See recent Lesson Plans of the Day below.
For additional lessons see the Lesson Plan of the Day Archive,
our Lesson Planning Channel, or our Social Sciences Center.
Gap vs. Old Navy: Mapping Brand Names Across the U.S.
Use the MapMuse online tool to map brand names across the U.S. (Grades 3-12) 11/15/2006
Remember Our Soldiers
There are many special ways to recognize our soldiers this Veterans Day. (Grades K-12) 10/23/2006
Where Did Foods Originate?
Explore how New World explorers changed the Old World's diet. (Grades K-12) 10/02/2006
Monarch Butterfly Migration Map
Create a map to illustrate the migration of monarch butterflies. (Grades 4-8) 09/29/2006
Where Am I?
Use latitude and longitude to identify volcano locations. (Grades 6-12) 07/19/2006
Those Tear-Me-Apart, Put-Me-Back-Together, Never-Be-the-Same-Again Blues
This powerful activity illustrates how words can hurt -- or heal. (Grades Pre-K - 8) 07/17/2006
Every Day Is Presidents' Day at the White House
Young students role play being President of the United States. (Grades K-3) 07/07/2006
Global Economy: A Simple Activity
Explore where in the world things we use come from. (Grades 3-12) 06/29/2006
Thinking About Our Troops
A handful of ways to connect students with our overseas troops. (Grades K-12) 06/23/2006
Retablo-Style Self-Portraits
Celebrate Frida Kahlo's birthday. Create self-portraits in the style of her art. (Grades 3-12) 06/22/2006
Drafting the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence: compare Jefferson's draft with the final version. (Grades 6-12) 06/21/2006
Native American Misconceptions
Blast students' stereotypes about Native Americans. (Grades K-5) 06/16/2006
Presidential Eligibility
Could Britney Spears be elected president? Derek Jeter? (Grades 3-12) 06/12/2006
Bark Art
Learn about Australia's Aborigines, create Aboriginal bark art. (Grades K-5) 06/09/2006
Create a Globe
Make globes from balloons and a paper-paste mixture. (Grades 3-5) 06/08/2006
Hang a Flag Mural
Greet school visitors with a student-created flag mural. (Grades K-12) 05/19/2006
The Average Kid
Create visual profiles of the "average" boy/girl in your class. (Grades 3-8) 05/18/2006
The Wall Inspires Letters to Veterans
Inspire students to write letters to veterans at local hospitals. (Grades K-12) 05/11/2006
Reacting to Conflict
Explore different ways people deal with conflict. (Grades 6-8) 05/09/2006
"Two Diamond Baseball" Review Game
This "baseball" game can be used to reinforce skills in any subject. (Grades K-12) 05/04/2006
Where in the World Is That Volcano?
Locate active volcanoes on a world map. (Grades 3-8) 05/03/2006
Map a World of Facts
On a world map mark ten places associated with these fun facts. (Grades 4-8) 04/26/2006
Postmark U.S.A.
Collect postmarks; track them on a classroom map. (Grades K-8) 04/25/2006
Crazy Laws: There Must Have Been a Good Reason?
Investigate some crazy laws on Law Day, May 1. (Grades 5-12) 04/20/2006
Hoot, the Movie -- and Classroom Activities Too
Integrate these teaching activities provided by the movie's producers. (Grades 5-8) 04/06/2006
Egg Hunt Reinforces Math, Language Skills
Do it indoors -- or take kids outdoors for a fun learning activity and a little exercise. (Grades K-8) 03/29/2006
Geography Twister
Students exercise while they play this fun geography game based on Twister. (Grades K-12) 03/28/2006
"Place the State" Game
Can students correctly place all 50 states on a U.S. map? (Grades 3-8) 03/21/2006
George Washington Teaches Map Directions
If students follow "directions," they'll have a picture of George Washington. (Grades 3-8) 02/13/2006
Triangles Are Not Bad!
