As a former teacher, I have 11 years’ worth of lesson plans that I am slowly rolling out that I want to share with you. Most of them below are free for you to use, but some are paid.
All of them are based on the 2004, 2008, and 2012 Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs).
I also enjoyed teaching Civics and Economics, as well as Government, and am slowly adding my plans. One unit I was able to shoehorn into my teaching was The Stock Market Game. I taught those courses for about 6 years.
At one point, I was scheduled to teach AP Psychology, but that fell through. I ended up with some limited lesson plans.
Student’s will research an animal, complete a writing assignment, and describe how humans have interacted with the animals. Upon completion of the assignment student’s will view Madagascar I, Madagascar II, and Madagascar III and answer questions Student’s read a brief outline of Madagascar and answer 10 questions. Students then complete some zoological questions regarding different animal species. For more World Geography Lesson Plans Click Here.
Madagascar Reading Students read an outline of the country of Madagascar and answer 10 questions. Students then complete some zoological questions prior to watching the film.
Madgascar Activity I Teacher Answers for the above activity. Note that this packet also contains additional activities.
Collapse is a National Geographic film that looks at societies in the past for how they collapsed and disappeared. It’s a good film to use with the lesson plans below as it forces students to think critically about current society.
Premium Lesson Plans
I have a set of premium lesson plans you can use with the film. It has a viewing guide and a student discussion sheet where they analyze three different cultures(Anasazi, Vikings, Easter Islanders), complete charts, and answer questions. As well as a PowerPoint to help lead a discussion and provide instruction.
If you’re not interested in the premium lesson plans you can use the free handouts I’ve reworked from a Tread Lightly lesson plan to make your own. It contains three different cultures students need to analyze as well as a review of the causes and consequences of Climate Change.
Film: Note: Full copies may be purchased from National Geographic. The video below comes in parts.
Standards: The student will demonstrate knowledge of cultural, economic, and social conditions in developed and developing nations of the contemporary world by
Objectives: Analyzing the increasing impact of terrorism.
Lesson Plans: Introduction: A Bell-ringer activity
Notes: Students copy-down and discuss teacher generated notes
Activities: Students complete various in class activities to support learning including video analysis, maps, charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, worksheets, text-book questions, group discussion, KWL Charts etc.
Assessment: Informal, Formal, Exit-Questions, Teacher Questioning. Quizzes, Tests, Projects.
Essential Knowledge:
Examples of international terrorism
• Munich Olympics
• Terrorist attacks in the United States
(e.g., 9/11/2001) motivated by extremism (Osama bin Laden).
• Car bombings
• Suicide bombers
• Airline hijackers Governmental responses to terrorist activities
• Surveillance
• Review of privacy rights
• Security at ports and airports
• Identification badges and photos
Activities that support lesson plans Terrorism Analysis chart Questions Questions for use with Chart in World History II Scope and Sequence.
Lesson Plans: World History II SOL 16c Economic Interdependence
Standards: The student will demonstrate knowledge of cultural, economic, and social conditions in developed and developing nations of the contemporary world by
Objectives: Describing economic interdependence, including the rise of multinational corporations, international organizations, and trade agreements.
Lesson Plans: Introduction: A Bell-ringer activity
Notes: Students copy-down and discuss teacher generated notes
Activities: Students complete various in class activities to support learning including video analysis, maps, charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, worksheets, text-book questions, group discussion, KWL Charts etc.
Assessment: Informal, Formal, Exit-Questions, Teacher Questioning. Quizzes, Tests, Projects.
Essential Knowledge:
Economic interdependence
• Role of rapid transportation, communication, and computer networks
• Rise and influence of multinational corporations
• Changing role of international boundaries
• Regional integration, e.g., European Union
• Trade agreements, e.g., North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), World Trade Organization (WTO)
• International organizations, e.g., United Nations (UN), International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Lesson Plans World History II 16b Developed and Developing Countries
Standards: The student will demonstrate knowledge of cultural, economic, and social conditions in developed and developing nations of the contemporary world by
Objectives: assessing the impact of economic development and global population growth on the environment and society, including an understanding of the links between economic and political freedom.
