Lesson Plans

Lesson plans

The IAUNRC supports the creation of lesson plans and other materials that bring the IAUNRC’s region into the classroom. Below is a selection of materials covering our region, some of which were produced in whole or in part by the IAUNRC. Where possible, the relevant Indiana Educational Standards are indicated. These materials are freely available for non-commercial use.

A brief survey

We are happy to have you download our lesson plans for free, but before you download them, if you could answer a few brief questions it would be very helpful to us. Our ability to continue providing lesson plans to you free of charge is contingent on government funding, which is dependent on the number of teachers and students who use these lesson plans. Therefore, we would greatly appreciate your help in answering a few brief survey questions. Thank you!

Fill out the survey

Craft Activity Packs

You can watch video demonstrations for several of our crafts on the IAUNRC Vimeo page.

Lesson Plan Downloads

Central Asian Minerals

Middle school

Iranian Poetry

High School

Silk Road Web Quest

4th-7th Grade

External resources

Spotlight on Inner Asia: The Bizarre Bazaar

One of the first classroom resource guides of its kind. This comprehensive guide to teaching about Inner Asia helps teachers navigate through this new and challenging territory. Though scarcely known in the West, the region has always been a place of multiple and often unimaginable interactions – of peoples, ideas, commodities, and beliefs – The Bizarre Bazaar.

Asia for Educators

Produced by Columbia University’s Weatherhead East Asian Institute, this website contains a wide variety of lesson plans, primary sources, DBQs, timelines, and other resources. Teaching modules like “The Mongols in World History” are especially relevant.

The Train Ride Home

These lessons are based on a short essay written by a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kazakhstan and are suitable for use in grades 6-12. These lessons are made available through the Paul D. Coverdell World Wise Schools program.

PBS Frontline World: Kyrgystan

PBS offers a lesson plan addressing certain marriage practices in Kyrgyzstan that can be adapted for use in middle and high school classrooms. The lesson plan is supplemented with online streaming video clips.

Destination: Kyrgyzstan

The Peace Corps/Paul D. Coverdell World Wise Schools produced these materials. The study guide that can be used as the basis for lessons is available from the US Department of Education.

Lesson Plan on Tibet and China for Standard 7 (Conflict and Cooperation) of Indiana’s Geography and History of the World Standards

Developed by a curriculum specialist and a China specialist with sponsorship from IU's EASC, this lesson plan examines the conflict between Tibet and China. All readings, resources, and activities are included.