+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The DIY: A Hands-On Look at the New Industrial Revolution

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Upper graders explore the new industrial revolution and how the tech boom in recent years is similar and different to the Industrial Revolution of the past. They watch a video, explore web sites, and discuss what they see. They work...
+
Lesson Plan
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum

Red States/Blue States: Mapping the Presidential Election

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Young historians investigate how voting patterns have changed by comparing the outcome of the 1960 election to the outcome of the recent election. A creative final assessment has participants making a news show wherein they provide...
+
Activity
Museum of Tolerance

Documents That Shape Society

For Students 10th - 12th Standards
The Bill of Rights is a foundational document of American democracy, much like the Nuremberg Laws were a foundational document of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany. But that's where their similarities end. Engage high schoolers in a...
+
Lesson Plan
Deliberating in a Democracy

Marriage and the State

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
What defines marriage in society? Scholars investigate the moral and legal arguments of what defines marriage. They analyze different marriage traditions and social customs around the world along with Supreme Court decisions. Individuals...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Planting the Seeds

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students read the story Seedfolks and consider working for the common good. Students also watch "Whose Walls and Whose Rules" in order to take part in an...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Philanthropy And Children Who Are Homeless Lesson 2: Was the Orphan Train Philanthropic?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers study the lives of homeless children who rode the Orphan Train by reading first person essays of the children's experiences. They examine what rights were denied to the homeless children during the late 1800's and decide...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights and the Michigan Supreme Court II

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers view a PowerPoint presentation on the Michigan Supreme Court Historical Society's Civil Rights and/or the Native American Rights. They write a reaction paper and prepare for a class discussion. They work in groups and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Searching for a New Home

For Teachers K - 2nd
Learners investigate pilgrims. In this pilgrim lesson, students read the book If You Sailed on the Mayflower and identify the path from England to Holland on a map. Learners write in a journal about how they would feel if they were a...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

No Joke - My Voice Counts!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Young scholars respond to cartoons. In this social and cultural issues instructional activity, students examine how cartoons can be used to get a message across to the reader. After examining numerous cartoons, young scholars create...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Day at Mount Vernon

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Learners discover daily life on George Washington's plantation, Mount Vernon.  In this compare and contrast lesson, students examine the life styles at four distinct sites at Mount Vernon to become familiar with the people, places, and...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trip to Mount Vernon

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Learners compare and contrast travel in the 18th century with current methods of travel by participating in a simulated trip to Mount Vernon. In this US history lesson, students write a letter to George Washington for permission to visit...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Why Volunteer?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning instructional activity, students explore the spirit of volunteering as they locate news articles or advertisements regarding the topic. Students discuss whom benefits...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Bridges for All Lesson 1: Fighting Chance (1850-1877)

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study how a Quaker woman, Laura Smith Haviland, served as a lifeline for fugitive and freedmen during the American Civil War era. They research other philanthropic organizations and the associate vocabulary of this era.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Better Way

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students increase awareness of organizations that grew out of necessity and increased social consciousness during the Civil War and Reconstruction. They trace the origins of three organizations founded for the common good. They link...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Jackie Robinson, A Black Hero

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students examine the life of Jackie Robinson and how he opened the door for other African American athletes. They identify how one person can make a difference by their actions. They write about the responsiblity of citizens to end the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Rules and Laws of the Community

For Teachers 2nd
Second graders recognize and identify the need for rules in school. They also discuss the importance of safety rules at school, home, and in the community. They illustrate a rule which they have learned in class, and write letters to the...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Civil Rights and Americans with Disabilities

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students apply the principles of American democracy to people with disabilities. They analyze how individuals and groups in American society have struggled to achieve the liberties and equality promised in the principles of American...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Fact, Fiction, or Bad Memory

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students identify bias in how the events of the Boston Massacre were reported. They attempt to determine who is to blame for the Boston Massacre by determining the reliability the of sources.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Axis and Allies World War II Simulation

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students investigate World War II through the computer game Axis and Allies. They discuss the basics of World War II before playing the game, spend eight weeks playing the game that is a simulation of World War II, and write a report...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Need for Government

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Pupils, in groups, play a game of skill in which the outcome depends on decisions the other players make. After playing they discuss the game and how they liked playing a game that was controlled by the decisions othe rpeople made. ...
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cold War Conflicts

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students participate in extensive discussion about the Cold War and then analyze and express their opinions (at least one for each of the 3 questions) posting them to a discussion board.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning to Give

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Pupils interview senior citizens in their community, and explain how these senior citizens are heroes. In this heroes lesson plan, students interview these seniors, and then reflect on how they too can be heroes in their own community.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Philanthropy Profiler

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this Charles Loring Brace lesson, students research the man and his contributions so that they can determine whether he served his community as a philanthropist.
+
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Making Decisions About Public Land

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students write a proposal. In this public land lesson, students discuss the difference between private and public property and brainstorm what problems might occur if a citizen changed public property. Students work in groups to write a...