Curated OER
African Savanna
First graders are introduced to the ecosystems of savannas throughout the world. Using new vocabulary, they identify and describe the characteristics of a savanna and the animals that live there. They also describe the Earth's physical...
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Adinkra Cloth
Students explore traditional African culture, symbols and symbol making and printing, and create class adinkra cloth.
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Living Through Fire
Pupils investigate the poverty found in Haiti. In this current events instructional activity, students research the noted Web sites to study Haiti's geography, history, and civil war.
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The Sahara: Home of the Tuareg
Students study inhabitants of the Sahara. In this Tuareg culture lesson, students explore the how the Tuareg people adapt to their environment as they research specific Internet sites.
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Geography
Students work together in groups to research the cultural groups of West Africa, Sudan and the Guinea Coast. They compare and contrast each culture and locate the political and cultural boundaries on a map.
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Geography and AIDS
Learners use Internet research to complete and compare maps and view a video to explore the AIDS/HIV crisis in parts of Africa. They discuss their findings.
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East to West: Africa's Influence on Mexico
Your historians and social anthropologists study the relationship between peoples of ancient Africa and ancient Mesoamerica. They relate in written or verbal form the African presence in the ancient Americas. They create their own...
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Lori Schmidt's Lovely Lesson
Students color code a world map by region to show the different amphibians and reptiles that live there. They discuss the Nile Crocodile, Snapping Turtle, Komodo Dragon, Indian Python, and Lacertidae. When completed, they create a key...
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Discovering Swahili
Young scholars investigate the African language of Swahili by translating vocabulary words. In this foreign language lesson plan, students write 26 English words that define Africa and utilize the Internet to translate them into...
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Medieval African Kingdoms
Seventh graders examine the geography and political history of West Africa. They role-play as applicants to a company that transports customers to any historic time period. Working in teams, they create promotional products encouraging...
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The Ancient World
Students explore the concept of migration. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students watch "The Ancient World" and research life in the Fertile Crescent. Students then write letters from the perspective of people migrating from...
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What Sharing Really Means
Students read the story "Sharing in Africa". As a class, they brainstorm a list of holidays and celebrations in various cultures and identify the Congo on a world map. To end the lesson, they focus on one paragraph of the story,...
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The Real Eve
Students research about human migration during a specific time period. In this physical science lesson, students watch a video about human evolution. They prepare a presentation on human migration and share it with the class.
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Exploring Islamic Lands
Students examine the lives of Islamic teens. In this global studies lesson, students explore selected Internet sites to discover the attributes of Islam, the cultural traditions of Islam, and information regarding Middle Eastern...
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Finding Historical Evidence: David Brion Davis
Students study the Tran-Atlantic Slave Trade and learn to evaluate historical arguments. In this slave trade lesson, students read about the Atlantic Slave System. Students take notes on slave trade and make a timeline for the...
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Comparing Countries
Students compare facts about different countries. In this comparing lesson, students collect information about the US and another country and compare them. Students locate countries on the map and make a hypothesis about the lives of...
Out of Africa Wildlife Park
A Thematic Learning Guide to Lions
Written as an accompaniment to a field trip to the Out of Africa Wildlife Park in Arizona, this is an interdisciplinary, themed instructional activity on lions. Even if you cannot take your upper-elementary kids to this attraction, there...
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South Asian Architecture
Seventh graders review and discuss architecture from South Asia. They then study images of various buildings from North Africa/Southwest Asia, and make comparisons
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Wildlife
The centerpiece of this lesson plan is a predator-prey simulation in which colored paperclips represent different species of animals camouflaged against a colored background. Relevant follow-up questions are provided. The activity is...
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
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Circling Ethiopia: A Novel Approach to Introducing a Region
Students read a novel to gain insight into a different region of the world. Using a graphic organizer, they share the information they have already gathered about Ethiopia. They draw an outline map of Africa and read the opening pages of...
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Exile: Cuba and the United States
Young scholars gain an understanding of U.S./Cuban Relations. In this world history lesson plan, students examine the events of the Cuban revolution and their effect on U.S.-Cuban relations and U.S. foreign policy.
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Nelson Mandela, Symbol of Courage
Fifth graders study Nelson Mandela. In this leadership lesson, 5th graders study the life of Nelson Mandela. Throughout their learning, they read biographies on Nelson Mandela, compare their community to those in South Africa, discuss...