Curated OER
ourney Through Time: Art Tells the History of Nebraska
Fourth graders discuss early Nebraskan history. They view and discuss the painting "Sodhouse Family." Students are directed to the artistic elements of the painting, such as the horizon line. They follow a prescribed procedure to create...
Curated OER
New Year Celebrations Around the Globe
Students view art images of Norman Rockwell's family traditions and celebrations. They search the internet for information, and complete reflective and creative writing and sketch assignments. Students recognize and name emotions shown...
Curated OER
Dear President Obama
Students write letters to the president as he begins his term. In this letter writing lesson, students discuss goals they hope the president will consider, and send good wishes to the president and his family. After the letters are...
Curated OER
African American Presence in Deerfield, Massachusetts (1680-1720)
Eleventh graders explore primary and secondary sources involving "everyday life" of individuals living in Deerfield at the four turns of the centuries. They learn what these characteristics reveal since the town's beginning as an English...
Curated OER
Life on Two Colonial Plantations in South Carolina
Fourth graders compare two colonial plantations. In this South Carolina history lesson, 4th graders compare the Drayton Hill plantation of Charleston Co. to the Walnut Grove Plantation of Spartanburg Co. This lesson plan uses primary and...
Curated OER
Progress Amidst Prejudice: Portraits of African Americans in Missouri, 1880-1920
Students explore and analyze a database of historical portraits of an African American family of the late 1800's. They trace the migration of one of the African Americans as he/she migrates toward urban areas.
Curated OER
Exploring Indiana: Tales, Timelines, and Trivia
Students record timelines of Indiana history and include events from their own personal history on it. After using various research sources, the record their timelines using the Timeliner software application. They share their timelines...
Curated OER
Lincoln Home National Historic Site
Young scholars investigate the community in which Lincoln and his family lived and explore how the citizens felt about him. The national issues that inspired Lincoln to act decisively in politics and that propelled him to the White House...
Curated OER
Native American Boarding School Choice Board
Students investigate the boarding school movement that was imposed on the American Indians from the late 1880's to the early 1900's. The assignment requires the use of primary and secondary resources to find historical information. Then...
Curated OER
The Will Of Ebenezer Wells
Students discover that a is a good source of information about history. They see that a may also provide information or clues about attitudes, beliefs, practices, and economic conditions of the time period and place in which it was written.
Curated OER
Making Choices
Fifth graders identify their personal interests and behavioral choices. They explore how these choices affect school and family situations. Consequences of their choices are examined.
Curated OER
Make Mine Turkey
Young scholars compare foods available for the Pilgrims' Thanksgiving with contemporary Thanksgiving foods. After reading information about the first Thanksgiving, pupils create a menu and compute the cost of a turkey dinner, using...
Curated OER
A Presidential Portrait: Andrew Jackson
Eighth graders examine the role of intended meaning in Ralph Earl's portrait of Andrew Jackson. They, in groups, research periods in Jackson's life and use gathered information to create their own portraits of Jackson.
University of Southern California
Persecution of the German-Jews: The Early Years - 1933-1939
Young historians learn about the dehumanization process of stripping German Jews of basic, fundamental rights prior to the genocide of European Jews in the 1940s. Learners watch video clips of survivors who recount such events...
Park City Historical Society & Museum
Oral History Interview Questions Worksheet
What is an oral history interview? What goes into the planning and what should be said? Why is it important that we know and learn from oral history? This is an excellent worksheet to support your young historians as they conduct...
Smithsonian Institution
Solomon G. Brown: Letter Writing
Personal correspondence in the form of letters is not as common as it once was. This resource presents an opportunity for you to introduce your class to letter writing and cover topics in social studies. Learners read a letter written in...
Curated OER
Nellie Bly's Newspaper Club: Introducing the Science of Writing
Students evaluate a video about Nellie Bly, a famous reporter from the 19th century. They consider what makes a high-interest news article, write an essay in pairs and present it a literary tea.
Middle Tennessee State University
Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf? A Comparison in American Culture
As part of their study of the Progressive Era, class groups examine a 20th century version of "The Three Little Pigs" through a New Era lens and identify how ideals such as the value of hard work, creativity, and problem solving,...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's Steps to Statehood
To demonstrate their understanding of the steps Alabama took to become a state, groups create a poster that identifies what the United States Constitution and the Northwest Ordinance required of a territory to become a state.
Curated OER
For the Record
Learners read a New York Times article in order to examine the importance of cultural artifacts. They create essays from the point of view of one cultural artifact to demonstrate the knowledge they gained by doing research.
Curated OER
A Second Visit To Old Sturbridge Village-The Story Tour
Students conduct research on 1830s families and early New England culture. They conduct research on the Old Sturbridge Village website, participate in an online chat with a costumed interpreter, and continue to develop possible plots to...
Curated OER
Fieldwork Basics Overview
Put your feet up and grab a cup of coffee before going through this extensive field work unit plan! Based on folklorist studies of traditional culture and ethnography, several activities focus on topics such as cultural sensitivity;...
Curated OER
Lights, Sounds, Fabrics and Designs: Careers in the World of Design
Students investigate the broad range of jobs that can be found in the world of design. Students explore sound design, language architecture, etc. Students design a resource book and post it on a website for others to share.
Education World
You Are the Historian: Investigating the First Thanksgiving
Learners examine the facts and myths that surround the "First Thanksgiving" (the harvest celebration of 1621) at Plimoth Colony. They study the role that historians play in the collection and dissemination of history and use their...