Social Studies

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Social Studies Lesson Plans

Civics | Community Helpers | Elections and Voting | Government

High School Social Studies | Kindergarten to Grade 3 Lessons

Grades 3 to 6 Lessons | Middle School Lessons | Native Americans

United States History | World History | Social Studies Worksheets

SS Subject Matter | SS Teaching Resources

  • Abraham Lincoln's House - In this lesson, students will make their own version of his home. This tasty treat is a great way for students to visualize where one of our greatest leaders grew up.
  • America Before and After 9/11 - Where were you during the 9/11 attacks? What were you doing? What do you remember about that day? Students will have a chance to see how this day changed America.
  1. American Flag - This lesson teaches children the answers and lets them make a flag that represents who they are.
  2. American Landmarks - Where is the world's largest ball of twine? How about the tallest building? Students will enjoy embarking on this journey of discovering new places and what those places have to offer.
  3. American Symbols Matching Game - This lesson will not only familiarize students with the various symbols of our country, but they will learn some fun facts about each symbol along the way.
  4. Americans and Their Music - In this lesson, students will explore the differences between musical eras and what elements may have brought about the changes in what we listen to today.
  5. Cave Drawings - Are cave drawings "So easy, even a Caveman could do it", as the popular commercial says? Students will get a chance to try their hand at making similar drawings and learn about their origin and purpose.
  6. Climate Search - Hot, cold, wet, dry... The weather is always changing. How do we know where and when to go on vacation? Climate Zones can help with that!
  7. Code Talker - What's it like to speak in code? What's it like to have a "Top Secret" job? Students will learn about the Navajo code talkers and their contributions to World War II, while using the Navajo dictionary to decipher secret messages.
  8. Code of Hammurabi - This lesson will encourage students to study and compare Hammurabi's laws with the laws we have in today's society. They will be able to explain why the laws were important.
  9. Colonial Children's Games - How much fun can we have while using our imagination? This lesson will stimulate students' creativity and give them a glimpse into the lives of children from the Colonial era, when no electronic devices were present.
  10. Comparing Oil Spills - Oil spills have devastating consequences, both for the environment and for communities. In this lesson, students compare the Exxon Valdez spill with the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico. They look at similarities and differences in the way it happened, how it was contained, and how long it took (or will take) to repair the damage.
  11. Creating the Underground Railroad - This lesson introduces students to the Underground Railroad. They will learn about the places escaping slaves hid, the dangers they faced along the way, and the people that they escaped from.
  12. Cultural Feast - Dust off your chef's hat - it's time to get cooking! We have all seen those cooking shows on T.V. and wondered if those exotic dishes tasted as good as they looked.
  13. Debate on Television's Influence on Culture - This activity will give students an opportunity to debate that question. They will work together to research information and present it in a persuasive argument before a panel of judges.
  14. Doughnut Discrimination - Let's face it. We may be uncomfortable discussing it, but discrimination is everywhere, in one way or another. Students will have a chance to open up about what they have seen and maybe even experienced firsthand.
  15. Effects of the 1929 Stock Market Crash on Different States - This lesson helps students understand the effects the 1929 stock market crash had around the nation. Students will research how the crash affected a particular state and present their findings to a mock committee who will judge which states need help the most.
  16. Evolution of Fighting Tactics in American History - This lesson will help students visualize the different wars America has been involved in and the fighting styles of each one.
  17. Families Are... - The student will be able to create a collage showing different roles within a family and how those family members support each other.
  18. Games from Around the Globe - All kids love their playtime, or do they? Ever wonder what games children play in other countries? Students will have an opportunity to learn this and more as they work together in the following lesson.
  19. Helpers in Your Community - This is an opportunity for students to gain an understanding of the makings of a "community" and the people who give of their time and talents to help others.
  20. Hiding the Jews - German sympathizers hid many Jews from the Nazis. This lesson gives students a taste of what that is like. They are responsible for hiding a classmate from the Nazi officer who will come to the classroom sometime during the week.
  21. How to Avoid the Plague - This is a study of how the Bubonic Plague affected the populations of Europe and Asia, in the Middle Ages, before antibiotics were developed. Students will make public service announcements explaining how the disease is spread and what people can do to stop it.
  22. Immigrants Then and Now - America is made up of immigrants, but how many of us know the process a person goes through when they want to come here? This lesson asks students to research immigration patterns from the late 1890's until now.
  23. Learning About Timelines - Timelines are an important tool in helping us to understand history. In this lesson, students make a timeline of events that happened in their class.
  24. Making a Map - Where am I? Maps are valuable tools for figuring that out. Knowing how to draw and read a map is even better! Students will have lots of fun as they discover the importance of these skills in the following lesson.
  25. Making a Mummy - Is that you, "Mummy"? Students will learn about the history and science of mummification by creating a mummy with an apple.
  26. Mississippi River - The student will be able to give a report on an occupation associated with the Mississippi River now or in the past.
  27. Native American Village - This lesson lets students use their creativity and imagination. They work together to create a replica of a Native American village.
  28. Natural Dyes - This is a lesson to DYE for! Students will learn about the history of natural dyes used to color fabric during the Colonial era.
  29. Plan a Tourist Brochure - The student will be able to create a brochure highlighting one tourist area in their state.
  30. Planning a Medieval Feast - This lesson will help familiarize students with one of the social aspects of the Middle Ages.
  31. Poems With Two Voices of the Holocaust - The students will read a poem with two voices chorally.
  32. President Bingo - This lesson is great to use as a review game of the presidents. Students have to match the facts you name to the correct president.
  33. Presidential Election Timeline - The student will be able to list the major events in order that lead up to Presidential election.
  34. Putting It Back Together - Students will "dig" this. They will learn about how archeologists are similar to detectives when it comes to finding out the origin and use of various artifacts that are uncovered during archeological digs.
  35. Research a Volcano - This project asks students to study the effect a volcano's eruption has on the cities and towns immediately surrounding it.
  36. Segregation - Students will get to experience segregation first hand in this lesson. They will be arbitrarily divided and one side will be treated better than the other.
  37. The Forbidden City - In this lesson, students take a tour of the Forbidden City and then draw a map of what they see. Using the online tours they are able to see so much more than a picture in a textbook can show them.
  38. The Melting Pot - "One of these things is not like the other..." Imagine how boring life in America would be if everyone were alike? Students can learn to celebrate the differences in each other, as well as the different cultures that make up America.
  39. Using a Lock to Move a Boat - How do large, heavy water vessels pass through the shallow parts of a river? Locks! The following experiment will give students a better understanding of how this happens.

Other History Lesson Plans

  1. Age of Imperialism, The- A complete ready-to-use online unit.
  2. Current Events- Students will be able to read newspapers and watch network and local news reports. Students will be able to increase critical thinking skills, analysis and criticism.
  3. Daily Life in Ancient Civilizations- Lesson plans on Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ancient India, and Ancient China.
  4. History Bingo- A new approach to learning.
  5. Making Maps- The students will be able to read a map and follow directions. The students will design their own simple map.
  6. Teachers' Guide to the Professional Cartoonists Index-The largest collection of newspaper editorial cartoons on the web.
  7. The Academy Curriculum Exchange- 200 lesson plans appropriate for all grade levels.

Other History Lessons: American Presidents | Civil War | Flag Day | States of America |