Curated OER
Power to the People: Social Movements of the 1960s
Students engage in a professional development workshop for teachers in the delivery of curriculum about the era of the 1960's. The emphasis of the workshop is using popular culture of the time in order to launch investigations that are...
Curated OER
A Natural Connection to the Azores
Students use primary sources to examine whaling voyages, biology, and geography. In this geography lesson, students analyze ship logs and plot locations of animals and determine routes using latitude and longitude.
Curated OER
Billy the Kid: Perspectives on an Outlaw
Students examine the life of Billy the Kid. In this Westward Expansion lesson, students use Internet and print sources to research the contributions of gunfighters to the settlement of the American West.
Curated OER
Sectionalism and the Kansas-Nebraska Act
Students define and discuss sectionalism and popular sovereignty, analyze impact of popular sovereignty in creation of state of Kansas, compare issues in territorial Kansas to current politically divisive topic, and evaluate primary...
Curated OER
The People of Kansas: Where did they come from and why did they come?
Students review census data to correlate to emigration in Kansas. For this Westward Expansion lesson, students analyze a painting and create definitions for emigration and discuss why people emigrate. Students read and analyze 1855...
Curated OER
Ecosystem In A Bottle
Ecosystem activities show how everyone and everything is interconnected. The smallest change can make a big impact.
Curated OER
Music of the Civil War
Students gain insight into the Civil War era by exploring the art, music, and literature of the time.
Historical Thinking Matters
Social Security: 1 Day Lesson
Should the United States provide relief for those who are unemployed? Trace this question back to the Great Depression with your young historians, who will engage in careful reading of historical documents and classroom discussion...
National Park Service
A Tale of Two Men
Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores were both born in 1858, and both came to the Dakota territory in 1883, but they influenced the developing country of America in different ways. Elementary and middle schoolers apply written and...
Curated OER
English Perspectives
To further their understanding of the basis of the conflicts between the Pocumtucks and the English settlers, class members research the religious beliefs and attitudes of the Puritan farmers that settled in Deerfield, Ma.
Curated OER
The blues highway: An integration of music with geography
Learners analyze the movement of the blues from rural Mississippi to urban Chicago and how place and the environment affected the development of the blues. They define the blues, where it originated and how and why it moved to Chicago....
NPR
Same-Sex Marriage
The battle over same-sex marriage is a prevalent issue in the United States, and a valuable topic to be discussed in your social studies classroom. Here is a basic outline of introductory questions, focus questions, vocabulary, and media...
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
Henry Kissinger and Detente
How did relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China evolve between 1950 and 1970? Your young historians will complete a timeline of events with evidence that the relationship between these two great...
Curated OER
Lesson Plan: Global Warming
Students explore the concept of global warming. In this climate change instructional activity, students explore the provided links to PBS NOW sources and research the greenhouse effect and the effects of global warming. Students...
Curated OER
Westward Expansion: Links to the Past
Students investigate the impact of Manifest Destiny. In this California history lesson, students conduct research on the settlement of the state between 1849 and 1900. Students use their findings to create scripts that link primary...
Curated OER
Exploring Alternative Energy Sources
Students research the amount and kinds of energy that are produced and consumed in the United States, including the limitations of this kind of consumption. They research and create a display to teach classmates about a specific...
Curated OER
Funding "Great" Schools For All in America
Students use research skills and primary sources to complete a equal educational opportunities scavenger hunt activity in pairs. They locate key facts, examples, and information about the inequities in U.S. schools and create projects...
Curated OER
Research Famous People in History
A research project about famous people in history can be an interesting, and motivating assignment for students.
Curated OER
New Picture Books to Complement Your Curriculum
These picture books are for primary learners and older students alike.
Curated OER
Mysterious Coin Discovery
Seventh graders examine mysterious coins. In this historical observations lesson, 7th graders use the provided chart to record information about the coins their instructor presents to them. Students discuss their work as archaeologists.
Curated OER
Family Customs Past and Present: Exploring Cultural Rituals
Learners examine cultural traditions. In this cultural studies instructional activity, students conduct interviews and research online digital tools that allow them to discover their family's cultural traditions. Learners prepare...
Curated OER
Do We See What We Know?
Eighth graders compare two visual works of art about John Brown. They read a text or listen to an interview, and identify information about him. They debate their opinions using evidence in written and visual texts. They research other...
Curated OER
Volcanoes And Atmospheres
Students identify the volcano as the primary source of atmospheric gases, to explain the formation of ozone, and to recognize the dangers of volcanic gases through the use of technology in the classroom.
Curated OER
The Bill of Rights: Debating the Amendments
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Bill of Rights instructional activity, students research 12 possible amendments that were considered for the...