Perform a play about prejudice, tolerance. (Grades K-4) 01/23/2006
If the World Were a Village…
A popular picture book leads to lessons in multicultural awareness, graph-making, more. (Grades K-12) 01/16/2006
Chinese New Year: A Simple Lesson in Debt, Percent, and Loan
Interest
A Chinese New Year tradition lends itself to a simple lesson in percent and loan interest. (Grades 5-12) 01/12/2006
There Is Always Something You Can Do
Teach a song to help students deal with anger. (Grades K-2) 01/03/2006
Mapping the Most Common U.S. City Names
Map the locations of the most common city names in the U.S. (Grades 4-12) 12/13/2005
Comparing Countries
Graphic organizer helps compare, contrast countries. (Grades 3-12) 12/08/2005
"Bursting" Stereotypes
Burst stereotypes in this fun balloon activity. (Grades 3-12) 11/30/2005
Teaching About Tolerance Through Music
Analyze Peter, Paul and Mary lyrics with themes of tolerance. (Grades 3-12) 11/14/2005
Thanksgiving Placemats: A Community Service Project
Make Thanksgiving placemats as a community service project. (Grades Pre-K-12) 11/11/2005
Turkeys Gobble Up Bulletin Board Space
Two fun ways for turkeys to gobble up bulletin board space. (Grades K-5) 11/09/2005
Thanksgiving Feast (Read the Charts)
Learn about where some Thanksgiving feast foods are grown. 11/03/2005
Surname Survey
Use a local phone book to learn if your community reflects U.S. surname data. (Grades 3-12) 10/27/2005
U.S. Puzzle Map Bulletin Board
Research the states, then create a U.S. puzzle map bulletin board for fun and reference. (Grades 3-8) 10/26/2005
Native American Word Search
Complete a Native American tribe word search. (Grades 3-8) 10/17/2005
Celebrate Character Counts Week in October
Ten ideas for celebrating, plus links to many more. (Grades PreK-12) 10/14/2005
Water Use Around the World
Students compare their water use with water use in other places around the world. (Grades 3-12) 10/12/2005
Read a Fall Foliage Map
Use a color key to read a fall foliage map. Printable work sheet included. (Grades 3-8) 10/10/2005
Those Tear-Me-Apart, Put-Me-Back-Together, Never-Be-the-Same-Again
Blues
This powerful activity illustrates how words can hurt -- or heal. (Grades Pre-K - 8) 10/07/2005
Halloween Party Alternatives from UNICEF
Replace your typical school Halloween party with a valuable service-learning project. (Grades PreK-12) 10/06/2005
Go West With Columbus
This game board activity reinforces map skills, map directions. (Grades K-5) 09/30/2005
Motherhood Math: Mothers in the Workforce
Answer questions about a "Mothers in the Workforce" table. (Grades 3-12) 09/27/2005
Map Projections: The Grapefruit Activity
A fun hands-on activity makes clear the purposes of different map projections. (Grades 6-12) 09/20/2005
A Better Class of Journal-ists
Create a current events news folder, reflect on the news and main ideas. (Grades K-12) 09/19/2005
Hispanic Heritage Activity Fun
Puzzles, activities for celebrating Hispanic heritage. (Grades 3-12) 09/15/2005
Then and Now
Compare, contrast current and historical maps of your community. (Grades 3-12) 09/12/2005
Pinwheels for Peace
Create "pinwheels for peace" to celebrate International World Peace Day (September 21). (Grades K-12) 09/08/2005
Memorable Maps
"Memorable maps" lesson shows a year of geography skill growth. (Grades K-12) 08/25/2005
ZIP Code Math
Students add or subtract to solve ZIP Code math word problems. (Grades 3-12) 08/24/2005
Earth at Night
Identify 10 cities on an "Earth at Night" map. (Grades 3-12) 08/23/2005
Ten Characters from American Folklore
Learn about 10 characters from American folklore. (Grades 3-12) 08/15/2005
Proverbs of One World
Create a book of proverbs that offer lessons of tolerance and respect. (Grades 3-12) 08/11/2005
Create a Country
Students apply geography skills as they create a map of an imaginary country. (Grades 3-12) 08/08/2005
Hang a Flag Mural
Greet school visitors with a student-created flag mural. (Grades K-12) 07/22/2005
Australia: Lessons About the 'Land Down Under'!
Learn about Australia's culture, geography, language… (Grades K-12) 07/14/2005
Stage a Debate: A Primer for Teachers
Ten strategies for creating lively debates in the classroom. (Grades 3-12) 07/11/2005
Where in the World?
Locate famous landmarks around the world; develop research skills. (Grades 3-8) 07/06/2005
Thinking About Our Troops
A handful of ways to connect students with our overseas troops. (Grades K-12) 07/06/2005
Round Robin Post-It Review
Small-group activity a fun way to review, prep students for test. (Grades K-12) 06/24/2005
Four Corner Debate
The "four corner" debate strategy gets kids thinking and moving. (Grades K-12) 06/20/2005
A World of Information
Color maps to illustrate "top ten" statistics about our world. (Grades 3-12) 06/14/2005
Arbor Day Across the United States -- A Color-Key Map Activity
Use a color key map to learn about planting times in the U.S. (Grades 3-8) 06/01/2005
This Is America! Flag Collage
Make a flag collage from cut-up magazine photos. (Grades K-12) 05/27/2005
Who Are Your Heroes?
Work sheet helps students organize their "Who is my hero?” thinking. (Grades 3-8) 05/24/2005
What Makes a Hero?
A questionnaire helps students define what makes a hero. (Grades 3-12) 05/23/2005
Use Literature to Teach Tolerance
Use popular literature to teach tolerance. (Grades Pre-K - 12) 05/20/2005
What's in a Name?
Use clues to identify U.S. cities with unusual names. (Grades 3-12) 05/18/2005
Working on the Slant
Learn about slant by comparing how several newspapers cover a story. (Grades 3-12) 05/17/2005
The Wall Inspires Letters to Veterans
Inspire students to write letters to veterans at local hospitals. (Grades K-12) 05/13/2005
Made in...
