Take out a map, a paper, a ruler, and those coveted colored pencils for a lesson on Chinese culture and geography. This is a multifaceted approach to basic geography skills that incorporate story telling, class discussion, primary source...

Kids explore music, history, culture, and literature in a multi-faceted lesson plan. They discuss how both historical and cultural contexts shape music, art, and literature, and then apply these concepts as they engage in a listening...

Bridging art and math can be as easy as making tessellations. The art, context, and life of M.C. Escher is explained to the class, as is the concept of tessellations. After a bit of art history, pupils get out the ruler, tape, and...

Who doesn't need a sidekick or protective spell? Kids examine a clay vessel from ancient Colombia as they discuss the idea of sidekicks or protective magic. They then illustrate a comic strip that represents the concept of protection in...

Have your class explore Buddhist Jataka Tales to compare and contrast them to European fables. After defining fables, Jataka tales, and the elements of each, learners identify themes and patterns for both types of narratives and the...

If you want to focus on critical thinking skills, this well-constructed series of activities will challenge your history or agriculture class to evaluate the effectiveness of administrative decisions related to agricultural and the...

Who knew a state quarter could say so much? Alabama's quarter is embossed with an image of Helen Keller, pupils will use this image to think about what the phrase "Spirit of courage" means. They will use a graphic organizer to...

Clear up "lame duck" congressional confusion with this political cartoon analysis activity. Background information on the concept's history and current use is provided, and 2 cartoons give a past and present context. Three talking points...

Ripped from the headlines! Discuss topical social issues like racism, discrimination, and diversity while exploring the concept of citizen journalism. Begin with a professional-looking presentation on the history of citizen journalism....

Class members examine depictions of Thanksgiving in various mediums and discuss how point of view influences the composition and presentation of the work. While the focus here is on important events in American history as seen from the...

Combine vocabulary in context with art history using Jonah Winter's colorful biography Frida. Although there are quite a few words you could teach from this text, four are listed here with connecting questions: ill, imitate,...

Visual images, maps, and notes on the great philosophers and scientists of Hellenistic Greece await your class. While light in terms of text, the presentation provides images that should help you to describe the area and reign of...

Grrrrr, gargoyles are on the loose! Young artists are familiarized with the history of gargoyles, examine pictures of them, and hear a story about them. Then, they draw a gargoyle and write down exactly how they did it (procedural...

Marbury v. Madison is arguably the most important landmark case in the history of the Supreme Court. A fact-filled lesson provides background information about the case and two others related to the concept of judicial review. Scholars...

Find Pythagorean Triples like the ancient Babylonians. The resource presents the concept of Pythagorean Triples. It provides the system of equations the Babylonians used to calculate Pythagorean Triples more than 4,000 years ago. Pupils...

Students create living artifacts dealing with different times and cultures. They explore Ancient Rome, the Middle Ages, Islam, Africa, and the United States.

The Cleveland Museum of Art presents this interdisciplinary model unit that asks class members to explore how the same themes are presented in the folktales and art of several cultures.

How do nineteenth-century texts by African American and Native American writers contribute to the country's ideals of freedom and individuality? Learners explore the topic by watching and discussing a video, reading biographies, writing...

Teach young historians about the historical legacy of Rosa Parks with a multi-faceted lesson plan. Pupils follow stations and use journals to explore prominent events, analyze primary resource documents, and engage in interesting...

This, the sixth in a series of 10 related resources, examines the life and works of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, an African American author, born in 1825, who advocated literacy for both free and enslaved African Americans.

Fourth graders examine the myths of King Arthur. They compare/contrast versions of the story, The Sword in the Stone, write a letter, identify and analyze characters, sequence events, and write observations and answer questions in a...

What were the driving forces behind American expansion in the nineteenth century, and what were its effects? Scholars watch a video, read biographies, engage in discussion, write journals and poetry, draw, and create a multimedia...

How do writers use words to protest injustice, challenge the status quo, and shape their own identities? Individuals watch and discuss a video, read author biographies, write poetry and journals, develop a slideshow, and complete a...

Ninth graders examine mariachi music and its different musical forms.  In this music history lesson, 9th graders compare and contrast mariachi music from its beginnings to the present.  Students research different aspects of...