Just as you can make a classroom map and add all the places you learn about, you can also make a classroom timeline and add all the events you learn about. One option is to use Timeglider, which describes itself as “like Google Maps, but for time.” We started a… Continue reading
Kites make a terrific classroom theme to wind up the year, or for summer school. Kites were used before written history in many places in the Pacific, from the Solomon Islands to New Zealand. Archaeological evidence and oral history suggest that kites were used for fishing and for ceremonial purposes… Continue reading
Developed in China and brought back to Italy by Marco Polo, fireworks are a sign of celebration all over the world. There is limited agreement about the origins of fireworks. Gunpowder, it is generally agreed, was discovered in China during the Song Dynasty (960-1280 AD) and was used as a… Continue reading
When you study the United States and its three branches of government, you’ll find that the judicial branch includes lots of courts. But one of those courts is particularly important: the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court currently has 9 members. Online resources StreetLaw has an interesting collection of resources for… Continue reading
The United States has three branches of government. Here are lesson plans and resources to help your students get to know all three. The executive branch The President of the United States, the Vice President of the United States, the president’s staff, and the cabinet are members of the executive… Continue reading
Galileo Galilei was an astronomer, mathematician and physicist who is sometimes called the Father of Modern Science because of his use of observation and experimentation, which we now call the scientific method. We’d like to share with you some of our favorite lesson plans for learning about the life and… Continue reading
A car theme works for any grade level, from the cutest cartoon car for little kids to examinations of physics and engineering for advanced science students. You can use the concept of a race, of revving up or tuning up skills, or of a road trip along the information superhighway.… Continue reading
IN 2013, a grand total of 3,000 American college students studied Farsi, the Persian language. Social studies standards in many states are Eurocentric, presenting Ancient Persia only as an empire conquered by Greece. Yet our students hear about Iran — modern Persia — on the news with some frequency. Why… Continue reading
One of the challenges in teaching ancient history is that it’s easy for students to get the idea that Ancient Egypt happened… and then Ancient Greece happened… and then Ancient Rome happened… and then came the Middle Ages. Especially when ancient history comes in pieces, as Greek mythology… Continue reading
April is Alcohol Awareness Month, but you can use these plans whenever you tackle this topic. Good or Bad? Unlike many of the drugs you look at during Drug Awareness lessons, alcohol is legal for adults and probably used in many of your students’ homes. To open your students’ minds… Continue reading
