Curated OER
The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Understanding Photo Essays
Students analyze a photo essay of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas by the photojournalist Russell Lee. They identify the goals of the photo essay, explore a website, and complete a worksheet.
Channel Islands Film
Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island: Lesson Plan 3
Should researchers be able to excavate, examine, and remove Native American artifacts from historic sites? Should companies be permitted to build on sacred Native American land? After watching West of the West's documentary, The Lone...
Curated OER
Colonial Farm Life: Claude Moore Colonial Farm
Fourth graders, while visiting a colonial farm, are shown artifacts and participate in a craft instructional activity. They write about the experience at a later date.
Curated OER
Walking Tour of Historic Occoquan
Fourth graders tour the Occoquan Mill House Museum and have the chance to handle artifacts and view the clothing of the period. They are involved in a discussion at the end of the tour to share their thoughts.
Curated OER
Cemetery Restoration Project
Who is buried in this tomb? Trek to a local cemetery, take pictures of markers, explore records, and conduct interviews to bring to life the stories behind the stones. Use Olympus and Tool Factory to coordinate and gather information...
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Civil Rights in America
Seventh graders visit the Smithsonian and are shown different exhibits. They are to make their own drawing about one of the exhibits and write about the experience.
US National Archives
The Royal Seal What Can It Tell Us?
Analyze the images and details of the Great Seal of Queen Elizabeth I, and discover clues that reveal how one of the greatest monarchs in the history of England wished to be seen and respected. This is a great way to discuss how even to...
University of Southern California
Deconstructing Genocide: The Ultimate Crime Against Humanity
There are eight stages of an atrocity known as genocide, and it's important to understand how they are represented so we can fight against it in the future. As young historians watch video clips of ten Jewish Holocaust survivors'...
Art Institute of Chicago
African Myths and Stories
Young historians discover African stories associated with a royal altar tusk from the Kingdom of Benin in Nigeria, read myths illustrated on the tusk, and write a story about the life of an oba using figures depicted on the tusk.
Stanford University
Japanese American Incarceration
Using documents, such as reports from government sources and civil rights activists, budding historians explore the justification for forcing hundreds of thousands of Japanese-Americans to leave their lives and re-evaluate that tragic...
Curated OER
Archaeological Self-Study: What Do Our Belongings and Trash Tell About Us?
Students examine how their belongings and their trash represents who they are. In this archaeology skills lesson, students watch a video titled "Discovering the Past" and then give archaeological techniques a try. Students examine and...
Curated OER
My Secret War: Lesson 3
Fifth graders read My Secret War. In this social studies lesson, 5th graders discuss how United States citizens worked together to ensure success in the war. Students discuss primary and secondary sources. Students paraphrase.
Curated OER
Explore the World: Create-Your-Own-Artifact
Students examine the cultures of different countries other than their own. They select a country they are interested in and research their lifestyles. Using clay, they create a model of one aspect of the new culture of their focus. ...
Curated OER
Design Life: Exploring Society Through Art
Introduce learners to the design elements and artifacts of interior environments in Victorian Canada (or any people and era you care to explore) based on artwork that represents their world. Your secondary social historians view the art...
Curated OER
Bronze: Scientific Inquiry through Chinese Art
Learners examine the use of bronze and porcelain in Chinese art and commerce through in-class activities, role play events, and small-group discussions in this exciting Social Studies/Arts instructional activity.
Curated OER
Artifact Bingo
Seventh graders participate in an artifact bingo game. Before beginning, they label the coordinates of a grid correctly along with symbols. They use the grid to place artifacts in their correct coordinates. They use primary source...
Curated OER
Pieces of an Artifact
Students review what an artifact is and discover what happens when only pieces of the artifact are found. In groups, they are given a picture of a small piece of an artifact found and they are to make the entire drawing of the artifact...
Curated OER
Learning from Artifacts Uncovering Clues, Large and Small
Students observe artifacts from Fort St. Louis at a website in order to make inferences about the people who lived there. They paint pottery in the style which might have been used by one of the cultural groups who inhabited the fort.
Curated OER
For the Record
Students 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
Making Inferences about a Llano River Rancheria
Seventh graders study the Indian groups who lived 1,000 years ago on the Llano River. They use paintings and photographs of tools and other artifacts to make inferences and conclusions about how the Indians lived.
Curated OER
What Culture Game?
Students examine artifacts from ancient cultures. They compare the differences and some similarities that may exist . They decide on at least two artifacts per area for each of the three cultures chosen and explore diversity.
Curated OER
Living History
Students write an essay and interview someone who remembers the 1960's and 1970's. In this history lesson plan, students write their essays as if they were there in that time period, write their feelings, and put together a mini museum...
Curated OER
Jamestown
Seventh graders examine life at the Jamestown settlement. In this colonial America instructional activity, 7th graders visit the noted Web site to analyze artifacts from the settlement. Based on their findings, students write descriptive...
Curated OER
Traces: Historic Archaeology
Students list at least five different kinds of artifacts archaeologists have found in U.S. excavations. They cite artifacts when describing life at a particular archaeological site.