Lesson Plans for Social Studies

Society and classrooms both require special helpers to keep things running smoothly. In this lesson, students will explore the people that help their community operate and take on some special jobs of their own to help in their classroom.

Integrate reading, writing, and social studies in this lesson about famous jazz musicians! This lesson would fit perfectly in a unit about biographies or Black History Month.

Look all around! In this lesson, students will use real-life examples and an interactive mapping activity to identify the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west.

In this lesson, students will use an informational text passage to ask and answer questions. Using biographies, your students will learn about two famous figures in history.

Natural landmarks are a source of wonder and fascination, and they encourage people’s imaginations. Students will get a chance to use their imaginations in this lesson where social studies and writing combine.

Settlers began arriving to build homes for themselves in America in the early bits of the 17th century. In this lesson, your students will learn a little about what it took to leave home and become a settler.

Fully adaptable, this lesson can be used to to highlight African American leaders, famous women, veterans, or any other group of individuals who have acted heroically and have positively influenced our nation!

Can your class name the Native American tribes? In this lesson that integrates social studies with language arts, students will research the tribes of Native Americans who lived in various regions of the United States!

Holidays are an exciting part of a child’s life, and Valentine's Day can make winter a little brighter! As students celebrate and explore the fun of Valentine's Day through activity centers, a loving feeling will soon fill the air.

It's time to take out the trash! Educate your students on the history of garbage in America, including the effects our pollution have had on the environment and what we can do to make it better.

What do you use to make what you need? Resources! Students will explore the three kinds of resources producers use to create the products the use and sell.

Let's scout out the states in the United States! In this jigsaw lesson, students will explore individual states, create a state collage, and share their knowledge with other students in the class.

How does a bill become a law? Help your students figure out the answer with this engaging, hands-on social studies lesson.

Thanksgiving offers an opportunity to teach young students about early days in the original colonies. Students will discover the purpose and people involved in the first Thanksgiving and share their knowledge in the form of a pageant.

Holy cow! Did President George W. Bush really have a longhorn named Ofelia as a pet? Students learn about wacky White House pets in this fun research activity that includes “president interviews” and a pet choice writing page.

Kids will enjoy hearing the story On Market Street as they become familiar with goods and services. From apples to zippers, students will understand how people buy goods, and how others provide services in our lives.

By combining world and personal events, students will understand how their lives fir together with major events. Your kids will love learning all kinds of new facts about themselves and seeing their history on display.

Learn how the languages of people indigenous to North America have contributed American English. Each student will research a word derived from an indigenous language and design a page for a class book featuring up to 30 indigenous words.

Students will use their artistic and directional skills as they practice drawing maps and giving directions. By the time it’s done, everyone will know which way is the right way to go!

Give students an opportunity to show what they know! In this lesson, students will review key terms and construct a map of a familiar place. Whether it’s school or home, or a make believe place, students will enjoy mapping their world.

Students will have the time of their lives, as they represent their school day on a timeline. From the moment they wake up to the end of school, students will enjoy communicating their day in chronological order.

Students will be given information on the three branches of the US government. This is an introduction where students fill out information.

Help your students “picture” the difference between goods and services! In this lesson which integrates art, reading, and social studies, your students will both find and create examples of goods and services.

In this hands on activity students will explore the advantages and disadvantages of specialization and interdependence through their creation of paper bugs.