Social Studies & Civics Resources

Based on the "Inquiry Design Model" that emphasizes student inquiry in social studies instruction - including geography. These free lessons, or “inquiries,” are K-12 leveled and also cover all other sub-disciplines of social studies (Ancient/European/World/U.S. history, Civics/U.S. government, economics), as well as state history, local history, and human rights. Each instructional inquiry is framed around a compelling question, and all related formative/summative performance tasks, subject matter-specific texts, and suggestions for extending the inquiry are included.

If you need a lesson plan, map, or demographic data about population growth, the Minnesota Alliance for Geographic Education (MAGE) website contains links to curriculum and resources related to geography topics at the state, national and global levels.

The National Council for Geographic Education (NCGE) is a professional organization for geography teachers and provides free and classroom-ready materials for both members and non-members. By navigating to the NCGE resource library, users can type in geography-related search term such as maps, climate, migration and be provided with lessons and other resources. While some of the materials are aligned to AP geography, there are many others that can be used in the elementary and secondary grade level classrooms.

National Geographic's education resources offer numerous, free, leveled materials on a variety of topics related to geography, the environment, and human migration. The searchable content includes articles, interactives, infographics, maps, and videos. Teachers can customize, print and/or share black line maps and there is also a feature where students can create and view interactive maps. In addition, educators from all over the world can can connect and share with each other through National Geographic's free online courses for educators.