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Adolescent girl standing in front of sign at Old Faithful Geyser

Inspire Discovery

America’s Field Trip takes learning beyond the classroom, giving students the chance to experience firsthand the places that have shaped our nation and build a deeper connection with America’s history and culture.

Below, educators will find standards-aligned lesson plans and ready-to-use classroom activities powered by Discovery Education’s award-winning platform. These resources provide instructional inspiration and are designed with multiple levels of inquiry and discovery — making them engaging for students and easy to integrate into the lesson cycle.

Educator Guide

This educator-facing instructional video has a companion guide and classroom activities to help teachers at every grade level connect the contest prompt, “What does America mean to you,” with standards frameworks while inspiring students to think deeply and creatively as they develop their contest submissions.

Master Class Video

Access the Educator Guide Access Classroom Activities

 

Lesson Plans & Activities

For each grade band below, please note that the ready-to-use activities are only interactive when accessed through the free Discovery Education Experience platform.

Lesson Plan: America’s Future

Students will explore their role in shaping the future of their community and America at large. They will start by sharing their thoughts on what America means to them and their hopes for the nation’s future. They will also learn about the concept of active citizenship, which dates all the way back to America’s independence. Through readings and discussions, students will discover examples of active citizenship in America’s past and present. Students will then work in groups to create plans to get involved in their community or work toward positive changes as they collaborate to be active citizens who strive to make America the best it can be.

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Ready-to-Use Activity

Students will make connections to the concept of community strength using linguistic and non-linguistic representations.

Community Connections: Z Chart Student Activity

Lesson Plan: Civic Power

Students will explore what it means to be civically engaged and how civic action is tied to American identity. They will brainstorm their own ideas about civic action, investigate misconceptions, and analyze historical examples of civic action from the past to present. Through discussions, station activities, and personal reflection, students will discover the power of civic action and identify ways they can make contributions or improvements to their community.

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Ready-to-Use Activity

Students will connect prior knowledge to new content related to The American Dream.

America for All: Reminds Me Of Student Activity

Lesson Plan: We the People

Students will explore how the Preamble to the United States Constitution outlines opportunities for reflection and civic action. Students will consider the importance of civic action in their school and community, analyze the text of the Preamble, and identify how the goals outlined in the Preamble create a blueprint for civic action today and in the future. Through peer discussion, historical inquiry, and textual analysis, students will explore how the concept of “We the People” empowers them to become engaged community members.

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Ready-to-Use Activity

Students will create a summary statement that supports a headline about America’s journey since the Declaration of Independence.

The Semiquincentennial: Read All About It Student Activity

Thought Starters

In addition to these resources from Discovery Education, below are questions and prompts that can help students brainstorm as they prepare their submissions. Students are not required to address any or all of these questions in their entries.

  • What has shaped America over the past 250 years? Think about the impact of individuals, ideas, documents, historical movements, and events and how they have affected the growth and development of our country.
  • How has America influenced your family? Think about opportunities and benefits your family has enjoyed, challenges your family has faced, and service your family has given. Consider previous generations too — not just your immediate family.
  • What do you hope for America’s future? Think about what you hope the country can achieve and how you can help make it a reality.

Additional thought starters for high school students:

  • Read and reflect on the first two paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.
  • What do the key ideas, values, and promises represented in the Declaration of Independence mean to you? What do you think they meant to Americans in 1776?

 

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