Teachers & Homeschool
Free lessons for school and homeschool
23 ready-to-use guides for public and private school classrooms and homeschool families, built around the questions students ask most: how cities work, ancient Egypt and Rome, the story of Jesus, nature and living in space. Each one links to illustrated building pages with photos and sources.
- Free, with no sign-up, ads or tracking.
- Grade ranges, time needed and subject areas for every guide.
- Free to print and share for teaching: use your browser's print button on any page.
- All illustrations are free to reuse under CC BY 4.0.
Homeschool Free homeschool resources: a week with one city, lessons by subject, printables and games.
Classroom tools
- PrintablesPrintable worksheetsVocabulary, word searches, a compare chart, matching and a city planner, all with answer keys.
- ReferenceGlossary of 694 city wordsEvery key word from the building pages, with a simple meaning.
- DiscussionQuestion bank693 questions for warm-ups, discussions and writing, with a question of the day.
- GamesGames for classCity builder challenges, five quizzes, map hunts, memory match and word search.
Projects and lessons
- Project · Grades 5-9Design a city: a project-based unit for grades 5 to 9A free, step-by-step design a city project for middle school: students plan a city that meets real needs, with roles, a timeline and a rubric.
- Project · Grades 4-8Build a model Roman aqueduct: a hands-on STEM activityHow to build a working model Roman aqueduct in class with simple materials: the challenge, materials, steps, the science of slope and gravity, and questions.
- Project · Grades 5-12Design a Mars colony: a student projectA complete design a Mars colony project for students: mission brief, team roles, the needs to solve, steps, a rubric and real NASA technology to research.
- Lesson · Grades 6-10Roman engineering: arches, concrete, roads and domesA ready-to-teach lesson on Roman engineering: how arches, concrete, roads, domes and cranes worked, with activities and discussion questions.
- Lesson · Grades 6-12Ancient Rome vs modern cities: compare and contrastA compare and contrast lesson on ancient Rome and modern cities: water, homes, transport, government and fun, with a comparison chart and questions.
- Lesson · Grades 5-12How does local government work?A civics lesson on how local government works: mayors, councils and city managers, what they decide, and how students can take part.
Ancient Egypt explained
- Explainer · Grades 3-8How were the pyramids built?How the Egyptians built the pyramids without machines: who the workers were, how giant stones were cut and moved on sledges, boats and ramps, and what is still unknown.
- Explainer · Grades 3-8What was daily life like in ancient Egypt?Daily life for ordinary people in ancient Egypt: mud-brick homes, bread and beer, farming by the Nile flood, clothes, school for scribes and games, with classroom questions.
Ancient Rome explained
- Explainer · Grades 5-12What was daily life like in ancient Rome?Daily life for ordinary people in ancient Rome: apartment homes, street food, water from fountains, public toilets and baths, with classroom questions.
- Explainer · Grades 4-12How did Roman aqueducts work?How Roman aqueducts carried water for kilometers using only gravity: the gentle slope, underground channels, arches, settling tanks and city pipes.
Cities today
- Explainer · Grades 4-12How do cities get clean water?How a city turns river or groundwater into safe tap water: coagulation, settling, filtration and disinfection, then water towers, pipes and drains.
- Explainer · Grades 3-9What does a city need to work?The essential systems every city needs, explained simply: water, energy, transport, housing, food, health, schools, government and public space.
- Guide · Grades 7-12Urban planning for studentsWhat urban planning is, what city planners do, the big ideas behind good neighborhoods, and planning as a career, with free classroom resources.
- Lesson · Grades K-8Explore your town: a neighborhood walk and scavenger huntA printable neighborhood walk and scavenger hunt for classes and families: spot infrastructure, public spaces and nature, then talk about your town.
Sustainability and nature
- Project · Grades 5-12Sustainable city project ideas for students12 sustainable city project ideas for students, from rain gardens and green roofs to heat maps and tiny forests, with the real science behind each.
- Explainer · Grades 4-12Biomimicry examples for studentsBiomimicry examples for students: Velcro, the lotus effect, the kingfisher bullet train, termite-inspired cooling and more, plus a design challenge.
- Explainer · Grades 7-12What is solarpunk?Solarpunk explained: the hopeful movement that imagines green, fair future cities, with the real technologies behind it and creative prompts.
Space and the future
- Explainer · Grades 5-12How could humans live on Mars?How humans could survive on Mars: making oxygen, finding water ice, growing food, shielding from radiation and building homes, with real NASA technology.
- Explainer · Grades 3-12How do astronauts live on the International Space Station?How astronauts breathe, drink, eat, sleep, exercise and stay healthy on the International Space Station, explained simply with real NASA facts.
The story of Jesus
Creative writing and classroom tools
- Guide · Grades 6-12How to design a fantasy city: a worldbuilding guideA worldbuilding guide for a believable fantasy city: geography, water, food, government, buildings and culture, with prompts for writing, art and games.
- Lesson · Grades 5-12What makes a good place to live? Discussion questions30 discussion questions about cities and communities: fairness, nature, technology, history and the future, for seminars, journals and debates.
- Guide · Grades Teachers, 6-12Free images for the classroom: how to use and credit themHow to use free, openly licensed images in slides, worksheets and projects, how to credit them (TASL), and 371 free city illustrations.
From the shop
Ready to print for your class
Everything on this site stays free. For a whole unit in one file, or a game for Friday afternoon:
A teaching pack to printClassroom PackFact cards, worksheets with answer keys and discussion cards, in one file.Coming soon
Classroom vocabulary to printAtlas Word Wall144 big word cards, a banner for every world and a glossary of 661 words.Coming soon
Picture bingo for a classCity BingoRead a clue, find the place, cover it. 30 different cards, so a whole class can play.Coming soon
A drawing game to printCity PlannersDraw a city where every home is close to what people need.Coming soon