History Concepts Teacher Resources

Young designers examine famous monarch portraits and costume books, create a design for the emperor, examine fabric samples and choose a type and color for their costume. They sketch the costume and present it in a class fashion show.

Grab your feathers and your hat! And perhaps some macaroni! It's time to investigate the evolution of "Yankee Doodle Dandy." Groups do a close reading of sheet music covers, lyrics, and even YouTube videos to see how this political song...

Almost every ancient culture observed the stars and saw pictures in the patterns. Studying stars allowed them to guide travelers, determine when to plant crops, when to harvest food, and the stories surrounding the images include some of...

First graders summarize similarities and differences of life in England and America for the Pilgrims by reading a mini-book. Then, they write a journal entry in first person on what it is like to be a pilgrim in England and in America....

Fourth graders examine the effects of Mexican-American ranching on life today.

Students study online resources to examine the ancient Olympic Games and athletes. They investigate the qualities of ancient Olympic athletes and role interviews with the athletes.

Seventh graders take an outdoor observation walk around the campus and take soil samples. Working in groups , they conduct experiments with rocks and soil that demonstrate the effects of different types of erosion.

Eighth graders find a current event related to the Middle East. In this current event lesson students write a brief summary of a new story related to the Middle East. They give their opinion and tell how it affects their life or who it...

Sixth graders read First Nations legends to find information about the First Nations.  In this legends as oral history lesson, 6th graders interview and write oral histories from family members.

Students study the history and cultural interpretation of a celestial body or constellation. They create technology based presentations of the information.

Learners discuss Holocaust and complete KWL chart.

Seventh graders study the law of superposition by creating models of fossils in layers of rock. They examine how fossils are usually found in sedimentary rock which leads to the study of geologic history in those rocks.

First graders study concepts of time and chronological history. In this early childhood history lesson plan, 1st graders create and interpret a timeline listing historical events and family celebrations using one calendar year.

Sixth graders investigate how fossils are formed. They analyze a photo of the Grand Canyon, and create a fossil cast and mold using plaster of paris and shells.

Learners discuss and compare contemporary class systems with those of the Middle Ages. They explore Websites on HyperStudio stack and review art and music of the Middle Ages. In groups, students design and draw castles reflecting manor...

Young scholars create a timeline of inventors. In this dual history/science lesson, students research inventors of technological products, then work in groups to create a timeline of events. The timeline may include science information...

Fifth graders create a time line listing six national holidays in chronological order of occurrence. In this historical events instructional activity, 5th graders research holidays and write a paragraph summarizing each one. They then...

Students investigate the person of Confucius and his impact upon the Chinese culture. They conduct research using a variety of resources. They use the outline provided in the instructional activity to participate in class discussion. Key...

Fifth graders practice making inferences on various types of reading material. As a class, they develop a definition of the word "theme" and discuss themes for some of their favorite stories. They use the context of the reading...

Fourth graders conduct online research to create a timeline of ten US Presidents. In this historical events lesson, 4th graders find online information about the birth dates and birth states of ten US Presidents. This information is...

Students create a timeline to represent state and national holidays. For this social studies lesson, students use colored popsicle sticks along a line drawn on a piece of paper to illustrate when holidays occur.

Middle schoolers examine the origin of the people that settled in the United States.  In this United States History lesson, students work in small groups to complete several activities that explore early settlement, such as a...

Students create individual horoscopes that contrast and compare Western and Chinese views of their futures using poster boards and magic markers. In-class discussion is used to evaluate the use of the Zodiac in different cultures.