Students explore the survey of the Louisiana Purchase by creating their own surveying and mapping techniques such as natural maps, pace maps, and orienting. Other students then try to follow the maps.

Placing Ben Franklin’s ideas about a free press next to those embodied in the First Amendment sheds light on both. Learners interpret and compare two primary sources and then examine them in the light of a contemporary survey about...

School violence is becoming an epidemic in America. How can schools protect their teachers—and teach them how to protect their students? Read an important brochure about how violence affects teachers personally, emotionally, financially,...

Learners explore population growth in the United States and the impact it has had on society. First, they brainstorm the reasons for population growth and the results of these increases. Then, they design surveys, record results, and...

Help your kids explore gender bias. Learners design and conduct a survey examining role responsibilities within families. They determine the percentage of responsibilities for males vs. females and graph the results. Then they analyze...

How did an investigation into the causes of the collapse of the Twin Towers, as a result of the 9/11 attacks, inform the construction of the new 1 World Trade Center? That is the central question of a resource that asks class members...

What does "freedom of speech" mean to your class, especially in the context of Internet communications? In round-table discussion format, middle and high schoolers address the issues discussed in "State Legislatures Across U.S. Plan to...

Young scholars survey the clothing they are wearing to determine where it was made. They work in groups to locate the countries where the clothing was manufactured, develop questions about what makes a good purchase and work with a buddy...

Agricultural survey and the documentation of livestock or goods was the basis for the first written language. Youngsters discuss sorting and counting, and how these skills have been used for thousands of years. They accent their class...

Inventor, astronomer, surveyor, mathematician, clock maker. Learners celebrate the life of Benjamin Banneker by building creative analog clocks, making scale models, and solving problems related to surveying. The activities model the...

Learners locate Japan on a globe, name the major physical features, and describe the physical environment. They survey the differences and similarities between the life and culture of Japanese young people and American young people.

Students research famous landmarks of the world. In this landmarks lesson, students determine why cultures build special structures and then find out more about specific world landmarks. Students respond to the provided discussion...

Students collect data regarding fire safety and create a graph. Working in small groups, they administer a survey to family and friends regarding their attitudes toward fire safety. After data has been gathered, students graph their...

Twelfth graders survey how controversial court cases have changed the viewpoints of civil rights.  In this U.S. Government lesson, 12th graders work in small groups to prepare summaries of specific court cases, then present their...

Learners analyze the evolution of cultural attitudes through the lens of transportation, examining several artifacts, documents, and photographs. Topics covered include how American attitudes have influenced society's evolution into a...

A dollar bill, a check, a credit card, and... a cow? What exactly are the various forms of payment that exist today? Your learners will identify the three functions of money in this activity. In addition, they will discover the most...

High schoolers use surveys to explore how to design graphs, tables, and diagrams. They discuss articles which can stimulate ideas for research topics, or surveys of their own.

Students examine Iraqi polls concerning the quality of life in their country. After exploring methodologies of taking polls and surveys, the compare and contrast the findings of two surveys. Students develop research questions,...

Learners collect data about energy usage and use mathematical calculations to analyze their data. In this energy conservation and statistics math activity, students survey their homes to complete an energy usage worksheet. Learners...

Fifth graders develop and conduct a survey regarding issues in a current political campaign. They distribute and collect the surveys, input the data using a spreadsheet program, and compare/contrast the recorded results.

Students develop a strategy for furthering the First Amendment interest and knowledge in the school through posters, school-wide announcements, speakers, contests and more during the rest of the school year. Student research about free...

Eleventh graders investigate propaganda used during World War I. In this World War I instructional activity, 10th graders examine propaganda from the war and analyze war posters. Students then create their own propaganda posters on...

Don't leave anyone out. To highlight the importance of the US Census to younger learners, an activity has them distribute markers to see if there are enough for each person. They see that counting the population is necessary to fairly...

Young scholars examine ancient religions of Confucianism and Buddhism. Pupils prepare a K-W-L chart, Venn Diagram and participate in think-pair-share activities. Classmates compare and contrast Confucianism and Buddhism. They explore...