Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Immigration: Why Come to the United States?
Don't limit your curriculum to texts! Young historians listen to a song, read an interview, and examine a cartoon as they explore motivations for immigrating to the US in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
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American Becomes a Colonial Power
Exploring the idea of America joining "the imperialist club" at the end of the 19th century, this presentation presents reasons why America not only had the drive to explore the world, but the power and wealth with which to do so....
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The Search for the Lost City of El Dorado
Ninth graders research the reasons to why people want to find the city of El Dorado. For this Spanish exploration lesson, 9th graders read an article and answer guided reading questions. Students present their findings to the class on...
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Treaties
Third graders explore Canadian history by participating in a role-playing activity. For this First Nation treaties lesson, 3rd graders identify the difficulties the Aboriginals faced when dealing with early European settlers. Students...
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Explorers
Young scholars work together to examine Dutch, French, Spanish and English explorers. They create a poster of the information they collected and write about one explore they find most interesting. They share their information with the...
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Hidden Children
Eleventh graders explore, analyze and study a specific genocidal event in twentieth-century history, The Holocaust. They evaluate a variety of historical artifacts and synthesize the information gathered into their own in order to...
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The French in Texas
Fourth graders use Internet to examine early French exploration and settlement in Texas, and write journal entries from point of view of 17th Century French settler, French or Spanish explorer, or Native American whose land was taken.
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Horse and Rider: The Pony Express in Utah
Fourth graders research the Pony Express. In this Pony Express lesson, 4th graders discover the reasons behind the development of this business and the technology that ended it.
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Liverpool Lights Up
Students explore the culture of Liverpool. In this World History lesson, students research a variety of events and activities in Liverpool, then they work in groups to prepare a class presentation to share their findings.
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Leif Erikson Day
Leif Erikson Day lessons breathe life into social studies classroom explorations.
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Teaching Economics and Rock and Roll: Unemployment
Students explore the consequences of unemployment. In this macroeconomics lesson, students listen to the songs “Johnny 99” and “Worried Man.” Students discuss the socioeconomic costs of unemployment as they analyze the songs.
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Referencing the Classical Past
Students explore the concept of myths conveyed through art. In this art history activity, students examine "Three Goddesses" and discuss the state of the world at the time that Nollekens created the sculptures as they analyze the pieces.
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Defining (Gay) Marriage
Students explore current events by researching the topic of gay marriage. In this equal rights lesson, students define the term "marriage" and read pro and anti-gay marriage opinions and articles. Students participate in an class...
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Digging Deeper in Mission San Saba
Seventh graders explain Spanish motives for establishing Mission San Sab?? and the reasons for the mission's failure. This lesson should be used when students already have an understanding of the Spanish mission-presidio system in Texas.
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Community and Colonization
Eighth graders explore the nature of the European colonization in the Americas. They compare how it relates to the inception of their community. Students identify the major players in America's colonization and explore the motivations...
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The French in Texas
Fourth graders examine early French exploration and settlement in Texas. They read handouts, explore Internet websites and take notes, and create an illustrated journal with written entries.
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The French in Texas
Fourth graders gain a broad understanding of early French exploration and settlement in Texas. They access websites imbedded in this plan. Using their notes, 4th graders work alone or with a partner to create an illustrated journal with...
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Lesson Title: El Paso and the Oldest Mission in Texas
Seventh graders explore Spanish Texas. In this Spanish mission lesson, 7th graders discover the reasons that El Paso was settled. Students respond to the provided questions regarding the El Paso Mission.
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Digging Deeper: Mission San Saba
Seventh graders review their prior knowledge on the Spanish mission system in Texas. Using the internet, they examine the motives of the Spanish to establish missions in Texas, specifically the Mission San Saba. They research the reasons...
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The Euro
Students investigate foreign currency. In this secondary mathematics lesson, students explore the reasons why the countries of the European Union switched to the euro. Additionally, students explore the possible reasons why Denmark,...
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There Is No Place Like Home! U. S. Immigration in the 1800's.
Students explore immigration in the late 1800's. They identify and describe the settlement patterns of European immigrants to the U.S. Students work in groups to research immigration from specified countries.
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Trekking to Timbuktu: The Search for Timbuktu
Students explore the factors that contributed to the decline of Timbuktu and the myths and misconceptions about the city. Students study the obstacles that made a journey to Timbuktu a difficult one as well as discover the first European...
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Globe Skills Lesson 2: Paving the Way for Columbus
Students explore the expedition of Christopher Columbus. In this geography skills lesson, students consider the technological advances that made Columbus's expedition possible as they complete a latitude and longitude activity.
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Prairie Voices: Where People Come From
Students examine the human experience. In this migration lesson, students determine reasons for migration, discover the traits of cultural groups, and explore how groups of people come to share their experiences despite language,...