Scholastic
Perfect Postcards: California
It's time to hear about some adventures in travel! The Transcontinental Railroad changed life and travel in the United States during the 1800s. Practicing online research skills, pupils discover the features they would like to visit on...
Curated OER
Paper Weaving
Practice the native concept of weaving with traditional classroom items. Using assorted colors of construction paper, your class will simulate how to weave. This is a great activity to connect to a Native American, Mexican, or other...
K12 Reader
Eastern Woodland Natives
Supplement your social studies instruction with a reading passage about the Eastern Woodlands. After reading the passage, learners respond to five related questions.
The Alamo
A Lesson in Citizenship
What does it mean to be an American citizen? Lieutenant Colonel Commander William Barret Travis believed that it meant honor to country first—even above one's own life. Middle and high schoolers read his final letters from the Alamo that...
Stanford University
Migrant Mother Photograph
A picture often has hidden stories to tell. Looking at the iconic Migrant Mother photography by Dorothy Lange, individuals examine the human toll of the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression at large. Other documents, including a statement...
Curated OER
Mandalas: Geometric Link between Medicine and Histor
Students explore Mandalas. They observe a PowerPoint presentation explaining the history of Mandalas and the Aztecs of Mexico. Students discover the connections between geometry, medicine, and ancient history. They describe the geometric...
Curated OER
Scenes from Aztec Society
Analyzing an image depicting a scene from the past can be as effective as reading (for some learners). Here, they analyze two drawings showing an Aztec ceremony and an aerial view of Tenochtitlan. They answer 4 questions about each picture.
Curated OER
Water Stories
Students interpret historical accounts, stories and customs to draw conclusions about the people who populated New Mexico and their relationship to water. They describe the human and natural characteristics of places in New Mexico.
Curated OER
Maps and Models
Young scholars study maps of New Mexico examining settlement patterns over time and the location of water sources. They research the history of their community and discover how cultural groups interacted, adapted to their physical...
Curated OER
The Mexican-American Influence on the United States
Learners examine the influences of the Hispanic groups from Mexico, Cuba and Puerto Rico. In groups, they research the history of Mexico and read excerpts from a book in Spanish to practice their vocabulary. To end the lesson, they...
Curated OER
Cinco De Mayo Lesson Plans
Cinco de Mayo lesson plans allow teachers to discuss the history of this holiday, and engage students in a wide variety of activities.
Curated OER
A Tough Nut to Crack
Children, based on a set of criteria, evaluate the quality of pecans. They research recorded history of pecan trees as well as how their seeds moved across western Missouri into southeastern Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Mexico. In...
Curated OER
State of Alabama
In this reading passages about the state of Alabama worksheet, students read about the state's geography, history, exploration, industry, and people and use the information to answer multiple choice and true and false questions. Students...
Curated OER
Hispanic Celebration
Students are introduced to Mexico's culture, people, language and celebration of traditions. They develop their own Cultural Report Slide Show and are encouraged to do several activities on this topic.
Council for Economic Education
Trade in Colonial America / NAFTA
Learners learn the how trade impacted the colonial economy. They analyze the the benefits of NAFTA and learn the advantages to both the United States and Mexico.
Curated OER
How to Clean Up An Oil Spill
Students practice cleaning up an oil spill. In this good citizenship lesson, students experiment with different cleaning agents to see which ones clean oil off a soft toy. They compare this experiment with the volunteers helping with the...
Curated OER
A Dictionary of Democracy
Students create dictionary of terms for citizens of a democracy, using events and biographies from both their state's history and U.S. history.
Curated OER
Getting a Sense of Time
Students gain an appreciation for geologic and historic time. They gain a general amount of information of the development of hte Chicago area, with particular attention given to the role of the Chicago River. Students contruct a time...
Curated OER
Ofelia Romero The Maya Culture and Civilization
Fifth graders investigate the Mayan culture, number system, alphabet, hieroglyphics, history, civilization, artistry, and sports in this series of lessons.
Curated OER
Will America Fall Apart Like the Maya?
Students work in teams to research ancient Mayan civilization as they simulate working for the President of the United States. He is concerned that if a civilization as technologically advanced as the Maya's could disappear, could the...
Curated OER
Amate Bark Paintings/Folk Arts of Latin America
Students explore the history of bark paintings in South America and produce their own version of these paintings.
Curated OER
Exile: Cuba and the United States
Students 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.
Curated OER
Celebrate Hanukkah in Israel
Explore Hanukkah and its origins with a social studies instructional activity. Learners discover the history of Hanukkah and its traditions. They locate Israel on a map, hear the story of the menorah and create their own dreidel....
Curated OER
Trading Up?
Students explore the benefits and drawbacks of free trade from the perspective of the United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Chile and Mexico. For homework, they each write a letter to the editor expressing their personal...