Plot the sources of students' clothing on a world map. (Grades 3-5) 05/12/2005
Fifty States Field Day
Fifty States Field Day "exercises" geography skills. (Grades Pre-K - 12) 05/11/2005
Passport to Stories Around the World
Students fill out a passport as they read tales from each continent. (Grades K-12) 05/06/2005
The Wall Inspires Letters to Veteran
Inspire students to write letters to veterans at local hospitals. (Grades K-12) 04/28/2005
Every Day Is Presidents' Day at the White House
Young students role play being President of the United States. (Grades K-3) 04/20/2005
Kids Bullying Kids
Survey, discuss data about bullying in your school. (Grades 3-8) 04/14/2005
Bark Art
Learn about Australia's Aborigines, create Aboriginal bark art. (Grades K-5) 04/13/2005
Junk Mail Overload!
Students track, graph the amount of junk mail their families receive. (Grades 3-12) 04/08/2005
Geography Bee
Hold a classroom Geography Bee. (Grades 3-12) 03/25/2005
By The Numbers
Use a chart to answer questions about Native populations in U.S. states. (Grades 3-8) 03/21/2005
Reacting to Conflict
Explore different ways people deal with conflict. (Grades 6-8) 03/03/2005
Postmark U.S.A.:
Collect postmarks; track them on a classroom map. (Grades K-8) 02/18/2005
Where Am I?
Use latitude and longitude to identify volcano locations. (Grades 6-12) 02/15/2005
Help Wanted: President of the United States
Learn about the President's responsibilities; write a want ad for the position. (Grades 3-12) 02/10/2005
Honor Your School and Community Heroes
Students create special event or award to honor a community hero. (Grades K-12) 02/09/2005
President for a Day
Students pretend they are president for a day. (Grades K-8) 02/08/2005
Presidents Picture Book
Create a picture book of U.S. presidents. (Grades K-8) 02/04/2005
A Month of Mapping Literature
Use literature to take your students on a world tour. (Grades 3-12) 01/31/2005
Editorial Cartoons
Study editorial cartoons; create your own. (Grades 9-12) 01/20/2005
Native American Recipes
Make journey cakes and other Native American foods. (Grades K-12) 01/13/2005
Triangles Are Not Bad!
Perform a play about prejudice, tolerance. (Grades K-4) 01/05/2005
Retablo-Style Self-Portraits
Create self-portraits in the style of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. (Grades 3-12) 01/04/2005
Where in the World Is That Volcano?
Locate active volcanoes on a world map. (Grades 3-8) 01/03/2005
Inner Circle/Outer Circle Debate Strategy
Inner/outer circle debate strategy emphasizes listening to others' views. (Grades 3-12) 12/15/2004
Map Your Favorite Sports Team's Next Road Trip
Use maps to chart a favorite sports team's next road trip. (Grades 3-12) 11/23/2004
The Average Kid
Create visual profiles of the "average" boy/girl in your class. (Grades 3-8) 11/22/2004
Native American Misconceptions
Blast students' stereotypes about Native Americans. (Grades K-5) 11/18/2004
Drafting the Declaration of Independence
The Declaration of Independence: compare Jefferson's draft with the final version. (Grades 6-12) 11/17/2004
There Is Always Something You Can Do
Teach a song to help students deal with anger. (Grades K-2) 11/16/2004
Piecing It Together!
Use tiny pieces of state maps as clues to figuring out the state. (Grades 3-12) 11/15/2004
The Wall Inspires Letters to
Veterans
Inspire students to write letters to veterans at local hospitals. (Grades K-12) 10/29/2004
Globe Game
Challenging "Globe Game" develops geography skills. (Grades K-12) 10/28/2004
Electoral Versus Popular Vote
A simple lesson teaches about workings of the Electoral College. 10/26/2004
Track the Polls
Students track poll results before Election Day. (Grades 6-12) 10/12/2004
Create a New Amendment
Work in groups to propose a new amendment to the Constitution. (Grades 6-12) 10/04/2004
Nuts for Peanuts! --
Peanut Plants, Peanut Timeline, and Peanut-s-timation!
Peanuts spur activities across the curriculum and across the grades. (Grades K-5) 09/23/04
And You Thought Gasoline Was Expensive!
Compare the cost of a gallon of gas to a gallon of other liquids. (Grades 3-12) 09/15/04
Review Game
This review game can be adapted to any subject, any grade. (Grades K-12) 09/09/04
Geography Twister
Students exercise while they play this fun geography game based on Twister. (Grades K-12) 09/03/04
Take a Stand
A unique, fun approach to a classroom discussion/debate. (Grades 3-12) 08/26/04
Simon Says "Who Are You?"
This Simon Says game highlights students’ similarities, differences. (Grades K-5) 08/18/04
Planet X
Create a Bill of Rights for a colony you are founding on a distant planet. (Grades 3-8) 08/17/04
Comparing Ancient and Modern Olympic Games
Create a Venn diagram to compare ancient and modern Olympic Games. (Grades 3-12) 08/16/04
Classroom Olympics
Create your own classroom Olympics. 08/13/04
|
