Curated OER
Family History
Students create photographic family histories. In this technology skills lesson, students create family trees with digital photographs that they take of the family members.
Curated OER
Bases Divided: Segregation And Discrimination in Baseball
Students view video and conduct research on how baseball has reflected the social context of American history. They work in groups to investigate outstanding minority baseball players, including racial minorities and women, and develop...
Curated OER
Murals: Historic Walls
Young scholars examine Mexican history in murals. In this visual arts lesson, students research the artistic style of Mexican murals and the artists that create them. Young scholars then present their research findings to their...
Curated OER
The Colonization of the United States
Bring the Age of Exploration into the 21st century with this ancestry activity! Learners get a chance to explore the complex genealogy of the Spanish settlers through watching two video clips (approximately five minutes each) featuring...
PBS
Myth of the West: Lonely But Free I’ll Be Found
Tumbling tumbleweeds! Scholars work with video clips, primary and secondary documents, and song lyrics to uncover life in the Old West. They examine song's lyrics to uncover myths told in the 1930s about life in the Wild West.
Museum of Disability
A Picture Book of Helen Keller
Teach your class about Helen Keller and her accomplishments with a reading comprehension lesson based on A Picture Book of Helen Keller by David A. Adler. As individuals read, they answer discussion questions about Helen Keller and the...
Anti-Defamation League
Major League Baseball and the Negro Leagues: Correcting an Injustice
It's been a long time coming! In 2020, MLB Commissioner Robert D. Manifred, Jr. stated that "the Negro Leagues would be recognized as official major leagues." Middle schoolers investigate the history of the Negro Leagues and use evidence...
Described and Captioned Media Program
Malcolm X: Make It Plain, Part II
Track the transformation of Malcolm Little into Malcolm X and then into El Jajj Malik El-Shabazz with the second part of Make it Plain, a documentary on the famous civil rights activist. Viewers consider not only how events shaped and...
Stanford University
Letter from Birmingham Jail: The Power of Nonviolent Direct Action
What strategies are most effective in changing an unjust law? Class members examine the tactics used in the Birmingham Campaign of 1963 (Project C) to achieve social justice and social transformation. After examining documents that...
C-SPAN
Last Days of Martin Luther King, Jr.
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Four video clips reveal the events of that time, including the shift in the focus of the Civil Rights Movement, the aftermath of the assassination, and...
Curated OER
A Walk Through History
Fifth graders construct a multi-media CD-ROM using cross-platform Hyper Studio software. They identify a person in history to research for their report. In order to broaden their horizons, 5th graders are encouraged to investigate...
Curated OER
I Got a Lava Livin' to Do in Pompeii
Scholars imagine themselves as citizens of Pompeii in 79 AD. First they are assigned a job (or place in society like a child or slave). Then they record their daily activities for the weeks leading up to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in...
Curated OER
In The Words of Abraham Lincoln...
Young scholars explore the words of Abraham Lincoln. In this Abraham Lincoln activity, students analyze segments of "The Gettysburg Address," his annual address to Congress in 1862, and his letter to Mrs. Bixby. Young scholars conduct...
Curated OER
The Presidential Quotation Report
Famous quotations by American Presidents are the focus of this Six Trait writing activity, which could be used in a U.S. History class or in language arts. After reading the picture book Theodore by Frank Keating, have your 7th graders...
Curated OER
Legendary Life Cycles
Upper elementary historians research a legendary person who had an impact in the the history of the United States. Learners research the life of their person of choice, and construct a legendary timeline using computer software which...
Curated OER
Using Effective, Evocative Writing as a Model
Students study an author's style to strengthen their own writing. They read an author's account of the resiliency of the Malian people and about their culture. They examine her focus on Malian women.
Library of Virginia
Life as a Liberated People
Imagine having no control over your life and then suddenly having to provide for yourself. Such was the challenge faced by many American slaves after emancipation. Class members are asked to consider these challenges are they examine...
Curated OER
Mr. Mascot's Magical Musical Tour
Young scholars explore particular places in the world. Students decipher clues that a class mascot leaves behind as it travels the world. Through researching the clues, young scholars discover geographical locations, elements of world...
Alabama Learning Exchange
Alabama Biographies of the 20th Century
Students research and examine the lives of famous people who have changed the history of Alabama. They write a short biographical summary and create a 3-D scan picture.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
B. Franklin, Printer and the Public Eye
Students explore U.S. history by researching famous Americans. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students read portions of a biography about Franklin and identify his position within U.S. politics and as a leader in the battle for...
Curated OER
Getting To Know Famous People
First graders use the internet to research a famous American. Using the information they collect, they write a paragraph noting their accomplishments. They find a picture of the person they are researching or dress up like them to...
Curated OER
Famous Kansans
Fourth graders research famous Kansans. For this language arts lesson, 4th graders select a famous Kansan and write a persuasive nomination for inclusion in a Hall of Fame.
Curated OER
The History of Computers
Young scholars study the people and inventions related to computers. They research famous people for each invention they created and create a timeline of the inventor and his inventions. They present an oral presentation about the...
Curated OER
Famous African Americans Mini-book
Students develop understanding of prejudice as they study famous African Americans. In this African American lesson, students become familiar with various African Americans and the obstacles they faced and overcame. Students put...