Penguin Books
An Educator’s Guide to Ruta Sepetys
Historical fiction novels give readers a chance to step into someone else's shoes. An educator's guide from Penguin Common Core Lesson Plans provides resources to accompany three historical fiction novels written by Ruta Sepetys: Between...
Curated OER
Patti Smith: Dream of Life
How do artists affect and how are artists affected by the time periods in which they live? Learners examine the life and work of controversial and influential cultural artist Patti Smith as they seek answers to this essential question....
Curated OER
Critical Ways of Seeing The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in Context
Students complete a unit of lessons examining the cultural context of the novel, 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.' They write a critique of the novel, compare/contrast two published critiques, and explore various websites.
Curated OER
Tree Cookies
Students identify heartwood, sapwood, and a tree's annual rings, infer from a tree's rings what damage or stress might have occurred in its life, and make a time-line of human history that coincides with a tree's rings.
Curated OER
Aerospace Engineering
Students are introduced to aviation history and aerospace engineering achievements. They assemble a class aviation history timeline from individual student research on people and events.
Curated OER
Community Gardens and Propaganda Posters
Students research community gardens. In this community garden lesson, students discover the history of community gardens and assess the benefits of locally grown food. Students create propaganda posters aimed at inviting...
Curated OER
The Magic School Bus in the Time of the Dinosaurs
Students draw names of dinosaurs out of a hat and write a report about the one they picked. Students write a riddle about their favorite prehistoric animal, post it on a bulletin board, and have other guess which animal it is about....
Curated OER
Remembering the First
Young scholars examine words and phrases associated with World War I as an introduction the era. They explore the legacy of World War I by reading and discussing "The War to End All Wars If Only." Students write obituries for fallen...
Curated OER
Sequence of Events Storyline
Seventh graders practice sequencing the events in a story they have read. After reading a short story, 7th graders sequence the events of the story using a timeline. Their timeline is used to create a summary paragraph of the story...
Curated OER
The Story Of American Freedom
Students investigate the concept of American freedom with the use of primary sources of images in order to derive meaning. The images are used to inspire research and writing about historical scenes. The writing and analysis of the...
Curated OER
Holocaust Remembrance Day
Students view an interactive presentation on the Holocaust using the Holocaust Remebrance Day website. They first brainstorm what they already know about the Holocaust then they work through several sections of the presentation. At the...
Maryland Department of Education
Our Children Can Soar
Amazing efforts of African American leaders are celebrated in a lesson on civil participation. The engaging resource focuses on primary and secondary sources to analyze the impact of African American leaders such as Ella Fitzgerald....
Scholastic
Pilgrim and Wampanoag Daily Life
A lesson looks at the Pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe during the first Thanksgiving. Scholars compare and contrast information presented by an online activity then discuss their findings. Learners examine the two group's daily routines and...
Scholastic
The First Thanksgiving Feast for Grades 6–8
It's time for the feast! Young historians complete their study of the First Thanksgiving by completing an online activity, watching a slideshow, and examining a First Thanksgiving timeline. After answering text-dependent questions to...
Scholastic
Pilgrim and Wampanoag Daily Life for Grades 3-5
Thirteen steps make up a lesson plan that challenges pupils to compare and contrast the daily lives of Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe. Learners revisit the Graffiti Wall then break into small groups for an investigative reading...
Curated OER
Create a Research Book
Students use the internet to research the production of manuscripts and books. Using this information, they create a research book full of tips to research effectively. They share their new book with the class after organizing the material.
Curated OER
Interviews with the American People "Days of Infamy"
Students compare and contrast statements made by people in "Man on the Streets." They are interviewing them on the current war in Iraq and how they felt on Sept. 11th. These interviews are tape recorded. To see what kinds of questions to...
Curated OER
Carbondale: The Biography of a Coal Town
Students use a brief history of the growth and decline of the anthracite region in the state to create a photograph and map "peak shaped" time line. They practice map and photo analysis strategies to "read" photographs and maps.
Curated OER
Elk Rapids- Its Past and Future
Students participate in activities that help them appreciate the history of their local community as it celebrates its sesquicentennial year. They construct timelines, maps, interview, and writing. They use technology in a number of...
Curated OER
Introduction to the Project
Students are introduced to the Social Action Project. They research different organizations and develop a time line for their project. They also use the internet to search for causes that are important to them.
Curated OER
Myth of the Western Man
Students identify ways in which history and culture influence identity. They make a time-line and research dates to identify their significance, as well as, create a self portrait pictorially or verbally, that explores the complexity of...
Curated OER
W.A.R. (Wars Are Real)
Eighth graders research America's involvement in wars and conflicts throughout its history. They are assigned a specific war or conflict and then research basic facts and what society was like in the era of their research. They present...
Curated OER
Banpo Village: Gone, But Not Forgotten
Sixth graders plan a trip to China and prepare yourself for the Banpo excavation site competition by studying prehistoric and ancient Chinese history.
Curated OER
Attic Hunting
Sixth graders investigate how journal writing helps preserve past, present and future history. They discover how different groups of people keep different types of journals and what the journals show about the lives of the writers.