National Endowment for the Humanities
The Power of the Majority over Thought
While Alexis de Tocqueville mourned a lack of "freedom of discussion" in America in the early republic, today's pupils are concerned about peer pressure. Using excerpts of de Tocqueville's writing and discussion questions, scholars...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Reading Political Cartoons: Prohibition in Alabama
What makes a cartoon political? The lesson plan provides learners with political cartoons and teaches how to analyze them using a five-step process. Scholars also complete a hands-on activity and participate in group discussions to...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Settlement of Frontier Alabama
What comes to mind when the class imagines settlers traveling out West? The instructional activity teaches pupils about the western frontier of Alabama and what life was like for people traveling West—in wagons with few possessions....
Carolina K-12
The Cuban Missile Crisis
This is the perfect introduction to the Cuban Missile Crisis for your young learners. The lesson includes an engaging mock air raid, in-depth discussions, audio of President Kennedy's speech to the nation, and an event overview.
Federal Reserve Bank
Worth!
Before loaning a friend money, what factors would you consider and why would you lend it? Your young economists will face questions like these in a lesson on banking, profit, risk, and reward, which includes the reading of the book...
Federal Reserve Bank
Bunny Money
Teach your class about saving, spending, and goal setting with a story about a couple of bunnies who went shopping and related activities. Learners keep track of the bunnies' spending, practice identifying long- and short-term savings...
Media Smarts
Forensic Science Crimes Dramas
How do TV shows present criminology—is it realistic? High schoolers research crime dramas and participate in class discussion about topics such as who exists as the target audience and the values the shows communicate. They also research...
Judicial Learning Center
How to Create a Law
Laws affect everything from a scholar's favorite public park to rules in the classroom. Express the importance of lawmaking and teach how they relate to every facet of life with a resource on how a bill becomes a law.
National Woman's History Museum
19th Amendment
As part of a study of the women's suffrage movement and the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, young historians examine documents that detail when voting rights were granted to women in various countries and when US states...
Curated OER
The Teachings of His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Sixth graders study the teachings of the Dalai Lama. They read and discuss speeches given by the Dalai Lama. Students examine, read and analyze specific quotes from the Dalai Lama.
Curated OER
Making Plans: A Line-up Role-play
Pupils engage in a role-playing activity that focuses on conversation skills when using the telephone. They practice being one of two groups, callers and receivers, for the purpose of making plans with each other. There is a dialog page...
Curated OER
Collective Behavior and Social Movements
In this collective behavior and social movements worksheet, students match 15 vocabulary terms to the appropriate descriptions and answer 6 multiple choice questions regarding the 2 sociology topics.
Curated OER
Social Darwinism and American Laissez-faire Capitalism
Students investigate Social Darwinism. In this government systems lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on the details of Social Darwinism and American laissez-faire capitalism. Students respond to discussion...
Curated OER
Respect
Students engage in a lesson that teaches about respect for self and others. They read a story that illustrates the concept of respect. The story follows with questions and a song to help increase comprehension through repetition.
Curated OER
Governance
Second graders practice decision making. In this government lesson students role play making different types of decisions. They discuss how decisions affect life. The Great Binding Law of the Iroquois Confederacy is used as a focus.
Curated OER
What Will You Do With Your Life?
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of self-improvement while reading an article to create the context of discovery. They read about life lists and then use the samples in order to create one's own list.
Curated OER
A Study of the Principles of Kwanzaa
Discover the seven principles of Kwanzaa and the ways they apply to everyday life. High schoolers use the Internet to research two examples of the principles of Kwanzaa, and share their findings with their peers.
Curated OER
Grandpa' Fight and the U.S. Government
Learners are given the United States Constitution, students generate a list on the board of Grandpa's constitutional rights that might help him keep his home and property. Learners become "experts," by reading and group discussion, on...
Curated OER
Autism
Students with autism increase their knowledge about autism, communication, life skills, and goal setting. They read selections from authors who have written about their experiences with autism.
Curated OER
Some Things You Need to Know to Read a Map
Students study things the you need to know to read a map and explain location.
Curated OER
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: Teaching Through the Novel
Students are introduced to Chinua Achebe's first novel and to his views on the role of the writer in his or her society. It can be used alone or in conjunction with the related lesson Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart.
Curated OER
Thirteen Original Colonies
An outstanding lesson on the Thirteen Original Colonies, and the settling of Pennsylvania by William Penn is here for your learners. Valuable discussion takes place regarding how the colonies were settled, and some excellent handouts are...
Curated OER
Unlocking New Words: Partner Presentations
Following extensive modeling about how to apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to learn new words, partner teams create brief word presentations to teach new vocabulary to the class. Preselect words from upcoming social studies,...
Curated OER
Native Americans in Arkansas: The Quapaw
The Quapaw Indians of Arkansas are the focus of this American history lesson plan. Learners discover many aspects of the Quapaw culture, such as their dwellings, social organization, food, and how the tribe was eventually driven out of...