Curated OER
Family Origins and American Cultural Pluralism
Young scholars explore, analyze and discuss family origins, special legacies, and racial/cultural groups in literature and art that exposes them to positive examples in African-American history and culture. They encounter examples from...
Curated OER
Breaking the Chains, Rising out of Circumstances
Students research, write, and draw about Roman versus American slavery. In this slavery lesson plan, students look at the Roman portraits of slaves, its influence on Western European art, and compare Roman slavery to American slavery.
National First Ladies' Library
The Debate on Slavery
Young historians research the debate over slavery; some students take the pro-slavery side and others the anti-slavery side. They take the role of a character such as a plantation owner, a legislator, a free Black, a slave, or a northern...
Curated OER
Adopt a Constellation
Students adopt a constellation and find detailed information about their constellation. For this constellation lesson plan, students use the web to find information about a constellation of their choice. They identify the history of the...
Curated OER
Chinese Calligraphy
Students explore Chinese calligraphy. In this art and social science activity, students copy the Chinese character ideograms in order to create words or phrases.
Curated OER
With Malice toward None: Lincoln's Assassination
Students study the manhunt for, John Wilkes Booth, the man who assassinated Abraham Lincoln. In this lesson about a president, students write and role-play they are announcers who are informing the world of the assassination. Students...
Curated OER
Freedom Quilts
Fifth graders create a Freedom Quilt and learn how many African Americans escaped to freedom. In this Underground Railroad activity, 5th graders complete a KWL chart on the Underground Railroad, read a book about the Underground...
Curated OER
Reconstruction: A Time of Turbulence
Students utilize knowledge and understandings of the Civil War to look at the reconstructive era that followed. In this reconstructive era lesson, Students gain understanding of the definition of reconstruction by building, taking apart...
Curated OER
Mr. Lincoln's Hat
Bring out the inner artist with this Abraham Lincoln lesson. Elementary students work on a home project creating a hat similar to Abraham Lincoln's hat. They will use geometry and measurement to create the scale of the hat, then...
Curated OER
Remembering to Never Forget
Young scholars discover how the history of a place or event affects one's present perceptions of that place or event. They examine the current tensions caused by the decision to make Weimar, Germany Europe's cultural capital.
Curated OER
Exploring the Night Sky: Summer
Students explain how moon phases occur. They describe and explain at least two common misconceptions that people have about the moon. Students explain what a star is. They explain 3 ways that the night sky has been used throughout history.
Curated OER
A Hoosier Perspective on the March to the Sea: The Diary of William Miller
Eighth graders take a closer look at Sherman's March to the Sea. In this American Civil War lesson, 8th graders analyze the diary entries of William Miller. Discussion questions are included with the entries. Students create illustrated...
Curated OER
Still Life
Students investigate still-life drawings. In this visual arts lesson, students draw each other pretending to be frozen making sure that they do not simply see the object as the object, but seeing the drawing as the negative space around...
Curated OER
The Growth of the Suburbs - and the Racial Wealth Gap
This lesson explores structural racism by revealing the important role that family wealth plays in shaping life chances how opportunities to accumulate wealth have been racialized, and the roots and consequences of the current race-based...
Curated OER
Kaffir Boy
Students explore the concepts of intolerance and racism in the autobiography Kaffir Boy written by Mark Mathabane. The lesson plan reveals the story's depiction of the terrible toll of apartheid on the lives of individuals.
Curated OER
Harlem Renaissance and Toni Morrison's Jazz
Students study the historical time of the Harlem Renaissance, including key events and figures. They read literature that weaves fiction and history and survey some of the references to the Harlem Renaissance in the novel, Jazz, by Toni...
Curated OER
What is Government?
Students explore values that unite Americans. In this government instructional activity, students recall the symbols of America and discuss how to create a "Classroom Constitution." Students form rules and write their own Constitution.
Curated OER
The Plight of Four Million Newly Emancipated Slaves: Reconstruction - 1865-1877
Students study the Reconstruction Era after the US Civil War. In this Reconstruction lesson set, students examine the problems that were encountered by the South after the Civil War, look at different plans for Reconstruction, and...
Curated OER
Anti-Slavery and Reform-Related Sources
Fifth graders use primary sources to explore events witnessed by ordinary people. In this primary documents lesson, 5th graders answer critical thinking questions based on their documents. Students recognize the difference between...
Curated OER
Scraping the Barrel
Students examine how oil is created and its uses. In this oil supplies lesson plan, students research the history of oil then create a timeline that charts the major ups and downs of the oil industry from when it began.
Curated OER
Retiring Helicopters
Students discover how helicopters work through an interactive program. They also examine why helicopters are more difficult to fly than airplanes. They discover the history of the helicopter and how it has been used in military operations.
Curated OER
Jacob Lawrence's Freedom Trail
Students read excerpts of autobiographies from Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. After listening to excerpts of an oral reading of Frederick Douglass' book, they discuss the ways African Americans were treated on plantations. ...
Curated OER
To Kill a Mockingbird: A Historical Perspective
Students research the Great Depression. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of life in the American south during the depression era as they read Harper Lee's To Kill a...
Huntington Library
The Poetry and Prose of Langston Hughes
Eleventh graders discover the poetry of Langston Hughes. In this social issues lesson plan, 11th graders experience the views of Langston Hughes. Students read Hughes' poetry and discuss the basic theme. Students evaluate the political,...