Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama Tenant Farmers and Sharecroppers, 1865 to Present
The tenant farming and sharecropping systems that developed in the South after the Civil War, the reasons for their development, and the eventual decline of these systems are the focus of this two-day plan.
Curated OER
Documenting the Great Depression
Students compare and contrast two photographs from the Great Depression, and identify the ways in which the photographers depicted the hardships of everyday life during this period. They hypothesize about the story behind each photograph...
Curated OER
Telling Our Own Stories
Explore online profiles and social media with your middle and high school classes. Use blogs to inspire your class to craft a well-written, thoughtful response to a prompt you give. A few example prompts are given.
Japan Society
Nature and the Environment in Postwar Japan
Japan has a complex relationship with the environment. Explore this relationship with your class through this resource. Included are thought questions, several activity ideas that range from writing, to discussion, to research, and an...
Curated OER
Early Presidents
Students are introduced to the lives and contributions of the first seven presidents of the United States. They, in groups, conduct further research on one of these president and his political platform and design a presentation for the...
Curated OER
The Great Depression and Everyday Life
Examine everyday life during the Great Depression, as well as the effects if the Depression on American population, society, and economy. Learners write who, what, where, when, and why summaries of a person who relocated to California...
Curated OER
Archaeological Study
Learners analyze the difference between archaeology and anthropology while studying the evolution of different products. In this archaeology and anthropology lesson, students trace the progression of a certain tool or product and come up...
Curated OER
Salmon vs. Dams: The Dam Removal Debate on the Elwha River
Students use roll playing to discuss the merits of tearing down these dams so that the Elwha River can run free. The activity is presented in the form of a council meeting to encourage students to try to build consensus in finding...
Curated OER
Barter Day
Fifth graders research bartering. In this bartering lesson, 5th graders investigate bartering as a way to trade for goods and services. Students experience bartering first hand while playing a game.
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Food Safety-Consumers Need the Facts
High schoolers begin by completing a survey asking them to rank their concerns about commercially prepared foods. They develop a definition of relative risk, and complete the "Pro or Con" worksheet. Students work in groups to make a...
Curated OER
Stopping Deforestation in the Amazon: A Publicity Campaign
Students investigate the environment by designing a group project. For this ecology lesson, students identify the man made threats to the Amazon while reading environmentally conscience vocabulary terms. Students collaborate in groups...
Curated OER
Oklahoma Wheat on the World Market
Sixth graders explore profit and loss in the wheat trading market. In this sixth grade mathematics lesson/social studies lesson, 6th graders play a “Wheat Market Trading Game” in order to investigate the concept of supply and demand and...
Curated OER
Sticks, Stones, Sinews and Stuff: How Early People Used the Environment to Meet Basic Needs
Students create an artifact. In this early survival lesson, students use found objects to create an artifact that could have been used to help early people meet their basic needs.
Curated OER
In Search of a Land Ethic
Learners research the theory that everything is connected to everything else. Students explore the concept of how do we put normative values on our nonhuman environment. Learners investigate an ecologist and write an informational...
Curated OER
Whose Buffalo?
Seventh graders examine how the Plains Indians vied with white commercial buffalo hunters for the millions of Great Plains buffalo. They create an illustrated broadside supporting the interests of either the Indians or the commercial...
Curated OER
Find Yourself with Global Positioning
Students examine different types of new mapping technologies. They use the internet to gather information about mapping and navigation. They create their own global positioning tool and defend it to the class.
Curated OER
Maple Syrup Production
Students make their own maple sugar and learn about how it is made on a grander scale. For this maple sugar lesson, students make their own maple sugar and learn about evaporation and what labor is put into making it.
Curated OER
Pass the Jug
Students discuss water rights. In this science lesson, students simulate an exercise whereby they begin to understand the meaning of water allocation and limited water supplies by actually passing out water from a jug.
Curated OER
The World Population Explosion
Students are introduced to some of the fundamental questions about the connections among population, resources and energy use, and environmental impacts. They explore population growth, interpret a line graph and calculate their own rate...
Curated OER
Biotechnology
Students explore biotechnology through various activities. In this biology instructional activity, students analyze its pros and cons. They study and read informative articles about biotechnology.
Curated OER
In your Science! - Merging Art and Science
Ninth graders reflect on what they have learned throughout the unit. For this Science lesson, 9th graders demonstrate how working together can produce an informative useful project.
Curated OER
Tread Lightly: Where We Stand
Students explore the concept of ecological footprints. In this environmental stewardship lesson, students calculate their ecological footprints and consider how to reduce them.
Curated OER
Animal Life Span Activity
Students study and compare the life span of farm animals with their own. They research a farm animal, complete a table and answer comparative questions. They work in jigsaw format groups.
Curated OER
The Carter Center’s Work in Sub-Saharan Africa
Young scholars explore the state of Sub-Saharan Africa. In this geography skills activity, students examine the work of the Carter Center in Africa as they investigate the strengths and weaknesses of linguistic, tribal, and religious...