Lesson Plans: Introduction: A Bell-ringer activity
Notes: Students copy-down and discuss teacher generated notes
Activities: Students complete various in class activities to support learning including video analysis, maps, charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, worksheets, text-book questions, group discussion, KWL Charts etc.
Assessment: Informal, Formal, Exit-Questions, Teacher Questioning. Quizzes, Tests, Projects.
Essential Knowledge:
Contrasts between developed and developing nations
• Geographic locations of major developed and developing countries
• Economic conditions
• Social conditions (literacy, access to health care)
• Population size and rate of growth Factors affecting environment and society
• Economic development
• Rapid population growth Environmental challenges
• Pollution
• Loss of habitat
• Global climate change Social challenges
• Poverty
• Poor health
• Illiteracy
• Famine
• Migration Relationship between economic and political freedom
• Free market economies produce rising standards
of living and an expanding middle class, which produces growing demands for political freedoms and individual rights. Recent examples include Taiwan and South Korea.
Lesson Plans World History II 16a Refugees, Conflict, and Technology
Standards: The student will demonstrate knowledge of cultural, economic, and social conditions in developed and developing nations of the contemporary world by
Objectives: identifying contemporary political issues, with emphasis on migrations of refugees and others, ethnic/religious conflicts, and the impact of technology, including chemical and biological technologies.
Lesson Plans: Introduction: A Bell-ringer activity
Notes: Students copy-down and discuss teacher generated notes
Activities: Students complete various in class activities to support learning including video analysis, maps, charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, worksheets, text-book questions, group discussion, KWL Charts etc.
Assessment: Informal, Formal, Exit-Questions, Teacher Questioning. Quizzes, Tests, Projects.
Essential Knowledge Migrations of refugees and others
• Refugees as an issue in international conflicts
• Migrations of “guest workers” to European cities Ethnic and religious conflicts
• Middle East
• Northern Ireland
• Balkans
• Horn of Africa
• South Asia Impact of new technologies
• Widespread but unequal access to computers and instantaneous communications
• Genetic engineering and bioethics
Standard: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the influence of Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism in the contemporary world by
Objective: 15a: describing their beliefs, sacred writings, traditions, and customs.
15b: locating the geographic distribution of religions in the contemporary world.
Lesson Plans:
Introduction: A Bell-ringer activity
Notes: Students copy-down and discuss teacher generated notes
Activities: Students complete various in class activities to support learning including video analysis, maps, charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, worksheets, text-book questions, group discussion, KWL Charts etc.
Assessment: Informal, Formal, Exit-Questions, Teacher Questioning. Quizzes, Tests, Projects.
Essential Knowledge:
SOL 15a: World Religions Judaism
• Monotheism
• Ten Commandments of moral and religious conduct
• Torah: Written records and beliefs of the Jews Christianity
• Monotheism
• Jesus as Son of God
• Life after death
• New Testament: Life and teachings of Jesus
• Establishment of Christian doctrines by early church councils Islam
• Monotheism
• Muhammad, the prophet
• Qur’an (Koran)
• Five Pillars of Islam
• Mecca and Medina Buddhism
• Founder: Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
• Four Noble Truths
• Eightfold Path to Enlightenment
• Spread of Buddhism from India to China and other parts of Asia, resulting from Asoka’s missionaries and their writings Hinduism
• Many forms of one God
• Reincarnation: Rebirth based upon karma
• Karma: Knowledge that all thoughts and actions result in future consequences
SOL 15b: Geographic distribution of world’s major religions
• Judaism: Concentrated in Israel and North America
• Christianity: Concentrated in Europe and North and South America
• Islam: Concentrated in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia
• Hinduism: Concentrated in India
• Buddhism: Concentrated in East and Southeast Asia
Lesson Plans World History II SOL 14c Creation of Israel and Middle East States
Standard: The student will demonstrate knowledge of political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of independence movements and development efforts by
Objective: describing the end of the mandate system and the creation of states in the Middle East, including the roles of Golda Meir and Gamal Abdul Nasser.
