Curated OER
Crater Creation
After looking at the back of a quarter featuring Oregon terrain, learners distinguish between fiction and non-fiction and identify the beginning, middle and end of a story. First, they listen to legends that describe the creation of...
Curated OER
36 Public Policy Questions to Energize Your Government/History Classroom Debates
Need topics that are sure to engage your debaters? This list of public policy questions includes such topics as school mascots, regulation of major league baseball, physician-assisted suicide, and violence in video games. A great...
Curated OER
Translating Traditions
Students analyze art reflective of traditions and cultural heritage. For this art analysis lesson, students complete image based discussion.
Curated OER
Thanksgiving and Agriculture
Students listen to the book "The Pilgrim Story" and discuss the Pilgrims and why they came to America. Students role play the Thanksgiving story and write about how Pilgrims and Indians relate to them today.
Curated OER
MUD-Research Center Lesson Plan
Students research chosen sub-topics on mud. They research topics such as idioms about mud, crime solving using tire tracks and animal homes made of mud. Afterward, they choose a presentation method such as a Word document, PowerPoint...
Curated OER
Indian Legends
Fourth graders, in groups, read a Bigfoot report and decide whether they believe the Bigfoot legend.
Curated OER
Hand Built Tea Bowls
Learners follow directions to create clay bowls. In this pottery lesson, students use clay and the pictured tools to follow the directions and create a fire baked tea bowl.
Curated OER
Navajo Code Talkers
Students investigate the Navajo Code Talkers and their role in World War II. They complete a Webquest, explore various websites, encode a short message, analyze maps, answer discussion questions, and read newspaper articles about secure...
Curated OER
Westward Expansion - Fur Trade
Learners complete a unit of lessons to learn how products reach the market and study the history of the fur trade. For this history and trade lesson, students first learn about the technology that allowed products to reach market faster....
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Christopher Columbus: Historical Perspective
Sixth graders study Columbus Day in relation to who discovered Canada. They complete a KWL about Canada and discuss Columbus Day as an American holiday. After viewing a video, they read articles of Christopher Columbus and work in groups...
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Family Life in America: Past, Present and Future
Ninth graders brainstorm the economic and social functions of a family. In groups, they research the roles of each member of a family in the past and compare it with their family today. In groups, they develop criteria for what the...
Curated OER
Back to the Age of Exploration
Students explore world history by researching explorers of North America. In this famous explorers lesson, students research one specific explorer of their choice and identify his successes and failures by utilizing the Internet....
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Immigration
Eighth graders examine the American immigration experience. For this immigration lesson, 8th graders watch a video about Ellis Island and discuss the processing that took place there. Students write letters in the voice of American...
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Coming to America: Opportunities, Risks, Consequences
Pupils examine the immigrants of various cultures throughout the world. In groups, they identify the push and pull factors of those immigrating and the risks and consequences they are subject do when going through the immigration...
Curated OER
Tolerance Quilt
Fifth graders read stories about giving and poverty and discuss why it is important to give to others. In this giving lesson plan, 5th graders make quilts to give to those in need.
Curated OER
Literacy: The Puerto Rican Papers
Students in an ESL classroom are introduced to new vocabulary before reading a story in their native language. In groups, they discuss how the tradition of writing stories down became a tradition and answer comprehension questions. To...
Curated OER
Spain and France Influence in Europe and in the New World
Students examine the conditions in France and Spain during the Middle Ages and the Discovery of America. In groups, they compare and contrast the political situations in both countries and what effect they had on the New World. To end...
Curated OER
Light My Fire
Students create their own girandoles using common art products and Model Magic in this cross-curricular lesson suitable for the Art or Social Studies classroom. This lesson includes a short vocabulary list.
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Giving Thanks to Mother Earth
Students create an art project to be made into a laminated placemat to use during a classroom Thanksgiving feast. The lesson involves choosing at least three cutouts of elements of nature to glue onto a background page, drawing one...
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...
Curated OER
Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.
Curated OER
From the Land, Of the Land: An Interdisciplinary Lesson on Indigenous People
Young scholars research the concept of indigenous people then write a diamante poem about them. They research online and use an online poem tool to create their poem.
Curated OER
Where's the Barbecue?
Learners identify the major landforms, regions and rivers on a map of South Carolina. They compare the locations of the major Native American groups in the state as well. They chart where barbecue restaurants are located and write...
Curated OER
Like Comparing Bison and Fish
Fourth graders examine the cultures of early American Indians in North America and how geographic characteristics impacted the development of American Indian cultures. Students discuss Lewis and Clark, their journey, the Plains Indians,...