Curated OER
A Colony is Born : Lesson 5 - Dear Mem
Discover colonies! Young historians will listen to a primary source journal entry read aloud with a backdrop of wave sounds. They discuss the entry, add historical facts to a chart and personal insights to another. Then they listen to...
Edmentum
Roald Dahl Day
Who's your favorite Roald Dahl character? What book by Roald Dahl is the most exciting for you? Explore the wacky world of Matilda, The BFG, The Twits, The Witches, James and the Giant Peach, and more with a helpful resource pack for...
California Academy of Science
Nuclear Energy: What's Your Reaction?
OSHA confirms that rules governing worker safety at nuclear power plants ranks higher than worker safety in offices. Scholars must consider safety, cost, alternatives, and other factors before recommending whether a town should build a...
Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 4 - Grades 4-5
After viewing the West of the West's documentary Cache, individuals craft either a newspaper article chronicling the discovery of the cache on San Nicolas Island, a historical narrative of the placement of the cache in the cliff side, or...
Curated OER
The Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854: Popular Sovereignty and the Political Polarization over Slavery
Why did Stephen Douglas support the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854? Why did Abraham Lincoln oppose it? Young historians examine how the Kansas-Nebraska Act of 1854 affected the political balance between free and slave states and explore how...
Lawrence Hall of Science
Photolithography
Examine the use of photolithography in the fabrication of circuit boards and other components. An advanced activity teaches pupils a process for transferring a pattern onto a surface. Using UV light and a light reactive substance,...
Smithsonian Institution
Borders and Community: Early 20th Century Chicago Neighborhoods and Ethnic Enclaves
Chicago is one city, four neighborhoods, and countless nationalities. The lesson plan explores the ethnic division of Chicago in the early twentieth century. Academics read primary sources, analyze maps, and tour an online exhibit to...
Curated OER
Vocabulary Development
By utilizing a graphic organizer called a bubble map, young readers work toward developing their vocabulary. After reading a story, a word that has something to do with the story is put in the middle circle. Then, other words that have...
Curated OER
Sectionalism, Popular Sovereignty and Secession
Learners read and discuss background material on several key decisions that played a role in the Civil War including the Missouri Compromise, the Kansas-Nebraska Act and the Dredd Scott Decision. They create a timeline and write an essay.
Scholastic
Perfect Postcards: Illinois
Connect the geography and history of Illinois using an art-centered lesson on the railroads. The railroad connected once-distant places, particularly in the Midwest. Using research, class members create postcards of fictional cross-state...
Curated OER
Winter Holidays Around the World
How much do you know about the holidays around the world? Second graders put their knowledge to the test with a 14-day lesson about global celebrations. They read informational text, employ KWL charts, and compare and contrast the many...
Curated OER
Immigration and Ellis Island
Fourth graders explore family histories. In this social studies lesson, 4th graders identify the countries from which their ancestors came and locate them on a map. Students discuss the role that Ellis Island played in immigration in the...
Curated OER
How Worldly Are You?
Sixth graders locate and map six components to have a working knowledge of maps. In this map skills lesson, 6th graders define the six map components and work in groups to draw a map using the components. Students read a related...
Curated OER
Schools
First graders complete a unit of lessons on school and how schools have changed. They read a Laura Ingalls Wilder excerpt, view and discuss a Norman Rockwell painting, conduct an interview, construct a school map, and create an ABC book...
Curated OER
Earth and Space Science: Exploring Earthquakes
Students explore earthquakes. In this earthquake lesson, students research earthquakes and identify where they take place. Students use map skills to track down earthquake locations. There are internet sites suggested in this lesson.
Curated OER
My Community
Students identify how their school has changed. In this local community lesson, students listen to a brief history of their town and school and interview someone that graduated from their school. Students then create a map of their...
Curated OER
Military Tactics and Battle Plans Oh Boy!
Eighth graders compare and contrast a Loyalist and a Patriot. After reading selected pages in the book, 8th graders use a graphic organizer to examine the battle plans of the colonists and the British during the Revolutionary War. They...
Curated OER
Charles Lindberghs's Flight to Paris
Students practice map skills. In this map skills lesson, students locate the cities of New York and Paris on a map. Students read about the flight made by Charles Lindbergh in May 1927 from New York to Paris. Students answer 8 questions...
Curated OER
Mount Everest History Lesson
Students explore Mount Everest. In this exploration instructional activity, students read "The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest," by Steve Jenkins. Students then respond to discussion questions and participate in a map skills...
Curated OER
Amazon Rainforest
Seventh graders complete a simulation in which they travel through the Amazon rainforest. Using their map skills, they determine the best route and where to see specific plants and animals. They develop their own database to organize...
Curated OER
Nautical Navigation
Young scholars work together to discover the importance of charts while navigating. They complete a worksheet and practice reading maps. They create their own nautical chart to complete the lesson.
Curated OER
Zoo Welcomes Baby Animals
Students engage in activities to gain a better understanding of endangered animals. In these animal lessons, students use vocabulary and comprehension skills to gain a better understanding of endangered animals. They also watch video...
Curated OER
Pilot Takes Off in Kid-Built Plane
Students read a current events news story an answer vocabulary and comprehension questions. In these real world lessons, student use the internet to watch video clips, read blogs, and research pertaining to the planes and pilots. Letter...
Curated OER
Mapping My Community
Ninth graders are introduced to GPS technology. They complete fieldwork as they visit a specific area of their community to identify and map types of land use in the surveyed area. They use the collected data to create a digital map.