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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Map Exploration

For Teachers 2nd
Are you looking for a terrific lesson on map activities for your second graders? Then, this resource is for you! The activities range from decoding, to fill-in-the-blank, to read-and-search. There is a website activity related to maps...
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Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

On This Day With Lewis and Clark

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Walk in the footsteps of Lewis and Clark as they discover the wonders, beauty, and dangers of the American frontier. After gaining background knowledge about Thomas Jefferson and the Louisiana Purchase, young explorers use primary...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How To Write a Social Studies Outline

For Teachers 5th
One of the keys to success in school is organization. This resource leads learners through the process of creating an outline for a chapter from a social studies text. In addition, they review facts they have learned in their class...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Philosophy of Social Studies Education

For Teachers Higher Ed
Learn how to distinguish between curriculum and instruction. Utilize concept mapping strategies to organize a philosophy of elementary social studies education. Your class will be able to explain the process they underwent to organize...
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Unit Plan
Curated OER

Little House on the Prairie

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Hop into a covered wagon and follow Laura Ingalls Wilder through the Midwest. A series of lessons based on Little House on the Prairie encourages young pioneers to see the world through Laura's eyes as they map her journey, discuss the...
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Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Map the Civil War

For Teachers 4th - 7th Standards
Mapmaking was a very important element in successfully planning attacks on enemies during the Civil War. Guide pupils through the process of pacing to find the average length of their steps, measure the distance between one object to the...
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Lesson Plan
Public Schools of North Carolina

Democratic Republic of Congo - Map Skills

For Teachers 5th - 7th
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.
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Lesson Plan
BrainPOP

Latitude and Longitude Differentiated Lesson Plan

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
Scholars warm-up their map skills with a discussion using location words to describe familiar places. An engaging video informs class members about latitude and longitude. Three leveled activities extend the learning experience for...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Facing History and Ourselves

Social Media and Ferguson

For Teachers 9th - 12th
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...
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Unit Plan
1
1
Echoes & Reflections

Studying The Holocaust

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
While many young scholars are familiar with the Holocaust, they may not understand the specific history that led to the unprecedented atrocity. The first lesson in the unit helps teachers gauge their pupils' background knowledge. A...
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Unit Plan
Louisiana Department of Education

Comprehensive Curriculum Social Studies (Grade 7)

For Teachers 7th - 8th
US history from 1776 through 1877 is the focus of a comprehensive curriculum guide designed for seventh graders. Each of the seven units in the 102-page packet includes a list of guiding questions, grade-level expectations, links to...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using the Landscape Picture Map to Develop Social Studies Skills

For Teachers 1st - 2nd
Enhance your class' geography skills using this resource. Explore a variety of concepts including production and distribution, and people and the environment. Learners make predictions and identify locations on maps. This is a creative...
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Unit Plan
2
2
National Geographic

Mapping the Americas

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Celebrate the geography of the Americas and develop map skills through a series of activities focused on the Western Hemisphere. Learners study everything from earthquakes and volcanoes of the Americas and the relationship between...
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Unit Plan
Library of Congress

Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal: An Educational Voyage

For Teachers 3rd - 8th Standards
Following the book, Marco Paul's Travels on the Erie Canal, readers complete an activity for each chapter, take part in discussions, and respond to several questions. To show what they know, scholars create an alphabet book using primary...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Center for History and New Media

Slavery and Free Negroes, 1800 to 1860

For Teachers 4th - 11th Standards
What was life like for enslaved and free black people before the American Civil War? Explore the building tension between states and the freedom of individuals with a thorough social studies lesson. Learners of all ages explore primary...
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Lesson Plan
1
1
Channel Islands Film

Once Upon A Time (Saxipak’a): Lesson Plan 1

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
As part of a study of the history of the Chumash on California's Channel Island chain, class members view the documentary Once Upon a Time, respond to discussion questions, and create a timeline for the different waves of migration.
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Lesson Plan
1
1
C-SPAN

Electoral College Pros/Cons and Alternatives

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
If every vote counts, why do we need the electoral college? Middle and high schoolers study the Constitutional precedent of the electoral college, as well as its place in historical and modern elections, with an engaging social studies...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Social Studies - Guessing Game

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
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Unit Plan
Midwest Institute for Native American Studies

Introduction to Pre-Columbian Lessons

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Native peoples established civilizations all over Central and North America. Introduce native civilizations with a unit that promotes discussion, reinforces map skills, enhances reading comprehension, and exposes young historians to the...
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Interactive
Annenberg Foundation

Reading Maps

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
Can you read a map? Scholars use an interactive technology tool to analyze maps of various kinds to gather evidence and data to better understand their meanings and usefulness. Using newly obtained knowledge, they form an interpretation...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Integrated Lesson Plan

For Teachers 4th - 5th
An ambitious and engaging lesson on the Westward Movement for your students to enjoy! Groups of learners rotate between learning tasks such as learning about the Chislom Trail, Lewis and Clark, and the Gold Rush. A WebQuest is also...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Using Social Studies in Five Shared Reading Lessons: Geography

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
After several short 15-minute mini-lessons, your learners will gain an understanding of the characteristics of a non-fiction text. Using the book Map It by Elspeth Leacock, your class will become acquainted with non-fiction terms such as...
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Lesson Plan
2
2
Curated OER

Tracing Our Own Family Pilgrimages

For Teachers K - 4th
The Pilgrims may have arrived in North America by way of the Mayflower, but chances are, your class members' ancestors came to the United States in another way. Guide them through an exploration of their own heritage, countries of...
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Printables
NASA

Outline Maps

For Teachers 4th - 12th Standards
Don't miss this gold mine of blank maps for your next geography lesson! Regions include traditional continents such as Asia, Europe, and Africa, as well as other major world areas such as the Pacific Rim and the Middle East.