Curated OER
The Story of Kwanzaa
Celebrate Kwanzaa with a game of Kalah, also known as Mankala or Owara. Using an egg carton and a set of beans, players take all of the beans out of one of his or her cups and move to the right, dropping one bean into each of the next...
Curated OER
Women In Space: Sally Ride
Second graders explore the life and accomplishments of Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Through reading and discussion, they recall details from Sally Ride's life.
Curated OER
National Turkey Off to Disneyland
Students share their holiday traditions, then read about an American Thanksgiving custom. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the news article with a discussion and vocabulary activity, the students participate in a...
Curated OER
New Year Celebrations Around the World
Students share their New Year's traditions, then read a news article about how people around the world celebrate the start of a new year. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a discussion and vocabulary...
Curated OER
The Russian Years: Back in the USSR
Students examine communist Russia. In this lesson on changes in politics, students work in small groups to compare and contrast soviet communist era citizen rights to those of the US. They participate in discussion of a film and create a...
National Endowment for the Humanities
NAACP's Anti-Lynching Campaign in the 1930s
Students examine the anti-lynching campaign sponsored by the NAACP in the 1930's. In this social justice lesson, students study the history of the anti-lynching campaign and determine why it was not successful. Students conduct research...
Curated OER
For Whom the Clock Strikes
How do the citizens of Polyglot celebrate New Year's Eve? Middle and high schoolers read about the history of the dropping ball on New Year's Eve, as well as the other holidays traditions that have gone by the wayside, before designing a...
Curated OER
The Three Major Monotheistic Religions
This activity gives students an opportunity to learn about the three major monotheistic religions in a fun and challenging way, while also allowing them to hone their library research skills. Students research one of the three religions....
Curated OER
New Food Saves Lives, Could End Hunger
Students locate the country of Niger, then read a news article about a new type of food that is being used to fight childhood hunger in Africa. In this current events lesson plan, the teacher introduces the article with map and...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Lesson 4: The Phoenicians, the Greeks, the Romans, and Us
Learners review knowledge gained in the three-part unit on the history of the alphabet. Using maps and images, learners consolidate their understanding of ancient Greece, the Romans and the Phoenicians, and their respective impacts on...
Curated OER
How Much Will You Have When You Retire?
Learners examine how a 401(k) plan operates. They discover the implications of retiring early or late. They use the internet to research different retirement plans. Handouts are included.
Visa
Make It Happen: Saving for a Rainy Day
Every little penny counts, especially when it comes to saving for emergencies or long-term goals. Pupils evaluate different saving and investment strategies, such as a CD or money market account, through worksheets and by researching...
MENSA Education & Research Foundation
Intensities in the Classroom
Everyone learns and experiences life differently. A set of lessons about character intensities encourages middle and high schoolers to analyze themselves, their peers, and characters from a book based on the five listed intensities:...
Curated OER
Romantic and 20th Century Period Music
Upper graders explore the similarities, differences, and depth of pop music from the Romantic era and the 20th century. They listen to selections that exemplify the Baroque, Romantic, and 20th century periods, then create presentations...
Curated OER
American Colonial Life in the Late 1700s: Distant Cousins
Students research how early colonists lived. They investigate late 17th century colonist's lives from Massachusetts and Delaware. Using their research, students write historical fiction in the form of friendly letters between the two...
Curated OER
Setting Up Camp
Draw on what learners know about conflict resolution and the situation in the Middle East to build understanding of the Camp David summit meeting beginning on July 11, 2000. They develop an understanding of the functions of summit...
Curated OER
The Insurgency In Iraq: A Quandary for the U.S.
Students read articles, conduct Internet research and participate in a mock debate to explore the pros and cons of withdrawing from Iraq or remaining in conflict with the insurgency. They consider the difficulties of consensus building...
Curated OER
The Civil War: A Nation Divided
Discuss the differences between the North and the South and how those differences led to the Civil War. Middle schoolers examine and analyze a famous speech or writing by President Lincoln in order to better understand the speaker's...
Deliberating in a Democracy
Cloning
High schoolers explore the issues and challenges of cloning. In this cloning lesson plan, students read about how cloning affects people and the types of cloning, then they prepare a debate either for or against cloning.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
The Boston Massacre: You Be the Judge!
The importance of considering multiple perspectives of the same event is the big idea in this exercise that focuses on the Boston Massacre. Class groups examine photos of four depictions of the massacre, an English and an American...
Center for Civic Education
The Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and Today
Discover the fascinating history of the Equal Rights Amendment and discuss the major implications and considerations associated with it today. Here you will find background information on the topic, a graphic organizer summarizing...
Smithsonian Institution
George Washington: A National Treasure
Take a closer look at the life and presidency of George Washington with this great set of lesson plans and worksheets. The resource includes a timeline of the president's life and multiple opportunities for primary source and image...
Deliberating in a Democracy
Cyberbullying—Alternate Lesson Plan
Should schools be permitted to punish young scholars for off-campus cyberbullying? After reading a passage that details statistics about cyberbullying and Supreme Court rulings about schools' ability to limit student speech, class...
Curated OER
Carrollton-A Study Skills Pictorial Activity Book
Fifth graders in teams select various areas of local craftwork they want to research. They are trained in photography and interviewing techniques, research the historical and current status of the craft, and interview and photograph...