Containing more than 50 articles from the award-winning Tar Heel Junior Historian magazine and over 40 lesson plans, this multidisciplinary Educator Notebook will enrich your exploration of North Carolina and American history with diverse perspectives. This resource's link takes you to a very short form that gives you free downloadable access to the complete PDF book.

During this lesson, students compare and contrast economic factors in the US colonies/states of the 1780’s and present day US. The students explore and discuss issues and problems related to these factors as they compare and contrast these two time periods. This lesson gives students a context for understanding the development of our government as they learn about the time period in which it was first developed and discuss the problems that the founders faced. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

This task helps students summarize and review a period of history and can be used with any time and/or place. Students begin by recalling important events, particularly conflicts, within a particular time period and then compare, contrast, and evaluate those events with a focus on the impact of the events at the time in which they occurred and beyond. This lesson was developed by NCDPI as part of the Academically and/or Intellectually Gifted Instructional Resources Project. This lesson plan has been vetted at the state level for standards alignment, AIG focus, and content accuracy.

This project is done with research and using Minecraft: Education Edition. Students will be working as a group of settlers that have landed on the coast of Virginia, survive while building the Jamestown Colony. Some research will be done pre-building in order for the students to get an idea for the purpose of the settlers coming to Jamestown. After the project is completed students will reflect on working in a hostile environment while working virtual strangers to survive and thrive in a new land. The lesson aligns with 5th grade Social Studies but could be used by other grade levels with minimal remixing. It will require all students to have access to the game and computers capable of running the game.

Fifth grade students in Michigan begin their study of American history with American Indian peoples before the arrival of European explorers and conclude with the adoption of the Bill of Rights in 1791.

This 5th Grade Social Studies Unit supports the understanding of the role of various people, events, and ideas in shaping the United States. 

Students will be able to understand the role of various people, events, and ideas in shaping the United States. Strategies included: Process GridObservation ChartsCognitive Content DictionaryPictorial Input Chart