Curated OER
The Chicano Movement in California - Culture, Causes, and Community
Young scholars explore the culture and community of the Chicano movement in California using prints that emerged from the Chicano movement. The historical, binational, and bicultural components are examined in this three lessons unit.
Curated OER
Celebrating the Day of the Dead
Students explore the artwork of the Indo-Hispanic holiday of Day of the Dead. They view images, define key vocabulary terms, and plan and create a two- and three-dimensional sculptural figure.
Curated OER
Treasures of Ancient Egypt
Young scholars explore Ancient Egypt by learning about the after life, observing and discussing pictures of mummies, making jewelry, and more. In this Ancient Egypt lesson plan, students complete these activities in class and at a museum.
Curated OER
Draw Me the Music
Middle schoolers explore and investigate the foundation and history of jazz music. They listen to various pieces of music while creating drawings, develop a timeline of jazz history, and read and discuss biographies of famous jazz...
Curated OER
What is American Culture
Students create what they feel is American Culture using a video camera and capturing 5 frames. They are animating parts of a poem in small groups. They decide the set up, create movable figures, and have a music section. Each person...
Curated OER
Pictograph Stone Carving
Students examine pictures of pictograph writing by Native American tribes, and discuss why this method of communication was used. They create their own messages with symbols and drawings on pieces of Styrofoam to simulate rock carvings.
Curated OER
Mexico
Pupils complete a unit about the geography and culture of Mexico. They compare and contrast the weather of their own city and Mexico, read books about Mexico, count in Spanish, color in a flag of Mexico and the Mexican Coat of Arms,...
Curated OER
Families and Neighborhoods
Students distinguish where their homes are in relation to the city of Pittsburgh. For this geography lesson, students read the book All Families Are Specialand find their city on a map of Pennsylvania. Students locate Pittsburgh and use...
Curated OER
Island Culture: Puerto Rico
Students explore the culture of Puerto Rico. They create maps of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. They work in small groups to research a decade in history and add drawings and pictures to a timeline of their decade. They practice...
Curated OER
Crawford Grill: Opening the Doors of Opportunity
Analyze the role the Crawford Grill played in the history of Jazz music. Budding historians research interviews and video clips to learn about the Crawford Grill in Pennsylvania and black music history. The lesson culminates when...
Curated OER
Making Treaties and Weaving Wampum
Middle schoolers are exposed to the cultural and artistic importance of wampum belts and the importance of the belts in American history as markers of relations between the Native Americans and European settlers.
Curated OER
Eyes From the Past
Learners view examples of classical Victorian artwork. Using a painting, they discuss their own opinions about what they believe the artwork is trying to tell them. In groups, they compare and contrast the artwork of Robert Harris and...
Curated OER
My Family
Students examine artwork that surrounds the topic of "family." They compare and contrast the families in the artwork with their own families. Finally, each student creates a HyperStudio slide of their own artwork that represents their...
Curated OER
Is Seeing Believing?
Pupils study different photographers who started the concept of battlefield photography. In this media activity students explore how to "read" a photograph and relate the use of photography during the Civil War to current use today.
Curated OER
The Stars and Stripes
Students design their own flag as a symbol of community. In this flag lesson plan, students study the importance of the American flag, and then make their own.
Curated OER
9-11: Looking Back...Moving Forward
Students watch and discuss a video about teens living in and around New York and how 9-11 changed their lives. They answer discussion questions, read and discuss newspaper/magazine articles, take a self-test on depression, and create a...
Curated OER
We Are Colony! Settlement Design
Students explore government systems. In this colonial America lesson, students consider colonial settlement needs as they design settlements that can sustain themselves and meet the needs of colonists.
Curated OER
Families
Students draw a picture of their families and discuss how each is different. In this families lesson plan, students discuss how each family is uniquely different and special in their own way.
Curated OER
The Civil War in Henry County
Middle schoolers consider how the Civil War impacted their community. In this Civil War lesson, students use primary and secondary sources to research the Civil War in Henry County, Georgia. Middle schoolers use their findings to create...
Curated OER
Political Cartoons as Part of the Election Process
Students explore the impact of political cartoons on American elections. In this presidential elections lesson, students discuss the election process and then analyze political cartoons that were published during presidential elections....
Curated OER
Oral History
Students explore cultural diversity, the difficulties of immigration, and lost cultures. They study historical events such as the Holocaust.
Curated OER
Ft. Vancouver the Fur Trade: A Skin for a Skin
Students study Fort Vancouver. They discuss trading and what is meant by "a skin for a skin." They complete math story problems that represent possible trading scenarios. They explore the Chinook Jargon trade language.
Curated OER
Ft. Vancouver Fur Trade: a Skin for a Skin
Young scholars examine political presence of Hudson's Bay Company, explore economic impact of European demand for beaver pelts and the fur trapping trade, and practice counting in Chinook Jargon.
Curated OER
Skills for Building Healthy Relationships
Students create skits showing relationship problems and discuss how communication, cooperation, and compromise can build strong relationships. In this healthy relationships lesson, students are given a scenario to act out in small...