Curated OER
Wounded Knee Massacre
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students examine sources regarding the Battle of Wounded Knee from the perspective of Lakota fighters and American...
Curated OER
Effective Letter Writing
Students explore letter writing. In this persuasive writing instructional activity, students write a letter to a local organization based on a topic of their choice. Students employ the correct letter writing procedure as outlined in...
Curated OER
Hey There, Sports Fans!
Students discuss the impact that fans have on a sports team. After reading an article, they identify how Chicago Cubs fans are responding to their loss in the playoffs. With a partner, they develop surveys in which they give to family...
Curated OER
Nellie Bly's Newspaper Club: Introducing the Art of Writing
Students use video and the Internet to research the life of Nellie Bly, a famous female reporter from the 19th century. They research a writer and present their information to the class in the style of a news reporter.
Balanced Assessment
Presidential Popularity
Media often misrepresent data and statistics to their advantage. This lesson asks scholars to analyze an article with misleading statistics. They use margin of error and mean data in their studies. Once they complete their analysis,...
American Battlefield Trust
Southern Secession and Abraham Lincoln’s Presidential Election
President Abraham Lincoln: a true humanitarian or a savvy politician? The lesson focuses on Abraham Lincoln's presidency and the secession of the southern states. Academics interpret how Lincoln's presidential platform promoting African...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
World War II Home Front - Mobilization in Alabama
Ships, tanks, and planes—what does a military need to fight a war? An interesting lesson explains the government's military mobilization efforts in Alabama during WWII. Class members look at a PowerPoint presentation and discuss how the...
K12 Reader
The Apprentice System
Readers are asked to identify the central idea and two supporting details that develop this main idea in an article about the apprentice system popular in colonial America.
Stanford University
Buddhist Monk Protest
What makes the Buddhist Monk Protest a historically significant event? Interested historians use photographic evidence and source information to analyze and explain the importance of the event. The assessment is structured in a short...
Stanford University
Kent State
Why did a peaceful student protest end in disaster? Young historians explain the impact of the Kent State shooting. Academics analyze a photo of the Kent State shooting and explain the significance of the event by completing short answer...
Stanford University
Napalm in Vietnam
An assessment requires high school scholars to use their knowledge of the Vietnam War while analyzing primary sources. A short answer format asks pupils to identify the image and explain the significance of using napalm during the...
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Photograph of a Treaty Council
A photo catches a moment in time that provides a glimpse into the past. An interesting resource focuses on historical analysis using an image from a treaty council with Native Americans. Budding historians complete an online worksheet...
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Petition about Slavery
Practice analyzing primary sources in a thought-provoking lesson on the impact of slavery. Young historians read a petition regarding the Fugitive Slave Law and answer a series of questions to understand the importance of the document....
DocsTeach
Comparing Depictions of the Boston Massacre
Academics compare images of the Boston Massacre to understand differing opinions of the event. Scholars view multiple images, participate in group discussion, and complete a series of written prompts. Young historians gain an...
DocsTeach
Indian Nations vs. Settlers on the American Frontier: 1786–1788
Once Americans won the Revolutionary War, their quest to gain land did not end. An interesting activity focuses on Americans' expansion into the frontier following the war and how it conflicted with Native Americans living in the area....
Curated OER
Cruise the News
Students utilize newspapers as a resource to complete various tasks. They read articles, write summaries, investigate the classified section, write commercials, and circle spelling words.
Curated OER
Finding Main Ideas
What is the main idea? Previewing a text is a great way to identify the main idea without even reading, but what areas of a text do you preview? Teach your third, fourth, and fifth graders the most important areas to preview before...
Curated OER
Paragraph Building
Build the skills your budding authors need to develop to compose well-structured paragraphs. Give them the topic sheet (included here), and have them write a cohesive paragraph using the ideas listed. Consider having them include two...
Curated OER
Turning Literature into News
Students examine the newspaper. In this writing purposes lesson, students read the newspaper and discuss the purpose: to inform, entertain and persuade. Students identify facts and opinions. Students write an article and discuss acts of...
Curated OER
What's the News?
Students investigate current events. In this current events lesson, students identify current events from newspaper articles and place them on a timeline.
Curated OER
Youth Leading the Way
Students share opinions about groups or activities that give meaning to their lives. They read and discuss the article "Challenging Tradition, Young Jews Worship on Their Terms". Afterward, they investigate and write news articles about...
Curated OER
Using Best Newspaper Writing in a Journalism Class
High schoolers explore the genre of journalism. In this journalism instructional activity, students examine newspaper articles and identify reporting techniques. High schoolers collaborate to identify excellent pieces of newspaper writing.
Curated OER
Zhu Zhu
Young scholars read an article about the toy Zhu Zhu and answer comprehension questions about it. In this toy lesson plan, students also create an ad for a new toy that they invent in groups.
Curated OER
Finding Excellent Nonfiction in Long-form Journalism
How to find engaging, rigorous nonfiction texts through long-form journalism.