Curated OER
Creative Writing/Historical Journals
Students write series of journal entries, from the perspective of an immigrant traveling to America via Ellis Island.
Curated OER
A Life Without Flight
Students explore impact of Ohio's aviation pioneers on life in America, discuss what life today would be like without people like the Wright Brothers, John Glenn, and Neil Armstrong, and brainstorm and research list of items that space...
Curated OER
Get to Know Your Bill of Rights
Sixth graders research and examine the first ten amendments to the Constitution of the United States of America. They sequence events significant to this time period, read and discuss text, and in small groups prepare and present the...
Curated OER
The War: Japanese Americans and Internment
Students examine the experiences of Japanese-Americans at the beginning of World War II in America. After watching an excerpt from "The War", they answer reflection questions about the Japanese being put into internment camps. In groups,...
Curated OER
Religion and the Environment
Students consider the role of environmentalists in the United States. In this political issues lesson, students compare and contrast the evangelical vote in the U.S. with the liberal vote as they read selected articles and watch Moyers...
Curated OER
Deep Roots of Ancient Greece
High schoolers investigate Greek contributions to modern America. In this ancient Greek influence instructional activity, students watch videos, listen to lectures, and conduct research regarding ancient Greek ideals in order to analyze...
Curated OER
Regions of the United States
Fifth graders collect data about regions of the United States using the Internet, library books, and encyclopedias. They write an essay persuading people to visit their state.
Curated OER
Tolerance in Times of Trial
Students view the treatment of people of Japanese and German descent during World War II. They explore the problems in assigning blame to populations during times of war. They identify modern examples of discrimination and stereotyping.
Curated OER
Man's Struggle for Environmental Preservation
Students examine the way all living things are connected to one another. In groups, they participate in experiments in which they analyze the chemical processes through the biosphere and explain the role of energy. They also brainstorm...
Curated OER
Important Contributions to American Culture
Fifth graders explore the contributions of different cultures to the American landscape. Students work in groups and use a variety of resources to create a presentation about a group that emigrated to America.
Curated OER
Picture This!
Students practice the strategy of visualization to aid in their reading comprehension of text. They paint mental pictures from readings from their history books, "The World and Its People: the US and It's Neighbors," and short stories...
Curated OER
Water Resources
Students study water resources that are important to the people of North American and Africa. They use satellite images and data to explore how human actions can degrade, improve, or maintain water resources. They analyze and interpret...
Curated OER
Respecting Diversity- The Road to Tolerance
Middle schoolers use a graphic organizer to find similarities and differences in three religions. In this prejudice lesson, students understand the events leading up to the holocaust. Middle schoolers understand that people who respected...
Curated OER
Introduction to Restoration Lesson
Students explore how pollution and invasive plants disrupt the ecosystem. In this restoration lesson students list materials that pollute wetlands, how people can keep them clean and ways in which invasive plants establish.
Curated OER
Is It Right to Bear Arms?
Students explore the debate on how to curb gun violence in America. They prepare an argument for or against a strict interpretation of the Second Amendment of the United States Constitution and participate in a debate.
Curated OER
Teen Immigrants: Five American Stories
Learners watch the PBS program "In the Mix" about teen immigrants. They discover the number of immigrants in America and their problems moving to this country. They answer questions as the film plays.
Curated OER
The Armenian Genocide: The American Ambassador in Constantinople
Students analyze America's reaction to the Armenian Genocide. They write a journal response, read and discuss text, compare/contrast reactions around the world to the Armenian Genocide and the genocide in Rwanda, and write an essay.
Curated OER
Walter Cronkite: Witness to History
Students brainstorm a list of news sources. They interview people about today's media and discuss their results. After watching segments of a film about Walter Cronkite, they role play as reporters and subjects from an historic period...
Curated OER
Classroom Unity Representing a Nation of Immigrants
Investigate national unity in a month-long lesson. After creating "I am from" poems, 5th graders will construct accordion flip books, listing and illustrating reasons for settlement. Choosing illustrations, essays, or Powerpoint...
Curated OER
Wages, Earning Power, Profit, and Responsibility: International Lessons
Students participate in an interactive activity to determine where their clothers were made. They examine the lives of children from Latin America who harvest crops in the fields or manufacture apparel in factories.
Curated OER
Our Constitutional Amendments
Students analyze how the Bill of Rights affected people. In this U.S. History instructional activity, students research specific Amendments then prepare an oral report and visual presentation on one amendment to share with the class.
Curated OER
Immigration and Identity
Students will analyze four historical events: The Annexation of U.S. Southwest, The Mexican Revolution, The Great Depression, and World War II. They determine how each event affected immigration to the U.S. from Mexico and Central...
Curated OER
Wartime Posters
Students recognize that, America's eventual involvement in World War II, not everyone initially agreed that intervention was the answer. They conduct research about the political, economic, sociological, and historical factors in the...
Curated OER
Building Up, Breaking Down
Students investigate how rocks are modified into construction materials. In this building up and breaking down lesson plan, students explore what happens to building materials over time and how people modify natural materials. Students...