Social studies activity
World History Adventures
Travel the world through stories! Learn about children in different countries: what they eat, what games they play, and how they say hello.
Materials and setup
- globe or world map
- paper
- markers
- crayons
- reference books or printed materials
How this changes by age
Pre-K (ages 3–4)
Travel the world through stories! Learn about children in different countries: what they eat, what games they play, and how they say hello.
Steps
- Choose 3 countries to 'visit.' Find them on a globe or map.
- Learn to say 'hello' in each country's language. Practice together.
- Look at pictures of children from each country. What are they wearing? What are they doing?
- Try a snack from another culture (rice, flatbread, fruit) or pretend to eat one.
- Draw a picture of yourself visiting your favorite country.
Learning objectives
- Locate countries on a globe or map
- Learn greetings in different languages
- Appreciate that children around the world share similarities and differences
Kindergarten (ages 5–6)
Explore world history through famous landmarks and inventions. Learn about the pyramids, Great Wall, and other wonders. Create a world wonder scrapbook.
Steps
- Learn about 5 famous world landmarks: Egyptian pyramids, Great Wall of China, Eiffel Tower, Colosseum, Taj Mahal.
- Find each landmark on a world map. Which continent is it on?
- For each landmark, learn one fun fact and draw a picture.
- Create a 'World Wonders Scrapbook' with your drawings and facts.
- If you could visit one landmark, which would you choose and why?
Learning objectives
- Identify famous world landmarks and their locations
- Associate landmarks with their continents
- Express curiosity about world cultures and history
Early elementary (ages 6–8)
Study major world civilizations and events: ancient civilizations, exploration, world wars, and modern global connections. Compare different cultures' contributions.
Steps
- Research 4 major world events/periods: Ancient Egypt, the Roman Empire, the Age of Exploration, and World War II.
- For each, create a fact card: when, where, who was involved, major achievements, and why it matters.
- Map the spread of major inventions: paper (China), alphabet (Phoenicia), compass (China), moveable-type printing (developed in China and Korea centuries before Gutenberg's printing press in Germany).
- Compare 2 civilizations: how did they govern themselves? What did they build? What did they believe?
- Create a world history board game with questions about different civilizations.
- Write a 'What if?' essay: how might the world be different if one historical event hadn't happened?
Learning objectives
- Describe major world civilizations and their contributions
- Compare cultures across time periods and regions
- Analyze how historical events connected different parts of the world
Upper elementary (ages 8–10)
Analyze world history themes such as empires, cultural exchange, revolution, and globalization, and explain how those themes still shape the world today.
Steps
- Study the rise and fall of 3 empires (Roman, Ottoman, British). What patterns do you notice?
- Trace the Silk Road: how did trade connect Europe, Africa, and Asia? What goods, ideas, and diseases traveled along it?
- Research a revolution (French, Industrial, or Digital) and analyze its causes, events, and global impact.
- Investigate cultural exchange: how did the Columbian Exchange change food, agriculture, and populations on multiple continents?
- Create a presentation on a world history topic showing at least two connections to the present day.
- Make a comparison chart for globalization: list two helpful effects, two harmful effects, and one question you still have. Talk through it with a trusted adult.
Learning objectives
- Identify patterns in the rise and fall of empires
- Analyze how trade and exchange shaped global history
- Connect historical events to contemporary issues
Safety and evidence note
Read the full activity before beginning. An adult should supervise tools, heat, food, outdoor work, movement, and experiments as appropriate. Completion records that the activity was done; the child’s explanation, work sample, photo, or demonstration is stronger evidence of learning than a completion check alone.
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