Curated OER
United States Colored Troops
Students explore the role that African American soldiers had in the Civil War and the impact they had on the US Civil Rights movement after the war. They complete a timeline, read an excerpt and analyze a primary image.
Curated OER
Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad
Learners examine the work of Harriet Tubman and the Underground Railroad. In this Social Studies lesson, students use a true/false handout and worksheet to explore an Internet site about the Underground Railroad and its heroes. Learners...
Curated OER
Governance
Third graders participate in decision-making situations. In this social studies lesson plan students make connections between rules and laws and the purposes for those rules and laws. Students use critical and creative thinking skills to...
Scholastic
Thanksgiving Lessons Grades PreK-2
A quintessential resource for teaching an elementary unit on the first Thanksgiving addresses a variety of skills, including informational reading, critical thinking, comparing and contrasting facts, technology tools, and historical...
Curated OER
United States Constitution Framers
Eighth graders discover details about delegates to the American Constitutional Convention. In this U.S. Constitution lesson plan, 8th graders research information about 9 delegates to the convention and then write paragraphs about the...
Curated OER
West Virginia State Museum Lesson Plan
Young scholars explore historic West Virginia. In this US history instructional activity, students examine primary sources and political cartoons that depict the issues of statehood for West Virginia and the role that those played in the...
Curated OER
Spanish Influence on United States Currency: The Origins of the "Dollar"
Sixth graders research the Spanish influence on early colonial America and the process of establishing the present U.S. currency. They read and discuss an informational handout in small groups, and take a short quiz. Students then...
Curated OER
Civil War Reader's Theater Lesson Plan
Students participate in a reader's theater about the Civil War. In this performing arts lesson, students review the Civil War through a reader's theater. They practice reading their parts to work on expression and fluidity before...
Annenberg Foundation
America's History in the Making: Classroom Applications Three
How can primary sources bring history to life? Scholars create detailed lesson plans on the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in American history. The 17th installment of a 22-part program exploring American history examines...
Curated OER
The Growth of America's Production System
Students, assessing a variety of sources, explore the growth of inventions that were brought about by the Industrial Revolution. They analyze labor practices and philosophies within the history of the United States. A timeline is set in...
Curated OER
The Poinsettia: Native Mexican Plant vs. U.S. Christmas
Learners compare and contrast native Mexican poinsettia plants to those marketed in the United States. They watch a PowerPoint presentation, and listen to a version of the legend of the poinsettia. Students then create a paper pinwheel...
Curated OER
Past, Present and Future Through the Eyes of Long Jakes
Even the littlest learners can become art historians if they have the right training. For the lesson, your preschoolers discuss the piece Long Jakes as they point out all the details they notice. They discuss what mountains and mountain...
Curated OER
Majestic Murals
Albert Bierstadt is a highly celebrated artist who was able to capture the beauty of the American landscape. The class will first learn how Bierstadt explored America during the 1800s and painted the majestic countryside. Then, they will...
Curated OER
Create your own Parfleche!
What is a parfleche? It is a box used by the Plains Indians to carry goods as they traveled. First, the class will discuss the uses of these highly ornate boxes and the nature of the Plains Indians' nomadic lifestyle. Then, the class...
Curated OER
Pack your Parfleche!
Imagine you are a Plains Indian, a nomad getting ready to follow a herd of buffalo. Now imagine what you would have to pack for your trip. Little ones examine images of a traditional parfleche (packing box), and then create packing lists...
Curated OER
What Can We Learn about India from a Ten Rupee Bank Note?
The class finds and cites evidence showing India's unity in diversity and work to recognize some of the complex interactions of a civilized community. They read to understand how geography, history, politics, economics,...
American Psychological Association
Sampling or Assignment?
Each discipline has its own vocabulary, terms it uses to identify key concepts and processes. Sample, to psychologists, refers to those people (participants) a researcher is studying, while assignment refers to the treatment conditions...
Curated OER
Analyzing Advertising
Some ads really make products look great, and even better than they really are! Kids get into small groups to research and compare marketing used by various cell phone companies. They analyze advertisements, carrier options, and cell...
Curated OER
What Experiences Shaped the Founders' Thinking about Government?
Students study the ideas and experiences that shaped the founding fathers' perspective about government. In this the government lesson plan, students examine the Articles of Confederation as they relate to the power of government....
Arizona Cooperative Extension
Geocaching
Using GPS units, small groups participate in a scavenger hunt to find an object that you have hidden. They use coordinates for stopping points along a pre-planned path to get to the final cache. This is a terrific activity to include in...
Curated OER
Identifying Economic Systems
Young historians practice identifying evidence to categorize a particular country's economic system as either a mixed, centrally planned, traditional, or free economic system in this two-part lesson.
Missouri Department of Elementary
Getting Caught in the Web
When it comes to teamwork, it's best not to drop the ball. Pupils stand in a circle, tossing around a ball of yarn to one another to create a web. Next, they use teamwork skills to keep a soccer ball from falling off the web before...
Missouri Department of Elementary
The Quest for Magic Minutes
A "Magic Minute" activity asks class groups to develop a commercial to advertise a way to turn a time-waster into a time-saver. Ad groups begin by brainstorming time-wasters and then problem-solve was to turn them into time-savers. After...
Curated OER
Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice
Use the historical account of Claudette Colvin to study civil rights and connect past injustices to modern issues. As learners read, they examine chapter titles, record quotes, and participate in discussion. Next, they research...