Learners identify the major aspects of Olmec and Mayan civilzations, including economic, political, and religious. They list contributions of these civilizations. Students identify the Central American countries where the United States...

From the Know-Nothings to the Bible Riots, immigration and urbanization changed the face of America in the middle of the 1800s. Using documents that range from immigrant experiences to renderings of violent conflict between immigrants...

Here's a packet designed especially for those kids who need extra support with the basic concepts in the Houghton Mifflin Harcourt thematic units on American stories.

Students work together to analyze United States Census data on immigration. They compare and contrast the data and determine how immigration numbers have changed over time. They calculate percentages and make their own conclusions...

Eighth graders review immigration vocabulary. In this immigration lesson, 8th graders review vocabulary words using a SMART Board file and then take a quiz on the vocabulary words related to 19th century American immigration.

The Pilgrims first arrived in America in order to gain religious freedom. Here is a lesson that takes the class on this journey with the Pilgrims, stopping to look at how they got here, who they met when they arrived, and a peek into...

Examine how immigrants have changed the environment of the United States. Individually, middle schoolers will take a pre- and post-test to assess their reading comprehension. In groups, they compare and contrast the religions of...

Pupils practice graphing immigration data from the Caribbean. After practicing making their own graphs, they make the final graph and label it accordingly. They work together to determine the six most populated states of immigrants and...

Eleventh graders study the history of immigration from 1850 to the present.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders compare the 1924 and 1965 immigration acts and give a reasoned opinion on each.  Students research,...

Racism against Asian American goes deep in American history. Using a broadside in favor of the Chinese Exclusion Act, class members examine clues—with key portions of the document blacked out—to better understand the roots of anti-Asian...

Latinx people have had a profound effect on voting patterns, going back to the 1950s. Using video clips from the PBS series "Latino Americans," scholars work to assemble a timeline of the interesting history. Then, pupils consider the...

Students investigate American citizenship. In this civics lesson, students consider the basic knowledge of U. S. government new citizens are required to have. Students also examine the 14th amendment that describes U. S. citizenship.

Second graders participate in a guided reading activity and read about and immigrant family.  In this guided reading lesson plan, 2nd graders answer questions that focus on their new homeland. Students write a response to literature.

Chicago is one city, four neighborhoods, and countless nationalities. The lesson explores the ethnic division of Chicago in the early twentieth century. Academics read primary sources, analyze maps, and tour an online exhibit to...

Moving to a new country isn't easy, as Shirley Temple Wong learns in In The Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Bao Lord. A series of language arts activities carry readers through the novel, addressing the story's themes,...

Students try out instruments from South America. In this multiculturalism instructional activity, students discuss the attributes of Latin American music and play instruments from South America.

Students practice their skills in reading content to locate the data on African-American emigration. After placing the data in a chart, they create a human movement map. They create another map using research on current immigration...

  Did you know that 50% of all Americans can trace a relative who traveled through Ellis Island? Relive these journeys with your class and then provide sentence strategy templates for them to use to compose their own informative...

Patriots versus Loyalists, a huge divide during the Revolutionary War in what would become the United States of America. An informative resource includes both direct instruction about the two groups and a quiz pupils take after reading...

How did the United States respond to the Holocaust refugee crisis during World War II? The activity focuses on the United States' foreign policies and the arguments for and against offering assistance. Scholars analyze historical...

World War II not only resulted in major loss of life, but it also displaced thousands of people. An eye-opening activity uses primary documents to explore the refugee crisis during World War II. Scholars compare the event to modern-day...

Students discover how and why flag and national anthem of the United States were created, and in what ways they represent the foundation of our national identity.

Eleventh graders examine the major events and inventions that changed American families and communities.  For this US History lesson, 11th graders analyze various documents dealing with the changes.  Students create a project...

Fifth graders investigate Canadian history by examining the alliances made in the past. In this Canadian treaties lesson, 5th graders identify the Native Americans of Canada, known as the First Nations people or Aboriginals. Students...