Core Knowledge Foundation
Columbus Sailed the Ocean Blue
Young adventurers embark on a journey, setting sail along the blue ocean with Christopher Columbus. Teachers will find that this unit makes their lesson planning smooth sailing!
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Time Line of the Year
Students record special events and memories on a timeline of the school year. In this timeline instructional activity, students understand the purpose of a timeline as they chart important events of the school year using photos,...
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Travel Agency
Students create a travel agency from favorite vacation destinations. The skill of reading and using a database is covered. Profiles of travelers are used to teach sorting into different categories during inquiry.
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Aquatic Exotics
Students identify and describe the aquatic exotic species found in Illinois. Using the internet, they research the species origins and discover their effects on native species in the area. They discuss how appropriate it is to introduce...
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Where Did Foods Originate? (Foods of the New World and Old World)
What do papayas, peanuts, pineapples, and potatoes have in common? Why, they are foods explorers brought back to the Old World. Young researchers use the Internet to investigate how New World explorers helped change the Old World's diet....
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Exploring Canadian Cities - a Day To Remember
Students research information on the geographical features, climate, and cultural activities of a Canadian city. They plan a day in the city with a schedule of activities. They synthesize information and create a large poster about the...
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WHERE DOES OUR FOOD COME FROM?
Students examine the sources, location and availability of local food, develop mapping skills, interact with Elders to gain pertinent information, and examine subsistence issues of the past and present.
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Backyard Habitats
Students identify habitat elements. They create a habitat in a backyard, on a balcony, at a workplace, or in a schoolyard and provide the four basic requirements of wildlife survival (food, water, cover, and places to raise young). They...
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Exploring Switzerland
Second graders research the country of Switzerland using the Internet and other resource materials. A variety of excellent materials are provided.
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The Mother Culture of Mexico: The Olmecs
Sixth graders study the Olmec civilization. They develop a map of Mexico and a map of the area of the Olmec civilization. They research Olmec art, religion, and architecture. They construct Olmec symbols including giant heads, altars,...
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Donde en el mundo estas?
Students give & follow directions given in Spanish, using oral, written and graphics. They use maps, globes, atlases, and remote sensing, GIS, and GPS to acquire and process information about places.
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The American Trail System
Learners research a trail system. They create a display board of the trail system, generate a map of the trail system, and develop a commercial advertising of the trail system. They design a display board featuring facts about the...
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Land Use Change Over Time
Learners use historical aerial photographs and current aerial photographs to compare the change over time to the land. For this land changing lesson plan, students analyze, compare, contrast, and list the land change in their own community.
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On Being Hindu...and American
Students explore the concept of acculturation. In this cultural diversity lesson, students examine how second generation Hindu-Americans have adjusted to life in the United States.
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Thematic Unit: Beginning Holocaust Studies
Fifth graders discuss concepts of diversity, culture, and prejudice, gain understanding of harm caused by prejudice, and demonstrate ability to think critically and a desire to act morally.
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Barnegat Bay Watershed
Students design a model watershed. In this watershed lesson, students learn the needed parts of a watershed and how they work. Students evaluate how watersheds effect communities.
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Aquifers and Groundwater
Young scholars understand the purpose of an aquifer. In this aquifer and groundwater lesson plan, students build a model aquifer find its relationship to water usage. Young scholars record observations as they build the layers of the...
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Natural Features of Our Community
Second graders read about and discuss natural features of communities. They listen to a guest speaker, such as a park ranger to expand their knowledge of natural features. They go on a field trip, if possible, to a local zoo or...
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Kids Get School Named for Obama
Students read about the renaming of a school for Barack Obama. In this political lesson, the teacher presents vocabulary words from the news article, then the students read the article and answer comprehension questions. Lesson includes...
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Drought Threatens Huge Man-Made Lake
Students locate Lake Mead, then read a news article about Lake Mead drying up and how that would effect water and power supplies to the region. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary...
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Arizona
Students engage in a series of lessons about Arizona. They perform experiments and participate in activities across the curriculum. They perform research on websites imbedded in this plan to complete a variety of tasks.
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Taking a Stand: Pros and Cons of Forest Fires
Learners explain the components of fire, explain how forest fires impact man and the environment, analyze data in order to recognize areas that are at risk for forest fires, make recommendations based on research.
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Mush! Tracking Travelers on the Trail
Students get to know Alaska and the Iditarod route that is run by dogs as they track the mushers' progress on a map that they create specifically for the race. They learn about latitude, longitude, plotting on a map, checkpoints, and...