Smithsonian Institution
Dia de los Muertos: Celebrating and Remembering
Help scholars understand the history, geography, traditions, and art of Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Find background information for your reference as well as a detailed cross-curricular lesson plan. Learners compare...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Military Advisers in Vietnam: 1963
How did the beginning of the Vietnam War factor into the Cold War with the Soviet Union? As part of a study of American involvement in Vietnam, class members read a letter address to President Kennedy and his response in which he...
Curated OER
Celebrate Kwanzaa in the United States
Explore the components of the African American celebration of Kwanzaa in the United States. Complete with learning objectives, a materials and preparation list, and eight days of lesson plans, the resource incorporates the principles of...
Curated OER
Introduction to Africa
Students are introduced to Africa. The purpose of this lesson is to find out what students all ready know about the continent of Africa, and what students are interested in learning more about. They focus on the physical features of Africa.
Curated OER
Colonialism in Africa
Students examine Africa from a regional perspective. They appreciate the historic and geographic relationships that unite and divide the regions of Africa. Students create a comprehensive document outlining problems in the assigned...
Curated OER
Ancient Africa's Connection to Today
Fourth graders engage in a lesson in which ancient Africa's historical contributions are told though the eyes of a spider, Anansi, and his search calabash game. The game is accessed through a website which is embedded in this lesson plan.
Curated OER
Adventures in Africa
Students create travel magazine advertisements about Africa. In this Africa lesson plan, students research different facts about different countries in Africa and make advertisements to go there.
Curated OER
Africa
Students complete various activities related to the continent of Africa. They label and color a map of Africa, sing the Continent Song, view pictures and discuss animals of Africa, listen to the book "Bill and Pete Go Down the Nile,"...
Curated OER
Social Studies: African Clothing Tour
Young scholars identify examples of African clothing for casual and special occasions. After the teacher models types of African garb, they brainstorm reasons why people wear certian types of dress. They view pictures of various...
Curated OER
The Renaissance Period - People
Students study about the Renaissance Period. Then, they choose one person: Michelangelo, Galileo, Martin Luther, and Leonardo da Vinci and write a paper about that person.
Media Education Lab
Propaganda in Context
"Board Game Helps Fight Real World Ebola," a video produced by Voice of America, provides the text for a guided instructional activity that asks viewers to analyze the propaganda techniques used in the video. Groups then select a example...
Curated OER
What Was Apartheid?
Students research and discuss the former system of Apartheid in South Africa and focus on worldwide anti-Apartheid movements. They identify anti-Apartheid songs and present the lyrics to the class.
Curated OER
Africa Today
Students examine the AIDS crisis in Africa. In this global studies lesson, students watch "Medical Crisis in Africa," and read articles about AIDS in Africa. Students then research the topic and create awareness posters.
Curated OER
The Millennium Promise in Africa
Students compete activities related to the viewing of a documentary film. After viewing the documentary, The Dairy of Angelina Jolie and Dr. Jeffrey Sachs in Africa, students participate in a discussion of the leading factors leading to...
Curated OER
String Games
Fourth graders show that they can follow directions by successfully making "The Worm" with a string. They reate a string game that they can share with students in Africa.
Curated OER
Stories from Africa
Students discuss the size of adult African elephants after a demonstration on their height. They try to guess the animal of discussion based on clues given about their size and characteristics. As a class, they try to identify other...
DePaul University
Bold Plans, Big Dreams, City Progress
Determining which statements represent fact or the author's opinion in an integral part of reading informational text. Encourage seventh graders to read a passage about Barack Obama and the city of Chicago, as well as a passage focused...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Learning about Early Modern Era Empires
You are a diplomat during the Age of Empire: prepare a briefing about your country. Young scholars take on the challenge using a role-play exercise to examine various empires during the rise of global interconnectedness. Materials...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Empire Intelligence Briefings
To trade or not to trade. Young diplomats put their country's best foot forward in a series of briefings for other countries about their nations. The goal is to persuade others to engage in diplomacy and trade. Using a previous lesson...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Analyzing “Intercepted Intelligence”
A good diplomat needs to know how world events can affect their country. First, class members examine the Papal Bull that excommunicated Queen Elizabeth I from the Roman Catholic Church. Then, learners playing the role of diplomat from...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Hosting a Diplomatic Reception
The toasts are written, the table is set: it's time to party! Young scholars use a role-playing activity to go toast to toast. After researching and writing toasts for their allied countries during the modern Age of Empires, individuals...
Curated OER
You Are There: Television News Reports on Apartheid
Learners, in groups, research apartheid and its effects on South Africa. They present their information to the class.
Curated OER
Africa and Us
Students identify places that a child living in South Africa and they themselves might want to visit.
Walters Art Museum
The Symbolism of Allegorical Art
Introduce learners to allegorical art with four bronze sculptures by Francesco Bertos. After modeling how to recognize bias and allegory in Bertos' Africa, class groups examine the other three sculptures in the series before creating...