Curated OER
Great American Families
Fifth graders wrote essays, interviewed family members, took photos of their activities, and tape recorded narration to accompany the photos.
Curated OER
Writing With Punch
Students watch the series "Unforgiveable Blackness". They examine the media's response to Jack Johnson in the film. They role-play the role of reporters to compose poems of headlines.
Curated OER
Grand Canyon Suite
Take a trip to the Grand Canyon! Lesson one explores how Ferde Grofe painted a musical landscape of America when he wrote the Grand Canyon Suite. Learners then examine art that shows the Grand Canyon in lesson two. Finally, lesson three...
Curated OER
What Made George Washington a Good Military Leader?
Students identify the qualities of an effective military leader. In this Revolutionary War lesson, students view several Internet resources about George Washington's life. Student groups research one of four battles, and document their...
Curated OER
A Renaissance of Jazz and Poetry
Students explore, analyze, study and read a variety of poems and listen to jazz that have their roots in the Harlem Renaissance. They then discuss the similarities and differences of themes in the works of different poets and composers.
San Francisco Symphony
Instrument and Visual Appreciation of Art
There are a lot of great ideas to be found here. To better understand the connection between art and history, learners research several music and art pieces, then relate them to major social events. They study the lives and works...
Curated OER
A Cultural Look into the Faces of Mexican History
Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Manuel de Elias, and Alfonso Garcia Robles have greatly inspired and sculpted Mexican cutlure and history.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian In Your Classroom: The Music in Poetry
Take poetry off the page and put it into terms of movement, physical space and, finally, music with this series of three lessons from the Smithsonian Institution. This resource introduces students to two poetic forms that originated as...
Curated OER
Confucianism in a Changing Society
A great lesson promotes thoughtful discussion, global perspectives, and links between economics and culture. Learners view four clips showing how Confucian teachings have shaped Chinese culture and how filial piety plays a role in...
Curated OER
The Two-Party System: Chapter 5
Guide your students' reading with this learning exercise. Included are five matching and five multiple choice questions focused on aspects of the two-party system employed in the United States. Use as a quiz, guided reading questions, or...
Curated OER
Writing as a group activity
Did you know that 50% of all Americans can trace a relative who traveled through Ellis Island? Relive these journeys with your class and then provide sentence strategy templates for them to use to compose their own informative...
Curated OER
Route 66 Challenge
In this Route 66 activity worksheet, students respond to 10 multiple choice questions that require them to exhibit the knowledge they have about the American highway.
Curated OER
Speech in the Virginia Convention
“. . .different men often see the same subject in different lights. . .” but the great orator Patrick Henry used all the skills at his command to craft a speech to convince listeners to see things as he did--that liberty was worth dying...
Curated OER
An American Legacy-Lewis and Clark’s Corps of Discovery Study
Fifth graders travel with the Corps of Discovery. In this ancient civilizations lesson, 5th graders research print and Internet sources about the Lewis and Clark expedition. Students prepare PowerPoint presentations to share their...
Curated OER
Creating Musical Notation
In this creative music activity from Scientific American, students learn about musical notation and then design their own notations. Great web resource links are alsp provided
Curated OER
Still Life
Students compose a three-dimensional still life composition in a shoe box, sketch portions of their work and then design a painting based on the finished box. They complete and critique their paintings.
Curated OER
The Age of Jackson
Students study the image of Andrew Jackson. In this presidential history lesson students investigate the political image that was groomed by Jackson as they examine advertisements. Students compose essays regarding the topic.
Curated OER
German Immigrants Contributions to the Upper Midwest
Young scholars explore contemporary lifestyles, cultures, traditions are influenced by the contributions of the German settlers of that region. They research these influences and design a brochure to entice potential immigrants to the...
Curated OER
Farmers, the Populist Party, and Mississippi (1870-1900)
Pupils determine the cause and effect of a historical event. They draw conclusions about statistical data and maps and compose a campaign speech for a Populist candidate. They design a political poster and badge for the Populist Party.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Symbols of the United States
Young scholars research the political traditions of the United States at the national and state levels. After discussing various symbols, students compose essays about the principles expressed in the Declaration of Independence and...
Curated OER
Little Train of Caipira
Learners listen to the "Berry Pickers' Song" on the piano twice. They practice the song several times to become familiar enough to recognize it in the piece. They listen to the CD and recognize the tune by raising their hand and tell...
Curated OER
Who’s Got Rights? An Introduction to Human Rights and Human Rights Defenders
Students explore human rights issues. In this social justice lesson, students examine human rights as they read segments of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights," discuss photographs with human rights implications, and play a human...
Curated OER
Introducing the Victims of the Holocaust
Learners consider the plight of Holocaust victims. In this World War II instructional activity, students discuss the number of Jews who were persecuted during the war and read biographies by Holocaust survivors. Learners compose essays...
Curated OER
How Would the World be Different?
Learners examine the impact of Martin Luther King, Jr. In this civil rights lesson, students imagine the outcome of the Civil Rights Movement had King never been born. Learners compose essays that feature King's roles in the movement.