EngageNY
Taking Notes Using a Graphic Organizer: Inferring About the Importance of Religion in Colonial America
Improve class understanding of colonial times by reading an informational text and filling out the accompanying graphic organizer. Class members work with a partner to read, take notes, make inferences, and synthesize information.The...
Curated OER
Crossing the Delaware with Historic, Cultural, and Personal Interpretations
Sixth graders discover the importance of information sources by researching the United States History. In this research gathering lesson, 6th graders examine a historical painting of George Washington and analyze what it means, what the...
Library of Congress
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance brought forth many American art forms including jazz, and the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Using a carefully curated set of documents from the Library of Congress, pupils see the cultural...
Curated OER
Grozny on Guard
Young scholars react to copies of leaflets dropped into Chechnya by Russian forces. After reading an article, they examine the historical and present conflicts in the area and answer discussion questions. In small groups, they trace...
Curated OER
Held Accountable
Students examine and draw conclusions from an excerpt from a slave narrative. They analyze excerpts from two recently discovered slave narratives.
They draw connections among the narrative excerpts and historical texts by investigating...
Curated OER
All You Need Is Love
Students discuss the differences between adult love and teenage love. After reading an article, they explore a relationship that began as teenagers and ended in marriage later in life. In groups, they create posters about famous...
Curated OER
That's the Spirit
Is, as Walt Whitman contends, America’s “almost maniacal appetite for wealth,” the heart of the American dream? Class members grapple with this question as they read David Brooks’ article “The Commercial Republic,” and quotes that...
Curated OER
What's in a Name?
Young scholars explore how one uses examples from history to inform themselves of past and present events. After reading an article, they examine the significance of renaming a base in Germany after a soldier who survived the Holocaust....
Curated OER
The Jury's Still Out
Students examine the trials and executions of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti. In groups, they use the internet to research the impact of the executions in the shape of political cartoons and writings. They discuss an article to...
Curated OER
James Welch's Fools Crow
Learners explore the history of Montana's Native Americans by reading James Welch's Fools Crow. Set shortly after the Civil War, the novel focuses on a young Blackfoot Indian and his tribe. Over the course of several weeks, class members...
Curated OER
Congress and the Creation of the Bill of Rights
Students participate in inquiry activities to explore powers outlined in the Bill of Rights. In this Bill of Rights lesson plan, students creation of a class Bill of Rights, evaluate and propose amendments, and analyze primary source...
Curated OER
Inventions Change the World: The Enigma Machine
Third graders explore WWII by analyzing technological advances. In this invention lesson, 3rd graders discuss the use of the Enigma machine which decoded private German messages that communicated with U-boats. Students utilize a timeline...
Curated OER
Death at Jamestown
Students use primary source documents to develop a theory about what happened at Jamestown. They use the internet to gather information about the colony. They evaluate the theory of Dr. Hancock as well.
Curated OER
Outo Rugged Shores: The Voyage of LST534
Students view a film about warships during World War II. They discover the job of a seaman and what impact veterens have on the world today. They also examine the lasting effects of the war.
Curated OER
Introduction to Junkanoo! A Bahamian Festival
Students examine a Bahamian festival called Junkanoo. They analyze how group cooperation is related to the festival. They finally identify how factions form and how they can help or hurt a community.