National First Ladies' Library
Terrorism and Tolerance
Students define the concepts of terrorism and tolerance using various resources. They examine the concept of stereotype, consider stereotypes often applied to Arabs, Middle Easterners, and Muslims, and attempt to discredit these...
Curated OER
Interfaith Dialogue
Young scholars explore interfaith dialogue. For this religion and ethics lesson, students examine the relationships among communities of faith as they design an interfaith association in their school community.
Curated OER
Religion and the Civil Rights Movement
Young scholars investigate the role of religion in the Civil Rights Movement. In this religion and ethics lesson, students explore the separation of church and state as they examine how religious faith has inspired social change in the...
Curated OER
A Call to Jihad
Students view a video clip about Islam in the Middle East. They discuss quotes by Hussein calling for a jihad and what jihad means. They examine Hussein's leadership qualities as well.
Curated OER
Mapping the Library
Students compare their school library with another library such as: town library, for example, or a virtual library and identify the most important features. Students use their observations to create a map of the school library that can...
Curated OER
The Three Branches of Government (Legislative, Executive, Judicial)
Fifth graders compare the three branches of government to a three-legged chair. In this government lesson, 5th graders discuss the Founding Fathers, the Constitution, and checks and balances. Students study what each branch of government...
Curated OER
Italian-American Legacy
Students study the role of the Italian government in the migration, also their role in farm life and poverty. They discuss how the Italians supported their families and why they exited to other countries. They discuss how to begin a...
Curated OER
Social Studies" Turning Points
Students will understand how people are affected by places and events and will communicate their opinions in an essay including historical facts.
Curated OER
You Are What You Eat: Lessons from Alice Waters
Students view the AMERICAN MASTERS episode titled ALICE WATERS AND HER DELICIOUS REVOLUTION. They examine their own eating habits and determine how they can eat food that is both healthier and tastier. Through Guided Reading strategies,...
National First Ladies' Library
Secretary of Commerce
Middle schoolers gain understanding of economic history of United States in twentieth century by examining role of Department of Commerce. Student groups each analyze one quarter of twentieth century by researching role of Department of...
National First Ladies' Library
Latin: The Language of Ancient Rome
Middle schoolers gain understanding about where some of today's words originated by reviewing a list of Latin words and their meanings. They work in small groups to create dictionary pages which will then be compiled into a large...
National First Ladies' Library
Fire! The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Trial and It's Aftermath
Middle schoolers research, examine and are provided the opportunity to re-enact one of the most exciting trials of the 20th century, The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Trial. They research the history of the trial and then divide into...
National First Ladies' Library
Digging up the Past: Sir Arthur Evans and the Palace at Knossos
Middle schoolers explore the excavations of the Palace of Knossos on the Island of Crete. They create a simulated news broadcasting on the work of Sir Arthur Evans and his colleges. In their news investigation, learners cover such topics...
National First Ladies' Library
Fashion Trends in the 1960s: Hippies, Flower Children, and Design
Middle schoolers use the Internet to research and examine clothing styles of 1960s, draw pictures of various clothing and accessories popular in that decade, trace images on top of foil tray or pan to design a stamp, and make a timeline...
Curated OER
Give and Take
Students analyze a scheduling dilemma. In this opportunity cost and trade-offs instructional activity, students must schedule the school gym for basketball games, but there are not enough hours for all the games. Groups determine how...
Curated OER
Religion, Culture, and Diversity
Students study world religions. In this diversity lesson, students interview their grandparents and other older adults about their religious beliefs and traditions. Students research world religions and discuss the diversity of cultural...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Differences Among Colonial Regions
Classes look at and analyze primary source images to explore the differences between the colonial regions during the Revolutionary era. They break into groups to tackle each region and then present their findings to the class. A final...
Global Oneness Project
Our Shared Humanity
Ann Shin's award-winning documentary, My Enemy, My Brother introduces viewers to Zahed Haftlang and Najah Aboud, two child soldiers on opposite sides during the Iran-Iraq war. After viewing the film, class members are asked to reflect on...
Curated OER
Navajo Sand Paintings
Research the use of sand paintings in the Navajo tribe. Your students work together to design their own sand painting. They share their creation with the class describing what the symbols mean.
Smithsonian Institution
POWs
Why did Vietnam POWs and their families receive more media attention than POWs in previous wars? To answer this question, class members view artifacts, read articles, and engage in class discussion. Individuals then assume the voice of...
Smithsonian Institution
Changing Gender Roles on the Home Front
Many historians discuss how gender roles changed because of World War II, but how did this come to be? An informative resource challenges scholars to do some digging and research the information for themselves. They research how...
Curated OER
The Sands of Arabia
Sixth graders apply geographic information to the study of World History. In this Geography instructional activity, 6th graders create a political/physical map of the Middle East, develop questions and answers about the culture of the...
Curated OER
The Countries of Slave Trade
Pupils create graphs, routes, and write an essay based on their research of the slave trade. In this slave trade lesson plan, students research the Middle Passage and how slave trade happened in the United States.
Curated OER
Michigan Court System (Part 1) (Middle School)
Students identify the courts that make up the Michigan judicial system. They explore the responsibility of each court and diagram how cases move to the Supreme Court. They compare and contrast the different types of courts.