Curated OER
Shakespeare: Standing on the Bookshelves of Giant
A phenomenal lesson on Shakespeare! Middle and high school learners create WebQuests about the texts and authors that Shakespeare himself studied when he was in grammar school. They use a variety of media in order to create dramatic...
Curated OER
A Lens into the Past
Explore the history of immigration through photographs. Scholars will view and discuss photographs depicting the culture and lifestyle of late 19th and early 20th century immigrants. They take pictures of current examples of culture in...
Curated OER
The Civil War Through a Child's Eye
Learners use primary and secondary sources to observe a child's view of the Civil war. In this Civil War lesson, students understand that different people had different perspectives on the war. Learners recognize the difference between...
Curated OER
Mark Twain's Hannibal
Students research life in Hannibal, Missouri. In this Mark Twain lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of life in Hannibal in the late 19th century. This lesson may be used as an introduction to Twain's...
Curated OER
American Indian Reservation Controversies
Learners interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this American history lesson, students research the reservation controversies of the 1870's. Learners use problem based learning...
Curated OER
The Minerva Mosaic of the Library of Congress
Students analyze the Minerva mosaic. In this Library of Congress lesson, students conduct primary source analysis of the mosaic as they interpret the symbolism and mythology featured in the mosaic.
Curated OER
Immigration and Oral History
Students examine immigration. In this oral and social histories lesson plan, students analyze primary sources to research immigration history in their community. In this year-long research project, students participate in visual and...
Curated OER
Westward Expansion: Links to the Past
Young scholars investigate the impact of Manifest Destiny. In this California history lesson, students conduct research on the settlement of the state between 1849 and 1900. Young scholars use their findings to create scripts that link...
Curated OER
Segregation: From Jim Crow to Linda Brown
Young scholars examine the African American social, economic, and political conditions between 1896 and 1953. In this segregation lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the plight of African Americans'...
Curated OER
New Deal Programs: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
Students research New Deal programs. In this Great Depression lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the effects of the depression and how WPA programs and other New Deal programs impacted people's...
Curated OER
LIFE CYCLES
Third graders work in cooperative groups to gather information, create their product and present to an audience. The groups use all sources of media to gather information, including electronic encyclopedias and the Internet. They use...
Curated OER
Astronomy and the Cold War: How the United States Used the Moon to Target the Soviet Union
Students examine how astronomical observations were used to help target sites in the Soviet Union during Cold War and why such targeting was needed. Students then make predictions and observations of same astronomical events for their...
Smithsonian Institution
The Proper Gentlemen: George Washington and "The Rules of Civility"
Students read and interpret a portion of the "Rules of Civility." They describe the significance of these rules in Washington's time. They discuss how the rules might be significant in today's world. They write rules of etiquette that...
Smithsonian Institution
Looking at a National Treasure: George Washington
Students explain the definition of a portrait. They identify the visual clues that Gilbert Stuart included in his portrait of George Washington. They compare the reproduction to other images of Washington. They discuss the importance of...
Curated OER
Communicate and collaborate using technology
High schoolers participate in a collaborative project with another class and view their process of creating the project using technology. Then they use a digital camera and send pictures electronically, saving the pictures to the...
Curated OER
Bird Flu: the Next Pandemic?
Students discuss what they know about bird flu and check the accuracy of their facts using primary sources related to the topics and classroom discussion activities. They create projects that illustrate what they have learned about...
Curated OER
Dangerous for your health
Students articulate the relationship between the Shirtwaist Factory Fire and working conditions in an essay using primary sources. They are introduced to working conditions in America during the Industrial Revolution.
US Holocaust Museum
Remember the Children: Daniel’s Story
Imagine being a child forced from your home and into a concentration camp during World War II. Scholars prepare for a visit to the United States Holocaust Museum by researching the children of the horrible event. They analyze...
US National Archives
The Home Front: How Did People Prepare for the War at Home?
Wars have a profound effect not only on a country's soldiers, but also on the everyday lives of its citizens. Invite young historians to discover how Britain prepared for the second World War by analyzing a series of government posters...
Curated OER
Slave Life on George Washington’s Mount Vernon Plantation
Eleventh graders investigate slave life on the Mount Vernon Plantation. In this slavery instructional activity, 11th graders examine photographs of and documents about George Washington's home as they participate in classroom station...
Curated OER
What Is an "Inquiry Lesson"?
Students complete inquiry projects. In this historical perspectives lesson, students conduct their own research on topical historical questions their instructors suggest. Students then locate historical evidence and analyze it to learn...
Curated OER
Growing Files for Women's History
High schoolers research a woman from their local community. They use primary source documents and old newspapers to gather information. They present the information to the class.
Curated OER
A Long Way from Home: A Hands-on Geography Lesson about World War II
Students build World War II directional signs. In this World War II lesson, students explore the geographic locations of the war as they analyze primary sources and conduct research regarding places of significance in the war. Students...
Curated OER
Build a Rain Gauge
Students use a glass container, coat hanger, measuring spoons, and more to make their own rain gauge. In this rain gauge lesson plan students measure the rain.