California Academy of Science
Our Hungry Planet: Design Thinking Challenge
Scholars investigate an issue associated with food systems and design their own solutions. Working collaboratively, they follow each step in the design process to complete the 10th lesson of the 13-part Our Hungry Planet series.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Cells for Sale - Convict Leasing in Alabama
The benefits and drawbacks of convict leasing following the Civil War are the focus of a lesson that asks groups to examine primary source materials to gain an understanding of the program before individuals decide whether they...
Columbus City Schools
Asexual and Sexual Reproduction
Can you name a type of reproduction that produces no variation in the offspring? The multimedia lesson covers both sexual and asexual reproduction through videos and discussions. It includes topics such as genetic modification, meiosis,...
Curated OER
Country Mouse, City Mouse?
Students recognize the characteristics of a rural area. They analyze land use to determine whether the map is of a rural (country) area or an urban (city) area.
Curated OER
Electric Light Tower
Students examine the San Jose Light Tower as an example of the development of urban lighting circa 1900. They view a slideshow, conduct research and write newspapers to chronicle the lighting ceremony from a variety of perspectives.
Curated OER
Not in my Back Yard!
Students explore the concept of a mock town council meeting. In this mock town council meeting, students are divided into homeowners, developers, environmentalists, supporters, and those opposed to a new shopping mall. Students discuss...
Curated OER
Mapping My Community
Ninth graders are introduced to GPS technology. They complete fieldwork as they visit a specific area of their community to identify and map types of land use in the surveyed area. They use the collected data to create a digital map.
Curated OER
U.S. History: The Second Great Migration
Students examine the migration of rural African Americans to northern cities following World War !!. After predicting the effects of cultural and economic factors, they write essays explaining the impact of migration on communities and...
Curated OER
Colonization and Emigration
Students explore emigrants deciding to leave the United States and the events that lead to their decisions.
Curated OER
Location of Cities 201
Students work in pairs to locate the ancient cities on a world atlas using the longitude and latitude measurements. They examine the physical and human futures that explain their locations.
Curated OER
Consequences of Garbage
First graders consider the problem of too much garbage in America. In this garbage use lesson, 1st graders discuss ways to decrease garbage in the United States and complete a coloring sheet.
Curated OER
Reach For The Sky
Young scholars consider alternative designs for a tall building and choose one of their designs to build. As a final step, they design and construct a model of a skyscraper.
Curated OER
A Walk in the Woods: The Legacy of the Haudenosaunee
Fourth graders explore folktales and legends to investigate the life and culture of the Haudenosaunee Indians. The stories and food of the six Nations are experienced as the lesson proceeds.
Curated OER
From These Beginnings
Students prepare a bulletin board that shows the changing identity of their state before and after statehood.
Curated OER
Chicago's Amazing Growth
Young scholars, in groups, collaboratively explore the rapid growth of Chicago (from 350 to 300,000 in less than 40 years), and how the city changed to accommodate such rapid growth.
Curated OER
Skagway: Gateway to the Klondike
Students explore the impact of the Klondike Gold Rush on the development of Skagway, Alaska. Lesson can be used in units on western expansion, late 19th and early 20th-century commerce, and urban history.
Curated OER
Immigration and Urban Life
Fifth graders research the impact of immigration. In this social studies activity, 5th graders discuss how immigration affected the economy. Students discuss the living and working conditions of immigrants in the 1800s.
Curated OER
City Upon a Hill: Urban Centers and African-American Migrants
High schoolers examine why fugitive slaves migrated to cities and towns rather than rural areas. In this lesson, students consider the social, economic, and political benefits provided by cities and towns in comparison to rural areas.
Curated OER
The Wildland/Urban Interface Dilemma
Students examine all sides of the issues surrounding wildland fire. Groups assume the roles of different people who must decide what to do about a fictitious wildfire. They have a discussion to analyze the issue. A good, real life lesson!
Curated OER
Quick-Sketch Artist Tips on Mind Mapping the Urban Landscape
Students interpret maps. They also create mental maps of regions in which they are studying. Students then explain the historical or cultural significance of map features orally or in written form. Students take a walking field trip...
Curated OER
Urban Impact on Chollas Creek (California): A Field Study
Students, in groups, take samples from a creek and keep a field journal on their samples. They also perform tests on their samples.
Curated OER
The Call to Greatness: A Search for Moral Integrity in the Urban Classroom
Eleventh graders read a variety of novels surrounding the theme of "greatness." In groups, they discuss various aspects of each novel and create a group bulletin board to identify and display the most important information from the...
Curated OER
Making Magic
Students assess the elements of J.K. Rowling's 'Harry Potter' series that have made it such a success. They incorporate these elements into a short film, incorporating such concepts as pop culture mythology, urban legend and archetypes.
Curated OER
RUNAWAY JOURNEYS MIGRATION
Students analyze the influences on urban life in the early and late 19th century, different economic, cultural, and social characteristics of slavery after 1800, the rise of racial hostility, and the ending of the Atlantic slave trade.