Curated OER
Great Lakes Homepage for Kids
Here are some outstanding lessons on the geology and history of the Great Lakes. These lessons are divided into Grade 4 -6, and Grade 7 - 8 activities. The activities all use the background information, maps, graphs, data, and Great...
Curated OER
Great Lakes at Stake
Students explore conservation of the Great Lakes. In this geography and ecology instructional activity, students identify the Great Lakes on a map and view a video depicting the history and importance of these lakes. Students work in...
Centers for Ocean Sciences
Ocean and Great Lakes Literacy: Principle 7
Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take your class on an underwater adventure. The final installment in a seven-part series involving salt and freshwater bodies takes junior oceanographers below the surface in...
Curated OER
Ancient Hunters of the Great Lakes
Students describe theories on how the first humans came to America and show the evidence that supports it. For this investigative lesson students study given material and prepare written or oral reports in their groups.
Curated OER
The Aztecs - Mighty Warriors of Mexico
Upper elementary learners identify the Aztecs as the builders of a great city and rich civilization in what is now Mexico. They locate the Aztec Empire and its capital on a map and place the Aztecs in the chronology of American history....
Michigan Sea Grant
Fish Identification
Using a dichotomous key, pupils identify characteristics of fish who live in the Great Lakes and explain how these features help them survive. In small groups, class members discover what features scientists consider important and...
Curated OER
These Lakes are Great
Students examine the Great Lakes Basin and water conservation. In this Great Lakes and water lesson, students study the location of the lakes before reading the book, The River Ran Wild. They discuss the associated vocabulary and in...
Curated OER
The 1927 Flood
Upper elementary and middle schoolers examine the Great Flood of 1927 in the state of Arkansas. They each prepare an oral report about this flood and the huge impact it had on the economics of that time. Additionally, learners research...
Curated OER
Knights of the Round Table adapted by Gwen Ross
Everyone loves the tales involving King Arthur and his knights. After reading Knights of the Round Table by Gwen Gross, learners draw inferences and conclusions, analyze story elements, and discuss figurative language, including...
Scholastic
Perfect Postcards: Illinois
Connect the geography and history of Illinois using an art-centered lesson on the railroads. The railroad connected once-distant places, particularly in the Midwest. Using research, class members create postcards of fictional cross-state...
Scholastic
The Rise of Railroads: California
Railways are an integral part of the history of California. Using a timeline format, class members connect major historical events to the rise of the railroads and their impact on the state. Activities include a mix of independent and...
Scholastic
The Rise of Railroads: Illinois
Railways not only cross the US, but they are also intertwined with the history of America. Using a timeline format, individuals explore the connections between major events in American history—such as the Civil War—and the rise of the...
Curated OER
Bell Live! The Great Lakes: A Superior Adventure
Students participate in a virtual field trip to Lake Superior. In groups, they perform experiments in which test the level of toxins and bacteria in the water. They also watch video segments life in the lake and discuss their observations.
Curated OER
The Eerie Canal
Pupils discover bodies of water in the United States by investigating the Eerie Canal. In this U.S. Geography lesson, students discuss Lake Eerie and the canal that was built in order to transport goods. Pupils research the...
Curated OER
Exploring the History of the I&M Canal
Students examine the building of the I & M canal in Chicago. Using the internet, they research the lives of the individuals who worked on the construction and develop a timeline of events. They explore the impact of the canal on...
Syracuse University
Erie Canal
While canals are not the way to travel today, in the first half of the nineteenth century, they were sometimes the best way to move goods and people. Scholars examine primary sources, including maps and pictures, to investigate the role...
Japan Society
Nature and the Environment in Postwar Japan
Japan has a complex relationship with the environment. Explore this relationship with your class through this resource. Included are thought questions, several activity ideas that range from writing, to discussion, to research, and an...
Curated OER
The Wave - A Science Lesson Plan
Students investigate the geography surrounding the Great Salt Lake and the three main benches in the area. In this Great Salt Lake lesson, students read a background for the areas geography and make their own beach to analyze wave...
Curated OER
What’s so “Great” about these Lakes?
Learners label the regions and major ports of the Great Lakes region. In this environmental science lesson, students create a timeline about the history and development of the Great Lakes. They discuss the problems its facing today.
Curated OER
A Good Boat is Hard To Find
Eighth graders design and construct a safe and efficient human powered watercraft that can be used on a trip on the Great Lakes. Students utilize math and measurement skills to design and cut the pieces for their boat. Working in...
Curated OER
From Salt Lake City toSingapore... Products of UtahTravel Worldwide
Seventh graders examine the products of Utah. In this economics lesson, 7th graders investigate the products grown and processed in Utah today and historically. Students explore the impact of the railroad on Utah's economy.
State University of New York
Going Back in Time Using “George Washington’s Socks”
After reading Elvira Woodruff's George Washington's Socks, young readers and writers embark upon writing their own historically based story, with a focus on developing ideas and details throughout the piece. In small groups, class...
Curated OER
Angkor What? Angkor Wat!
Young scholars investigate one of the largest religious structures in the world, Angkor Wat, a temple in Cambodia. The temple's place in Southeast Asian history, its history and the migration of ideas of both Hinduism and Buddhism is...
Curated OER
Michigan History of Philanthropy
Young scholars investigate how philanthropy began in Michigan. In this philanthropy lesson plan, students read Michigan History of Philanthropy and read a timeline of several events. Young scholars create a picture with a sentence about...