California Polytechnic State University
Australian Geography Unit
At the heart of this resource is a beautifully detailed PowerPoint presentation (provided in PDF form) on the overall physical geography of Australia, basic facts about the country, Aboriginal history, and Australia culture and lifestyle.
US Institute of Peace
Organizations Working for Peace
From helping refugees to negotiating peace treaties, the peacekeepers of the world keep busy! Introduce young activists to the many individuals and organizations throughout the world that work daily toward peace. 14th in a series of 15...
Curated OER
Space Shuttle's Heat Shield Problem
Learners participate in a role-play activity to determine how to replace heat shields on the space shuttle using polar coordinates.
Curated OER
Representation: Majority Rule
Students explore government. In this decision making lesson, students discover the importance of majority rule in the passing of bills. They all participate in a class debate and practice the different forms of decision making. This...
Curated OER
Protecting Your Identity--and Helping Other Protect Theirs
Students create a presentation explaining how they can guard against identity theft. Prior to creating the presentation, students research identity theft: how it occurs, how to avoid it, what to do when someone thinks it has happened to...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 1: What Is the Purpose of the White House?
Pupils view images of presidents working and living at the White House. They list activities that take place at the White House and discuss the many purposes of the building.
Curated OER
History of Congress and Government
Seventh graders will perform research that helps them to learn about government and the democratic way of life. This form of life serves as a basis of reflection for the basic forms of life on earth.
Curated OER
Government Failure: Tuition Fees for Higher Education
Learners examine the concept of government failure. They analyze data to provide support for tuition fees. They write a report using their analytical and evaluative skills.
US Institute of Peace
Organizations Working for Peace
We're all in this together! Show young scholars that peace is a process and having the support of like-minded people can make it happen. 13th in a series of 15 peace building activities, groups conduct research on a peace organization,...
Curated OER
The Odds of Dying During a Plague
Sixth graders explore plagues in the middle ages. In this social studies lesson, 6th graders examine the impact of deadly plagues on past societies and how the governments were forced to make drastic changes in response to the plagues
Curated OER
Structure Practice: The Passive Voice
Use this online interactive worksheet in an ELD class or for younger native speakers. They practice using simple past tense verbs in the passive voice. Many of the constructions are not straightforward, nor often used by early speakers,...
Curated OER
The Movement Before the Movement: Civil Rights Activism in the 1940s
Many educators focus on the civil rights movement as it occurred after Rosa Parks incited the bus boycott. Extend the understanding of the fight for civil rights in the United States with this post-WWII instructional activity. Learners...
Curated OER
Nationalism in North Africa and the Middle East
Africa and the Middle East are the focus of this Social Studies PowerPoint. After viewing many slides that are packed with historical facts, viewers answer questions such as, "How was the struggle for independence in Algeria different...
Curated OER
The Electoral Process
Learners explore the U.S. political system by completing several worksheets. For this government election lesson, students define and describe the two main political parties in detail to one another. Learners read a piece written by a...
Federal Reserve Bank
Income Taxes
Most adults dread April 15 — tax day! Tax preparation can be intimidating even for adults. Build confidence by leading individuals through the process and then give them a scenario to practice. The exercise uses tax vocabulary to give...
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Living Things Share Common Genes
Everything evolved from a common ancestor, but how did modern plants and animals develop so many more genes? Scholars use an online interactive to learn about the process. They begin to understand common genes with an animation, multiple...
Curated OER
Coalition or Division?
Students research and write essays on contemporary Italian politics and their roots to explain the prime minister's recent resignation in context. They explain why coalition governments are formed.
Curated OER
Citizen Me
Fifth graders examine what it means to be a citizen. Using the Constitution, they discover the functions and purpose of government. They compare and contrast the difference between a democracy and a monarchy. As a class, they discuss...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Puritan Massachusetts: Theocracy or Democracy?
Was Puritan society governed as more of a theocracy or democracy? After comparing and contrasting a series of primary source documents, middle and high schoolers form small groups and debate the question.
Curated OER
Lesson 6: Crowded Skies
This is a treasure-trove of multimedia resources to help your scholars analyze transportation methods. They discuss different forms of movement, utilizing several infographics to spur conversation deeper and get visual learners engaged....
Humanities Texas
Primary Source Worksheet: Ronald Reagan, Excerpt from Reagan's First Inaugural Address
A key challenge in teaching kids how to read informational text, particularly primary source documents, is finding suitable resources and then developing questions that guide readers. Never fear, help is here in the form of a series of...
Curated OER
U.S. Constitution and Amendments
Students explore the framework of government and examine the Constitution to see its impact on their lives.
Curated OER
Towards Separation of Church and State in Gloucester
Explore New England government in the 1700's with your class. They will identify historical documents as primary or secondary sources, then read and discuss the significance of these documents as they relate to the "freedom of religion"...
Japan Society
Changing Times, Changing Styles: New Japanese Literary Styles of the Late Nineteenth Century
Focusing on Doppo's "Unforgettable People" and late nineteenth century Japanese literature, this resource also leads to discussions of form being dictated by content. Explore the development of new literary styles first-hand by...