Why did attackers on December 7, 1941, and on September 11, 2001, choose the targets they did? That is one of several questions young historians try to answer as they compare and contrast the two attacks. They also consider the...

As part of a study of the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, young historians imagine the feelings of those who lived during the attack by creating a word cloud of 10 words they think express the emotions of people at that time....

Students investigate four main issues of concern between US and Japan prior to US involvement in World War II. In this role play lesson, students will take the role of US and Japanese negotiators trying to find a diplomatic solution to...

Can history be rewritten? Or, more precisely, is history documented accurately? High school juniors and seniors compare primary source material with secondary sources. For example, they compare President Roosevelt's December 29, 1940...

A lesson plan on the holiday known as Boxing Day is here for you. In it, middle schoolers read a passage about the history of the holiday, then complete some reading comprehension worksheets embedded in the plan to reinforce what they...

Though December 7th, 1941 was a day "which would live in infamy," World War II had provided many infamous days, events, battles, and atrocities in the years before. So why were American forces so surprised when Japan attacked Pearl...

After listening to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech, young historians research information about the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, possible motives for the attack, and the consequences of the attack. Scholars...

Research Christmas traditions and the December climate in Australia. Discover Australia's custom of lowering postage rates at the holiday season and creating a yearly stamp. Realize that Christmas in Australia is during the summer season...

Students conduct research to discover about Mrs. Rosa Parks' historic role in the U.S. civil rights movement. They create an original artwork to depict the setting in which Mrs. Parks acted for fairness and then create a puppet show to...

How much intervention is appropriate for America to take in cases of human rights violations? Class members ponder a question that has lingered since the birth of America with a series of primary sources that reflect the degree to which...

High schoolers assess the significance of a watershed event in the political history of the United States . They identify events and issues associated with the internment of Japanese-Americans as a result of the Japanese attack on Pearl...

Fifth graders examine and identify the values and purposes of the Bill of Rights. They complete a class KWL chart, participate in a class jigsaw activity, write and illustrate a book about the first ten amendments, participate in a mock...

Learners read and discuss the Enemy Alien Evacuation Order. They perform research by reading newspaper articles from February 1942 as well as investigating available information on the Internet. Students work in groups to create a...

Students evaluate a radio broadcast by correspondent Edward R. Murrow as a primary historic source. The broadcast, popularly known as "Orchestrated Hell" recounts Murrow's experiences with a Royal Air Force bomber crew on a raid over...

Young scholars analyze the similarities and differences between religious festivals in December and/or January. They research the different holidays and make their comparisons.

Seventh graders explore a country in the Eastern hemisphere. They develop a packet that could be used by someone visiting that country during the month of December. Students explore the climate, foods, geography, customs and culture of...

Young historians use the prompts on a worksheet to analyze President Roosevelt's "Day of Infamy" speech. They identify the intended audience for the speech, the devices FDR used to persuade his audience, the responses promoted, and the...

Students examine the meanings of tolerance and intolerance and participate in a "town hall meeting". They analyze quotations about tolerance and connect them to their personal experiences.

Young scholars link important individuals who shaped the news in 2002 by playing a variation of a game based on the idea that all people can be connected with 6 or less associations between them. They propose appropriate New Year's...

Students consider how the world events of the past year have impacted their perceptions of this holiday season. Each student then explores one general theme related to his or her feelings about the season by creating a news-based collage...

Young scholars examine the devastation caused by the tsunami of 2005. In this current events lesson, students consider the effects of natural disasters as they research tsunamis and the worldwide response to the December 26, 2005...

Students further their understanding of the United Nations inspections in Iraq. They develop flow charts to organize ideas for interactive scenarios about the inspections in which the choices made determine the outcome.

Students examine and compare primary and secondary source accounts of the Wright brothers' first flights on December 17, 1903.

What is the "Faurisson Affair”? What is “Holocaust Revisionism”? What does freedom of speech entail? Do revisionists have a right to voice their ideas? Such questions are at the heart of a richly detailed, thought provoking instructional...