National First Ladies' Library
Designing the Common School: The First Educational Reform
Middle schoolers perform preliminary research to explore education before public (common) education was in place. They design a public educational system of their own. Students construct a report outlining challenges and solutions for...
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The Shape of Home
Students explore the diversity among homes in the world. In this diversity instructional activity, students share the story "Connected to Everything" which features the story of a family that was forced to leave their land and move to a...
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Alice In Wonderland
Students compare and contrast surrealist paintings to Alice in Wonderland. In this literature lesson, students examine surrealism paintings and apply those principles to Alice in Wonderland. They explore how the artists and author use...
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Amelia Earhart: Aviation Pioneer
Students explore social practices and technological advancement of the 1920s and 1930s and relate this to modern life. They explore the events of Amelia Earhart's life and her poetry. They write their own poetry.
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James Peale Lesson Plans
Students explore the work of James Peale. In this visual arts lesson, students examine "The Ambush of Captain Allan McClane." Students create their own artwork that features animals or objects important to them that incorporate realism.
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Pots And People
Pupils compare present technology with that of earlier times. They explore the history of pottery from the perspective of the unknown men and women who contributed to the development of the early technology.
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Microbes & History: Microbial influence on the spread of Civilization
Young scholars explore how to extract plant fibers from the flax plant Linum usitatissimum in the process of making linen fibers. Doing so spark interest in the importance of microbial action on the spread of human culture and civilization.
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Richmond Nature Park Field Trip
Students identify different plants and their uses by attending a field trip. For this Canadian plant lesson, students explore the great outdoors of Vancouver, B.C. and discuss the uses of plants by the Native Americans that once resided...
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The Water Cycle
When homeschooling parents and children tackle the water cycle, the results can be a fascinating exploration of our environment.
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Frederica: An 18th-Century Planned Community
Learners explore life as early settlers in Frederica by pretending to be crafts/tradesmen there and writing letters describing the fort/town to a friend or family member still in Great Britain, debating reconstruction vs. preservation,...
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Roll the Union On: the National Labor Relations Act and the Rise of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)
Students examine the many different programs Roosevelt created as a result of the Great Depression. They research the National Labor Relations Act and explore what working conditions were like during that time.
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Latinos Spice Up Melting Pot
Students investigate the history of early Hispanic workers in the U.S. They complete an online Webquest, explore various websites, read about Latinos in the U.S. today, view a mural, and answer discussion questions.
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Criminal or Hero
Fifth graders explore the origins of slavery. In this US History lesson, 5th graders create a map of the United States that shows where slavery existed. Students examine the life of a Northern slave through the use of a video.
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Imperialism and Expansion: Part 1
Students explore the era of imperialism and expansion of the United States. In this American history lesson, students play a game regarding the U.S. attempts to expand the nation in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
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Prairie Voices: Plum Grove
Students explore Plum Grove located in Iowa City. For this Iowa history lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture on the history of Plum Grove and the leadership of Robert Lucas. Students select assessment activities...
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Art and War
Students analyze art and war and the Futurist movement. In this art analysis instructional activity, students define manifesto and its role with artistic movement. Students explore art as a response to political and social issues through...
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Types of Trains
Third graders explore different types of trains. In this science lesson, 3rd graders study the "Orphan Train" and write a paragraph about what it would feel like to be riding a train during this time period.
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Pierre Elliott Trudeau: Memoirs
Students watch the video "Pierre Elliot Trudeau: Memoirs," complete a vocabulary list, and participate in a discussion of the video. They explore one of Cananda's most charismatic leaders.
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Benjamin Franklin: Colonial Printer and Journalist
Fifth graders explore how important print media is to everyone's daily life. Students use present daily newspapers and they are to reproduce weather forecasts.
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Surveying: 19 Chains and 50 Links
Through an interdisciplinary instructional activity, emerging engineers explore the history of surveying systems. After discussing various systems, they perform surveys on printable pages. Using their geometric skills, they physically...
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Cinderella
Students explore literary perspective. In this point of view lesson, students consider the perception of Cinderella from different points of view. Students share their reflections with their classmates orally or in written form.
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What's in it and Who Eats it?
First graders explore farming by illustrating images. In this livestock activity, 1st graders discuss what types of plants are used to feed livestock animals and how pets and humans eat the livestock animals. Students draw images of what...
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The First Humans: Prehistory-3500 B.C. "Lucy"
Students explore prehistoric times by completing web activities in class. In this human ancestry lesson, students identify the archaeological discovery of the "Lucy" skeleton and what it meant for science. Students investigate the Leakey...
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Tennessee Williams: Wounded Genius
Students explore how Tennessee Williams revolutionized American theater with plays like A Streetcar Named Desire and The Glass Menagerie. But he never escaped the painful legacy of his childhood.