Curated OER
Kincaid Creatures
Students brainstorm a list of nocturnal and diurnal wild animals they see in their community and discuss how the animals would be different if they were living during the Ice Age. Using a handout, they discover how archeologists record...
Curated OER
Discover Woodland Culture: Wisconsin Basic Pottery Techniques
Students take a field trip to a local woodland to find pieces of clay. Once they are back in the classroom, they dry the clay throughly and turn it in to clay slip. They watch a PowerPoint presentation on basic art terms and create...
Curated OER
Nefertari: For Whom The Sun Shines
Students watch "Nefertari," which looks at the life of an Ancient Egyptian queen and the society she lived in. It also examines the issues archeologists face in preserving materials from the past.
Curated OER
It's in the Garbage
Students analyze how studying garbage relates to methods of archaeology. They examine garbage to determine things about their culture and relate that to prehistoric peoples.
Curated OER
A Day Full of Popcorn
Pupils use the "tool" popcorn with activities in Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, P.E., Music, Art, Science and EATING.
Curated OER
An Ancient Egyptian Journal Entry
Young scholars, after watching W?hat Does This Show, describe everyday life in ancient Egypt by writing an entry in the journal of an ancient Egyptian man or woman.
Curated OER
Shigaraki Pottery
Young scholars write position papers from the point of view of a Shigaraki art collector in this instructional activity on pottery techniques found in Japan between the Kamakura and Muromachi periods.
Curated OER
Exercise for Writing a Summary Paragraph
Learners examine how to write article summaries of abstracts. In this writing skills lesson, students edit the noted sections of an abstract that is already written on the Old Testament Abstracts.
Curated OER
Scratch, Glue, Foil & Paint
Students sculpt large Greek and Roman letter design motifs, and replicate other examples of Greek and Roman artwork.
Curated OER
The Rocky Shore
Pupils compare a realistic landscape painting with a photograph of the same place.
Curated OER
The Museum as a Time Capsule: Mongolian Example
Students make defensible inferences based on observation of perceived evidence. They use observation and inference to recognize the validity of alternative approaches or solutions.
Curated OER
Understanding Artifacts
Young scholars will develop a greater awareness of the things surrounding them and will be able to build a bridge between their own material culture and that of an imaginary figure from the past. This lesson focuses on the significance...
Curated OER
Chinese Ritual: The Death Ceremony
Students discuss the importance of the Death Ceremony in Chinese culture using Du Fu's poem "Fireflies" as a basis of information and create original poetry in the style of Poet Du Fu.
Curated OER
People of the Past
Young scholars investigate the four groups of people that existed in the U.S. before the European settlers arrived. They predict how the people arrived in the U.S., then investigate their predictions to find out whether or not they are...
Curated OER
Two American Entreprenuers: Madam C.J. Walker and J.C. Penny
Students identify the attributes that helped Walker and Penney to succeed as entrepreneurs. They compare and contrast Walker and Penney for similarities and differences in backgrounds and business methods.
Curated OER
My Community Then and Now
Third graders examine and discuss the characteristics of their community. They compare their present community with its characteristics at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, and they make flat or relief maps that include unique...
Curated OER
Does This Belong to You?
Fourth graders examine legislation that has been passed to protect the rights and religion of Native Americans. In groups, they discuss their feelings on others taking artifacts from Native American sites and what they do if they find...
Curated OER
House Keys: The Architectural Features of Victorian Homes and Buildings
Learners analyze Victorian architectural patterns wit regard to materials, doorways, windows, towers, bays, roofs, and decoration. Students discern varying architectural traits by studying Victorian era pictures and drawings and using a...
Curated OER
Study Guide for the 2009 Doris Conant Lecturer on Women and Culture: Barbara Ehrenreich
Students analyze the teachings of Barbara Ehrenreich about women and culture. In this women and culture activity, students define "joy" and "collective joy." Students do field research on these topics and write a field report and a...
Curated OER
Jamestown Changes
Students examine how the Jamestown settlement changed the first few years after it was founded. They take a virtual field trip of Jamestown, read primary source documents, discuss census information, and write a summary of changes in...
Channel Islands Film
Who Owns the Bones
A study of the history of the Channel Islands, located off the coast of southern California, continues as class members conduct a mock trial to determine which group of stakeholders should have the right to claim the remains of Juan...
Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 4 - Grades 4-5
After viewing the West of the West's documentary Cache, individuals craft either a newspaper article chronicling the discovery of the cache on San Nicolas Island, a historical narrative of the placement of the cache in the cliff side, or...
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
Curated OER
Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.