Curated OER
Days of '49: "I've Been Toiling Hard for the Last Two And a Half Years"
Students trace the stages of gold mining in California. They discuss the life of a gold miner and how the discovery of gold influenced towns and cities in California during the 1949 Gold Rush.
Association for Library Service to Children
Summer Reading List Grades 3-5
Encourage your charges to pick up a book (or two, or three) over the summer! They'll find 25 different ideas on this list of summer reading books for kids. Each book is paired with publication information and a brief synopsis, so your...
The New York Times
A Worker's Compensation
Middle schoolers read about the history of Labor Day in a newspaper article. They discuss difficulties American employees of the past had to face, learn about labor rallies, and conduct Internet research. Part of the intention of this...
Curated OER
International Custody Battle
Students research the relationship between the United States and Cuba by identifying key players and events in Cuban/U.S. history. They also focus on a battle waged between Cuban-Americans in Miami and a father in Cuba over the custody...
Curated OER
Fires of the 21st Century
Students explore historical perspectives. In this contemporary history lesson, students listen to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," discuss they lyrics, and add a new verse to the song for the years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Curated OER
Classroom Guide for The Birthday Swap
Students complete activities with the book The Birthday Swap by Loretta Lopez. In this literature lesson, students answer pre-reading questions, locate new vocabulary, and read the story. They answer comprehension questions, complete...
Lessons on American Presidents
Abraham Lincoln
Honor Abe Lincoln with a set of activity-based worksheets that can be used independently and in collaborative groups. Young historians participate in a listening activity where they fill in the missing blanks in a passage while being...
Curated OER
Feelings On Japanese Internment
Students listen to the story, "The Bracelet" and evaluate with other class members right and wrong actions. They create a watercolor painting that describes how the book made them feel and discuss their feelings with the rest of the class.
Curated OER
Supreme Court Shake-Up
Learners examine the role of the Supreme Court through an interactive program. They analyze the history of the Court and its members. They finally explore how the Supreme Court works.
Curated OER
Lesson One: Mark Twain and Will Rogers - American Originals
Students research the lives of Mark Twain and Will Rogers. They watch videos and research websites to find information and compile examples of each man's writings which they present to the class.
Curated OER
Environment: A Day Around the Bay
Learners examine various scenarios about pollution around bays and discuss their reactions to them. Among the situations they investigate are construction site soil washing into a tributary, oil from motor boats leaking into water, and...
Curated OER
Today and Yesterday: Festivals through the Year
In this world cultures worksheet, students research information and answer questions about festivals around the world. This worksheet gives detailed information on how to do the Internet research. This worksheet was generated in the U.K.
Curated OER
Social Studies: St. Patrick - Symbol of Irishness
Students examine the history of St. Patrick's Day by creating characters and dialog reflecting Irish culture. A major part of the lesson is the construction of a float for a St. Patrick's Day parade. Also, students research and answer...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving: Multiple Perspectives
Students examine different perspectives about Thanksgiving that include those of the European Settlers and the Native Americans. They read and discuss an article about Plymouth being "America's Hometown." They develop a landmark for...
Curated OER
Promoting Diversity in Elementary School Curricula
Learners discover the roles played by various racial, ethnic and religious groups in the development of American society. They explore the concept of racial and cultural diversity and global community, as these are joined by economic,...
Curated OER
Tennessee Williams: Wounded Genius
Students explore how Tennessee Williams revolutionized American theater with plays like A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie. But he never escaped the painful legacy of his childhood.
Curated OER
Holidays Seasoned with Meaning
Learners consider how the world events of the past year have impacted their perceptions of this holiday season. Each student then explores one general theme related to his or her feelings about the season by creating a news-based collage...
Curated OER
Core Poetry and More
Second graders examine poetry in the context of American History in the four lessons of this unit. They read, write, and edit their own pieces in this unit.
Curated OER
Life in a One-Room Arkansas Schoolhouse
Students read primary source documents to examine what a typical school day was like in the early 1900s. They discover how African-American children were taught differently than whites. They compare and contrast past school days to...
Curated OER
Play House
Students explore U.S. government by participating in a role playing activity. In this House of Representatives lesson plan, students discuss the first day of congress and the role the House plays in running the United States. Students...
Curated OER
Historical Summaries: Arizona
In this Arizona history worksheet, learners read a 2-page article about prehistoric, Spanish, Mexican, and American Arizona prior to responding to 2 short answer questions.
Curated OER
Ancestors in the Americas: Lesson One
Students are introduced to the characteristics of documentaries and making films. Individually, they write their own proposal for an idea of a documentary making sure to identify the point of view of which it is going to be filmed. ...
Curated OER
Painting Presidential Portraits
Eleventh graders examine the duties and powers of the president. In this American Government lesson, 11th graders research to find information on the role of the president. Students practice reading and listening skills.
Curated OER
Real Life Challenge
Ninth graders read and examine narratives, review chronologies, consider ideas, and analyze trends in order to understand the past and present. In this American History lesson, 9th graders examine cause and effect, review chronologies,...