Curated OER
Researching the Past
Learners research the western movement in order to learn note taking strategies with nonfiction texts. They use the Internet to search for important information about the western movement using the Cornell Notes note-taking system. They...
Curated OER
Are You My Little Peanut?
Fourth graders explore the mass and length of peanuts by pretending to parent a peanut. In this mode, median and range lesson students graph their measurements and then use them to find the mode, median and range. Students discuss peanut...
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: Five Camps: From Voices of Consent to Voices of Dissent
Learners explore and discuss Woodrow Wilson's concepts for peace and the League of Nations. They understand efforts made to foster American support for the League and discuss the opposition shown in the Senate.
Curated OER
The Debate in the United States over the League of Nations: League of Nations Basics
High schoolers describe Woodrow Wilson's concepts for peace and the League of Nations and efforts to foster American support for it.
Curated OER
Researching Equality and Justice
Choosing from a list, researchers investigate topics that range from the women in the American Civil Rights movement to the quest for equal rights in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although the plan is not detailed, a link to a PBS site that...
Curated OER
Orphan Trains
Students are introduced to the concept of orphan trains. In groups, they research the history of the New York Children's Aid Society and begin to identify the social-trade offs involved on the orphan trains. They examine the geneological...
Curated OER
Mosaic Masks
Students discover the history of mosaics through teacher-lead lectures and discussions. Individuals spend 3-4 weeks creatively constructing mosaic masks using step-by-step design instructions.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The President Under the Articles of Confederation
The Articles of Confederation sounds like one big, fancy title to middle schoolers. Here, scaffolded steps help to ease novices into understanding this all-important American document. Discussion questions, lesson activities, and ideas...
Curated OER
The War for Independence: 4th Grade
Here is a great interactive idea that may need a little refining. Students play 3 rounds, where they answer questions explaining how different countries have gained independence throughout history. While this resource has music and...
Curated OER
Should the United States Have a Central Bank?
Students assess the validity of a national bank. They study the importance of McCullough v. Maryland. They review the arguments of Hamilton and Jefferson. They analyze the Tenth Amendment and the debate over state v. federal power. They ...
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
Time Marches On
Students discover the times of Colonial America by creating a timeline. In this U.S. History instructional activity, students research a teacher-directed website about African Americans in early colonial times. Students utilize their...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Understanding the Salem Witch Trials
Students describe some of the important elements of life in Puritan New England. They create a timeline of the events of the Salem Witch Trials. They work in groups to explore the concept of multiple interpretations of history.
Curated OER
The Battle of Horseshoe Bend: Collision of Cultures (54)
Students discover the political and cultural conflicts that led to the Battle of Horseshoe Blend, Alabama, and evaluate historical maps of the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. They research American Indian cultures that were located in their...
Curated OER
Latin American Colonial Diary
Students examine the class systems of New Spain. In small groups, they create a five-day diary about the family life, food, occupation, and government involvement of an assigned personality from the time of Colonial Latin America.
Curated OER
Political Parties, Platforms, and Planks
Ninth graders examine the origins and functions of political parties. In this American Government lesson, 9th graders create a party platform to address political issues that are likely to arise during a national election. Students...
Syracuse University
World War I
World War I was known for its gruesome battlefields and horrific injuries. Using photographs from a battlefield surgeon's scrapbook, scholars see first-hand what life was like in the trenches. After creating a timeline of the war using...
Syracuse University
Women's Suffrage Movement
Women gained the right to vote in the twentieth century, but the fight for equality dates back centuries. Using an invitation to an 1874 suffrage convention, eager historians consider the motivations behind supporters of the suffrage...
Curated OER
What's In a Phrase? Finding Historical Understandings in an Immigrant Guidebook
Using a Chinese-English phrase book from the late 19th century, learners view a glimpse of life on the frontier for a Chinese immigrant. They work in groups and on their own to analyze and summarize the content of various phrases, given...
Curated OER
Practice: Word Problems
Congratulations, you've just hit the word problem jackpot! Covering an incredible range of topics from integers and fractions, to percents, geometry, and much more, this collection of worksheets will keep young mathematicians busy...
Curated OER
International Curiosity and National Pride
Students analyze their own culture and a Bulgarian culture to identify national, local, or ethnic traits. In this culture analysis lesson plan, students identify three important characteristics of their culture and compose a list of...
Curated OER
Ship of Gold
Students research the events that were taking place in the U.S. during the time period when the SS Central America sank, and explore the adventurous, innovative, and individualistic traits that often define the American spirit.
Curated OER
Celebrate Sunflowers
Students skip count with sunflower seeds. For this interdisciplinary lesson, students discuss the history of sunflowers. Students count by 1's, 2's, and 10's with bags full of sunflower seeds.
Curated OER
The Struggle Against Segregation
Learners use vocabulary related to the history of segregation in the United States. They study about the history of segregation in America and recognize the challenges and prejudice that many African Americans faced in the 1950s....