Smithsonian Institution
The Soldier’s Experience—Vietnam versus World War I
The Vietnam War and World War I were two very important—and different—wars. To understand the differences, and similarities, class members watch videos, examine primary source documents, and then create a newscast that examines the...
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
Cuban Missile Crisis
The United States—specifically John F. Kennedy—played a large role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A history resource poses questions that encourage critical thinking as well as in-depth analysis of images from the time period.
Smithsonian Institution
Battle of the Bulge: America Responds to a German Surprise
World War II and the Battle of the Bulge are the focus of a history resource. Exercises include analyzing images, writing letters in the mindset of a soldier, and even immersing oneself in a cold experience to better empathize with the...
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...
Smithsonian Institution
Lexington and Concord: Historical Interpretation
Learners view and analyze three different images related to the Battle of Lexington and Concord. They also answer a variety of questions in a graphic organizer to help keep the information straight.
Smithsonian Institution
Two Perspectives on the Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass
Learners understand why historians conduct research and the importance of perception when it comes to studying history. The resource covers The Wars of Expansion and the Battle of Little Bighorn/Greasy Grass through group work, debate,...
Smithsonian Institution
General George Washington, Military Leader
Teach pupils the characteristics that make George Washington such an effective leader, especially in context of his time period. Scholars view artifacts, participate in group work, create lists, compare and contrast, and discuss as a...
Federal Reserve Bank
The Story of the Federal Reserve: Middle School Lesson Plan
After reading the charming cartoon about the United States Federal Reserve, pupils often need to complete activities to retain their learning. The resource does a wonderful job of using class discussion and various written exercises to...
Federal Reserve Bank
The Story of the Federal Reserve System
Prevent the Federal Reserve System from becoming a dry topic for your middle and high schoolers by using an informative, engaging resource! The cartoon takes your class on a journey with aliens from the planet of Novus to observe the...
iCivics
Tribal Government: High School
Did you know there are 567 federally recognized American Indian and Native Alaskan tribes and villages in the United States alone? The resource helps break down the complexities of many different tribal societies to explain the concept...
iCivics
County Government: High School
Balancing a budget—the bane of many people's existence! Yet, its' something that must be done, especially in government systems. The resource, fourth in a seven-part series exploring local government, focuses on various exercises that...
iCivics
Washington’s Water
It's easy to forget about something as simple as water, a substance that is easily available to many in the world. However, understanding water management and the importance of a renewable resource system becomes clear in an informative,...
Federal Reserve Bank
Once Upon a Dime
The story of "Once Upon a Dime" starts like any other fairy tale, but it quickly becomes a story about the value of money and the economic system commonly used before it. Presented as a cartoon, the resource consists of dialogue between...
Cave Creek Unified School District
Crusades and Culture in the Middle Ages
The Crusades sounds like a glamorous time period in the Middle Ages full of glory—but was it? Scholars find and review the truth of the Crusades' influence on the world through the resource. The study guides, separated individually by...
US Holocaust Museum
Time Capsule in a Milk Can
Imagine dumping out a milk can and finding letters from one of the darkest moments in history! Scholars use Holocaust Reading Passages and research to discover how people recorded and hid history during the events of World War II. They...
Council for Economic Education
Satisfaction Please! (Part 1)
The topic of consumerism seems easy to those who participate actively in the US economy, but pupils who are new to economics may see the idea as foreign. Help them understand their rights as consumers and what to expect when interacting...
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
Hometown Heroes
Transform studying about veterans in a textbook to personal interviews with veterans in the community. Four varying lesson plans make up an entire unit or individualized learning based on your class's needs. Exercises include researching...
Physics Classroom
Color Filters
Filters provide amusing changes to images in applications other than just Instagram! High school pupils apply their knowledge of colored filters to three different interactive sets of puzzles. They identify light colors that pass through...
Physics Classroom
Color Pigments
Objects contain pigments that selectively absorb a wavelength of light, and our eyes only observe a very small range of these wavelengths. Scholars apply these two facts to three different activities. They identify the pigment in an...
Physics Classroom
If This, Then That: Color
The dress color debate of 2015 taught the importance of understanding how we see light. Scholars view a shirt under two different colored lights and then must predict what color the shirt will appear under a third light. They apply color...
Physics Classroom
Light Intensity
Light intensity varies by the strength of the light bulb as well as the distance to the light bulb. Pupils apply these concepts independently at first. They must solve for the light intensity as either the distance or the wattage of the...
Physics Classroom
Spectrum
Scholars relate each of the colors in the spectrum, except indigo, by comparing their frequencies, wavelengths, and energy levels. Then, they compare each section of the electromagnetic spectrum when considering the same three variables.
Physics Classroom
Total Internal Reflection
Scholars work through three different activities applying their knowledge of total internal reflection (TIR). First, they simply identify which diagrams create TIR and which don't. Next, they match different types of boundary behaviors...