+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 2: The Constitution: Our Guiding Document

For Teachers 3rd - 6th Standards
Explore the structure and content of the US Constitution in the second lesson of this five-part social studies series. A collection of activities, games, and videos complement a class reading of a document summarizing the US...
+
Organizer
Curated OER

Ancient Civilizations: The Ancient Israelites

For Students 7th - 11th
Planning a study of ancient Israel and Mesopotamia (1800-500 B.C.)? Here's a resource packet loaded with activities, exercises, worksheets, and background information that integrates social studies and language arts curriculum.
+
Handout
Stanford University

What Is History?

For Students 5th - 10th Standards
Five important tenets of any social studies class are available for young historians with a poster that defines history as an account of the past. It encourages learners to question reliability of an author's perspective, as well as to...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Discovery Education

Election in the News

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Young people are the future voices of the country. In order to be knowledgeable about local and federal elections, future voters must first become aware. Bring an informative lesson plan to your social studies class, in which middle and...
+
Lesson Plan
Civil War Trust

Genealogy

For Teachers 6th - 9th
The Civil War is undoubtedly a part of America's history, but could it be part of your pupils' history as well? Middle schoolers conduct research to discover a connection between their ancestors and the American Civil War. Whether they...
+
Unit Plan
Kids Voting USA

Kids Voting USA: K-2 Classroom Activities

For Teachers K - 2nd Standards
Address both social studies and critical reading skills with a resource dedicated to the voting process, the American democracy, and the ability to evaluate information in order to develop a stance on an issue. Each themed activity set...
+
Unit Plan
Close Up Foundation

Teach the Vote

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Why is voting important? A social studies unit presents a non-partisan approach to the importance of voting, to voting laws and procedures, and to resources that voters need to become informed voters.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Mikva Challenge

The Great Electoral Race Kickoff

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Do young people care about elections? Host a discussion about the role of young citizens in the electoral process with an engaging social studies lesson. As high schoolers read and respond to four statements about youth interest in...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
C-SPAN

Electoral College Pros/Cons and Alternatives

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
If every vote counts, why do we need the electoral college? Middle and high schoolers study the Constitutional precedent of the electoral college, as well as its place in historical and modern elections, with an engaging social studies...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
C-SPAN

Presidential Candidate Research

For Teachers 7th - 12th Standards
Don't let the young citizens in your social studies class get all their election information from inflammatory commercials and arguing pundits. Use a lesson plan from C-SPAN to guide class members through an election season with a...
+
Lesson Plan
Peace Corps

Defining Culture

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
How has culture shaped you? Middle and high schoolers examine different aspects of one's culture, including religious beliefs, social customs, and family traditions, and discuss the ways that their personalities have been formed by these...
+
Activity
Star Wars in the Classroom

Star Wars Geography Unit

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
What kind of animals live on an ice planet like Hoth? How would the habitat on Tatooine allow different organisms to thrive? Connect social studies, science, and Star Wars in one engaging activity that focuses on the ecosystems of the...
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
Center for History and New Media

Slavery and Free Negroes, 1800 to 1860

For Teachers 4th - 11th Standards
What was life like for enslaved and free black people before the American Civil War? Explore the building tension between states and the freedom of individuals with a thorough social studies lesson. Learners of all ages explore primary...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

From Selma to Montgomery: An Introduction to the 1965 Marches

For Students 6th - 12th
The 1965 Civil Rights marches from Selma to Montgomery and the resulting Voting Rights Act of 1965 are the focus of a social studies lesson. The resource uses film clips to inform viewers not only about the discrimination that gave rise...
+
Lesson Plan
NPR

Progressive Era Lesson Plan

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
The women working for equal rights in the early 20th century weren't a part of one large group; rather, they were members of dozens of small groups focused on social reform. Explore the ways groups in the Progressive Era like National...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

The Sixties: Dylan Plugs in and Sells Out

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Before Woodstock, there was Newport. Get plugged in to the social changes of the 1960s with a lesson that looks at Bob Dylan's performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival as a symbol of the radical changes that marked the era.
+
Lesson Plan
1
1
US Institute of Peace

Perspectives on Peace

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Is peace simply the absence of war, or is there more to the story? Young social scientists define peace in the second installment of a 15-part series. Groups work together to explore cultural concepts of peace and the peacemaking process...
+
Lesson Plan
3
3
US Institute of Peace

Maintaining Trusting Relationships

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What role does trust play in diffusing a tense situation? Young social scientists explore trust on a personal and global level during a lesson on peace and conflict. After participating in a trust sit, participants work in groups to...
+
Lesson Plan
National History Day

Poetry from the Trenches of World War I

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Often, the real-life experiences of soldiers gets lost back home when the war seems so far away. Scholars investigate the personal side of World War I in the trenches of Europe to complete a collaborative social studies activity. When...
+
Lesson Plan
iCivics

Step 2: Find What You Need

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Have you ever searched for something on the web only to get 50,000 results? Scholars analyze ways to break down an inquiry to get specific results. The second installment of a 10-part County Solutions - High School series researches...
+
Lesson Plan
Facing History and Ourselves

The Nazis in Power: Propaganda and Conformity

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
The Nazis used the power of propaganda to encourage confirmative views and the discrimination of Jews. A social studies resource illustrates these issues through discussion, image analysis, and a writing exercise.
+
Lesson Plan
Australian Human Rights Commission

Introduction to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
Human rights became a global focus after decades of war, recovery from war, and uncountable war crimes committed throughout. Social studies class members discuss the Universal Declaration of Human Rights before completing an interactive...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

Ken Burns: Jackie Robinson Living in Jim Crow America

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Your class members may know that Jackie Robinson was the first African American man to play Major League Baseball, but they may not be aware of his efforts to achieve social justice. A clip from Ken Burns: The Jackie Robinson Collection...
+
Lesson Plan
PBS

Ken Burns: Jackie Robinson - A Journey Back to Separate but Equal Conditions

For Students 9th - 12th Standards
Baseball great Jackie Robinson fought for social justice. His efforts to push for equal access are detailed in an episode from from the Ken Burns: The Jackie Robinson Collection. After viewing the clip, class members engage in a series...

Other popular searches