Students work in collaborative groups to research an amendment of the Bill of Rights. They then design and present a skit that demonstrates and communicates the core values and concepts of the amendment to the class.

Encourage pupils to design an election plan for the entire school. They participate in a Board of Elections, create polling rules, discuss election controversies, write questions about the issues, run the election through an online...

Seventh graders compare drafts of the Declaration of Independence. In this primary source analysis instructional activity, 7th graders access copies of Thomas Jefferson's original draft of the document and compare it the final document...

Young scholars investigate U.S. history by examining North American timelines. In this American exploration lesson, students research the events that led to Columbus finding America and participate in a jeopardy game regarding his...

Students explore U.S. government by participating in a role playing activity. In this House of Representatives lesson, students discuss the first day of congress and the role the House plays in running the United States. Students define...

It was the single bloodiest day in Civil War history. Now, class members have the opportunity to walk in the footsteps of soldiers who fought in the Battle of Antietam using an interactive website. Supplemental resources include...

Students study the ancient African kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai. They brainstorm what they know about ancient African kingdoms before investigating the trade and barter situations, and researching one of the kingdoms for an oral...

Young scholars engage in research and role play to discover the history and importance of certain First Amendment court cases. They act out the cases in different roles in order to understand different perspectives from the prosecution...

Young historians research the debate over slavery; some students take the pro-slavery side and others the anti-slavery side. They take the role of a character such as a plantation owner, a legislator, a free Black, a slave, or a northern...

Fifth graders examine through research ways people around the world viewed events of September 11, 2001, analyze how United States foreign policies have caused conflict with other regions and countries, research and read first person...

Students explore the concept of a Ponzi Scheme. For this economics lesson, students invest in a product called Thin-Cups. Students invest money in this product over the course of a couple weeks. Students discover how a Ponzi Scheme works...

Students author and film their own adaptations of Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. In this multimedia skills lesson, students script a play that pits an Orthodox Christian family against a Muslim family. Students use GarageBand...

Have your young speakers participate in a discussion/debate with their whole class on their prepared argument. They listen and analyze other student's arguments and refute arguments using logic and not emotion.

Students examine the history of St. Patrick's Day by creating characters and dialog reflecting Irish culture. A major part of the instructional activity is the construction of a float for a St. Patrick's Day parade. Also, students...

Students describe the achievements and positions that Sandra Day O'Connor has held. They give specific dates of Sandra Day O'Connor's achievements and positions. They identify other great achievements performed by women.

Students debate important court cases. Divided into three groups, students accept a position as first debater, second debater and the third group is neutral. At the conclusion of each debate, students vote to determine the winning side.

Fourth graders complete a unit of lessons on the first seven presidents of the U.S. They conduct research, write a four-paragraph essay, and create posters and speeches for a simulated campaign convention.

Sixth graders learn the importance of mask in Greek theater, explore the history of Greek theater, integrate planning - design and construct a mask that shows exaggeration of features, build up features using paper mach mash, enhance...

Students are introduced to the environmental hazards their community is facing. In groups, they develop a list of the ways humans have changed the Earth and how these changes have lead to environmental hazards. They record their...

Students plan an airport visit. In this Airplanes and Airports instructional activity, students observe the people, activity, and machinery at airports. Then students compare the characteristics of their observations at the airport....

High schoolers identify and gain an understanding of the politics behind the killing of President McKinley, as well as the anarchist movements that continue to exist worldwide. Then they select a form of anarchy and write a short story...

Students consider the backgrounds of those who settled the Old West. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students participate in a simulation that requires them to role play miners, ranchers, Native Americans, Chinese, African...

Sixth graders recreate scenes from the theories about the disappearance of Amelia Earhart. In this history and theatre lesson, 6th graders review the story of Earhart using a flip chart. Students work on one act plays to depict one of...

High schoolers explore the implications of the draft during the Vietnam War. In this Vietnam lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs that explore differents opinions of the Vietnam draft. High schoolers particpate in a...