Lesson Plans:
Introduction: A Bell-ringer activity
Notes: Students copy-down and discuss teacher generated notes
Activities: Students complete various in class activities to support learning including video analysis, maps, charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, worksheets, text-book questions, group discussion, KWL Charts etc.
Assessment: Informal, Formal, Exit-Questions, Teacher Questioning. Quizzes, Tests, Projects.
Essential Knowledge:
Mandates in the Middle East
• Established by the League of Nations
• Granted independence after World War II
• Resulted in Middle East conflicts created by religious differences French mandates in the Middle East
• Syria
• Lebanon
British mandates in the Middle East
• Jordan (originally Transjordan)
• Palestine (a part became independent as the State of Israel)
Golda Meir
• Prime Minister of Israel
• After initial setbacks, led Israel to victory in Yom Kippur War
• Sought support of United States
Gamal Abdul Nasser
• President of Egypt
• Nationalized Suez Canal
• Established relationship with Soviet Union
• Built Aswan High Dam
Activities that support lesson plans
Mid East Locations: A student handout that lists important locations in the Middle East
Lesson Plans World History II SOL 14b African Independence
Standard: The student will demonstrate knowledge of political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of independence movements and development efforts by
Objective: describing Africa’s achievement of independence, including Jomo Kenyatta’s leadership of Kenya and Nelson Mandela’s role in South Africa.
Lesson Plans:
Introduction: A Bell-ringer activity
Notes: Students copy-down and discuss teacher generated notes
Activities: Students complete various in class activities to support learning including video analysis, maps, charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, worksheets, text-book questions, group discussion, KWL Charts etc.
Assessment: Informal, Formal, Exit-Questions, Teacher Questioning. Quizzes, Tests, Projects.
Essential Knowledge:
The independence movement in Africa
• Right to self-determination (U.N. charter)
• Peaceful and violent revolutions after World War II
• Pride in African cultures and heritage
• Resentment of imperial rule and economic exploitation
• Loss of colonies by Great Britain, France, Belgium, and Portugal; influence of superpower rivalry during the Cold War
Examples of independence movements and subsequent development efforts
• West Africa: Peaceful transition
• Algeria: War of Independence from France
• Kenya (Britain): Violent struggle under leadership of Jomo Kenyatta
• South Africa: Black South Africans’ struggle against apartheid led by Nelson Mandela, who became the first black president of the Republic of South Africa
Lesson Plans World History II SOL 14a: Indian Independence and Gandhi
Standard WH II:
The student will demonstrate knowledge of political, economic, social, and cultural aspects of independence movements and development efforts by
Objectives: Describing the struggles for self-rule, including Gandhi’s leadership in India and the development of India’s democracy.
Lesson Plans:
Introduction: A Bell-ringer activity
Notes: Students copy-down and discuss teacher generated notes
Activities: Students complete various in class activities to support learning including video analysis, maps, charts, diagrams, graphic organizers, worksheets, text-book questions, group discussion, KWL Charts etc.
Assessment: Informal, Formal, Exit-Questions, Teacher Questioning. Quizzes, Tests, Projects.
Essential Knowledge: Regional setting for the Indian independence movement
• Indian sub-continent
• British India
• India
• Pakistan (formerly West Pakistan)
• Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan)
• Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) Evolution of the Indian independence movement
• British rule in India
• Indian National Congress
• Leadership of Mohandas Gandhi
• Role of civil disobedience and passive resistance
• Political division along Hindu-Muslim lines — Pakistan/India
• Republic of India
– World’s largest democratic nation
– Federal system, giving many powers to the states Indian democracy
• Jawaharlal Nehru, a close associate of Gandhi, supported western-style industrialization.
• 1950 Constitution sought to prohibit caste discrimination.
• Ethnic and religious differences caused problems in the development of India as a democratic nation.
• New economic development has helped to ease financial problems of the nation.
