Curated OER
Family Traditions, Customs and Beliefs
Students discuss African childhood, explore family traditions, customs, and beliefs, examine African recipes, discuss differences or similarities in food preparation between the U.S. and Africa, and prepare a dish with adult supervision.
Curated OER
Life in Old Babylonia: The Importance of Trade
Students examine the trade network in Old Babylonia. They analyze maps, explore various websites, develop a list of goods imported to and exported from Babylonia, and write an essay.
PBS
Cardboard History
A PBS clip focused on collecting sports memorabilia launches this research project lesson. Class members then read Dan Gutman’s Honus and Me in which Wagner’s baseball card is used to time travel. The lesson ends with researchers...
Curated OER
Notable "Texans" of the Texas Revolution
Students investigate why and how certain historical figures became famous in relation to the Texas Revolution. They view and discuss a variety of images, then in small groups record the names of individuals involved in the Texas...
Curated OER
Mystery Strategy for Elementary Students
Learners of all ages solve historical mysteries. Elementary learners research historical topics by organizing information presented by their instructor, formulating hypotheses, and considering solutions to mysteries presented about...
Media Smarts
Defining Popular Culture
What part does media play in creating, defining, and perpetuating popular culture? High schoolers chart their encounters with fads, trends, and icons and reflect on the media's influence on popular culture.
Museum of the Moving Image
Political Ads in Historical Context
Campaign ads target both timely issues and general themes. Presidential campaign ads from 1952 and 1988 provide class members an opportunity to compare how the topics ads choose to address can dramatically influence election outcomes.
Vermilionville
Mardi Gras Elementary
You don't have to visit Vermilionville to experience the Cajun traditions of Mardi Gras. After examining pictures and hearing stories about these colorful traditions, learners create their own Courir de Mardi Gras masks.
Global Oneness Project
Architectural Wonders
Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Cambodia, is the focus of a lesson that asks class members to consider factors that could result in the destruction of these archeological treasures. Pupils listen to a lecture on the...
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...
PBS
Written in Stone
Students explore history through a tour of a local cemetery. Students investigate tombstones for historical information, make stone rubbings, and use this secondary source reference to obtain primary sources.
Curated OER
Take Only Photos and Leave Only Bubbles: Learn About American History from a Sunken Spanish Galleon
Students simulate the research process of investigating a shipwreck. In small groups, they conduct Internet research, and develop and write a proposal for excavation of the archaeological site.
Curated OER
The Torah Tells...
Students extract and interpret information about the Torah text to draw conclusions about ancient Hebrew life. In this Torah lesson plan students research facts and complete worksheets about the Torah. Then as a class the students form a...
Curated OER
The Titanic Disaster
Seventh graders explore the titanic disaster. In this geography lesson, 7th graders research basic facts about the Titanic. Students create Titanic scrapbooks.
Curated OER
Egyptian Fairy Tale
Young scholars explore ancient Egyptian culture and government. In this social studies lesson plan, students compare the legal system from ancient Egypt to our current American legal system. Links are included for web searching Egypt and...
Curated OER
Artifacts
Students learn that articles used by a culture reveal much about life and people's values. They learn the Japanese word to identify some artifacts and some simple games using Japanese toys.
Curated OER
Ghana Artifacts
Students study to artifacts from Ghana and discuss how these aid in understanding the civilization.
Curated OER
Artifact Ethics
Fourth graders examine their own values and beliefs about archaeological site protection and evaluate possible actions they might take regarding site and artifact protection.
Curated OER
Classifying Artifacts
Students examine pictures of pottery and classify them. They work together to create a list of characteristics for each piece. They share their findings with the class.
Curated OER
Immigration and Urban Life
Fifth graders research the impact of immigration. In this social studies instructional activity, 5th graders discuss how immigration affected the economy. Students discuss the living and working conditions of immigrants in the 1800s.
Curated OER
Ecuadorian Highlands Lesson
Indigenous peoples resided in the highlands of Ecuador as far back as 5,000 B.C. To learn about the lives of these people, class pairs research the farming and the building methods, the arts and crafts, and the beliefs of the early...
Curated OER
Teaching with Poster Art: World War I Posters
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this World War I lesson, students examine World War I posters. Students investigate the use of propaganda strategies in the posters and discuss the visual metaphors.
Curated OER
The Power of the Image: Understanding Symbols in Buddhist Art
Students discuss symbolism in art, examine various images of compassion in Buddhist tradition, analyzing components of the concept, and then produce their own images of compassion through art.
Curated OER
Sam Houston for President...Again
Fourth graders discover the political career of Sam Houston. In this Texas history instructional activity, 4th graders research primary resources and create a modern-day version of Sam Houston's political campaign of the 1840s.