...
US Holocaust Museum
Educational Modules Based on Audio Podcasts
Imagine hearing someone claim an event like the Holocaust never happened. Pupils use audio podcasts and reading passages to dive into the lives of those impacted by the Holocaust of World War II. Using the information they gather, class...
Curated OER
Mola Mural
Students, after researching the traditional mola art of the Kuna Indians, explore and experiment with colorful fiber arts associated with the Kuna Indians. They work as a class to create a vibrant Mola Mural to showcase contemporary and...
Curated OER
Celebration Scene
Art often captures an event or emotion from a specific time and place in history. Explore Painting of Bear and Sun Dances with your class to study how dance and celebrations were important aspects of Native American life. After...
Curated OER
The 44th and 45th USA Presidents
The transition of power between former President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump may be the first political process that your students have followed. Fill out the details between these two leaders with a set of vocabulary...
Encyclopedia Britannica
Campaign Photo Analysis
It's the art of the image! As part of a study of the 2020 Presidential race, groups analyze an image of a candidate, first from an objective point of view and then subjectively. They then prepare a presentation detailing what they...
Curated OER
Arkansas and NAFTA
Build literacy through social studies and reading strategies. This lesson focuses on using pre-reading, vocabulary building, and comprehension questions to boost literacy while educating learners on international trade, NAFTA, and...
Curated OER
Primary and Secondary Sources - 7th
A link to a beautiful Animoto presentation is included, giving examples of primary sources that a student might want to contact when doing research. Using the Topaz Internment Camp in Utah as a sample topic, middle schoolers view a slide...
Curated OER
A Look at Exclusion Through Improvisation
Building a realistic understanding of the trials Jews suffered during WWII isn't always easy. This plan employs student constructed dramatic freeze frame scenes to help build a deeper understanding of Jewish Ghettos, concentration camps,...
Curated OER
Chinese Kites
Students identify Chinese culture and find that New Year is the most important of many Chinese holidays. Then they research many facets of the Chinese New Year celebration, and identify the symbols of the animal zodiac. Students also...
Curated OER
Magnificent Mosaic
Students examine the ancient art form of mosaics. They compare and contrast mosaics from different cultures and time periods then create and design their own mosaics using Crayola Model Magic. They blend primary colors, or add white to...
Curated OER
Outstanding Women
Research the lives of famous women in this social studies instructional activity. Middle schoolers use various sources to research a famous woman and create a presentation about the accomplishments of the woman. They can find the central...
Curated OER
If…Then…Ideas for History
Have your class examine a very old piece of art as they consider history, chronology, geography, culture, and tradition. They discuss the concept of ritual as it is associated with religious practices and research the spread of...
PBS
A Time and Place: The Importance of Setting in To Kill a Mockingbird
A strong community acts as a family during difficult times. The evidence for the family aspects of Maycomb is abundant in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, and it is the focus of a lesson on the importance of setting as it relates...
Curated OER
Taking a Stand on Bullying
Middle schoolers stand up against bullying in a character-building lesson. After discussing historical figures who became advocates in times of adversity, they brainstorm ways to end bullying at their own school, and use a formal letter...
Curated OER
Social Studies Integrated with Writing Lesson Plan
First graders access prior knowledge about goods and pricing. In this scarcity lesson, 1st graders understand the meaning of scarcity and how it effects people. Students prepare for a boat trip and choose three things to...