Curated OER
"O Captain! My Captain!"
Who was Walt Whitman, and what link does he have to president Abraham Lincoln? After Lincoln's assassination, Whitman wrote "O Captain! My Captain!" This poem and "When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom'd" are the focus of exercises...
Curated OER
Boogie Woogie with a B: Using Alliteration while Exploring Patriotic Tunes
Are you looking for a way to bring writing into your history lesson plan - or history into your writing lesson plan? This cross-curricular activity is helpful and fun, no matter what class you're teaching! Using "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy"...
Curated OER
The Times and Life During the California Gold Rush
Fourth graders read about the era in their history books, write in their journals revolving around the Gold Rush, making crafts such as newspapers, and also play the part of the Forty-niners.
Learn NC
Buffalo Soldiers
"Stolen from Africa, brought to America,/Fighting on arrival, fighting for survival." Bob Marley's "Buffalo Soldiers" provides high schoolers an opportunity to explore the rich history of the Rastafarians in Jamaica and the Buffalo...
Curated OER
Warm Thoughts About the Cold
“What do you think life is like at the South Pole?” After responding to this journal prompt, class members read and discuss the New York Times article, “At South Pole, New Home for a New Era.” Using resources available from the Times’...
Curated OER
Four Corners Debate
Should the student population wear uniforms to school? Pupils express whether they strongly agree, agree, disagree, or strongly disagree with a controversial statement, moving to a designated corner of the room to indicate their stance....
Curated OER
Historical Agency in History Book Sets (HBS)
Study historical events by combining the study of historical fiction and non-fiction. Learners read about true past events in historical fiction novels and then research non-fiction accounts of the same events. What are some differences...
Curated OER
Who's In, Who's Out?
Working in groups, class members develop survey questions to be used on campus to identify groups that feel excluded or disrespected. After assembling the questions and conducting the survey, class members analyze their findings and...
Novelinks
Man's Search for Meaning: ReQuest Procedure Questioning Strategy
As part of a study of Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning, class members respond to, and craft, higher-level comprehension questions based on passages from the text.
Curated OER
Art & Life During the American Revolution
Fifth graders examine and critique the art, artists, and artisans of late 18th century America.
Curated OER
Kwanzaa Activities
Students listen to a book about Kwanzaa and discuss the holiday and its importance. In this Kwanzaa lesson, students make crafts after they read and discuss the story.
Curated OER
Handprint Angels
Students trace their hands onto white paper and cut them out. They create a holiday art piece by adding a "head" and a "body" and then decorating them to resemble an angel. (Their handprints become the wings.)
Germantown School District
Close Reading World Religions: Islam
As part of a close reading activity, individuals respond to three questions and craft two short essays based on a passage about Islam, one of the world most widespread religion.
Curated OER
Traditional Crafts
Students create art work that examines the role of craft in our culture. They assess and apply complex image development techniques to create artwork that communicates intentions. They explain why cultures develop various expressions...
Curated OER
Holiday Paper Projects for Kids
No matter what time of year it is, there's a holiday craft to make! Kindergartners construct several holiday craft projects in a series of holiday art lesson. They complete several paper projects such as 4th of July flags, Thanksgiving...
Curated OER
Seven Famous African-American Masters of American Art
Learners examine seven different African-American artists. In groups, they use the internet to identify their contribution and techniques to the art world and examine the time period in which the artwork was produced. To end the...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving Traditions
Everyone celebrates traditions in different ways. Young writers share the ways their families celebrate Thanksgiving with a journal writing prompt and discussion activity.
Curated OER
Appreciation Cards
Showing appreciation for those who help them is an important skill for youngsters to acquire. This instructional activity helps them do just that by having them make appreciation cards for people. The card reads...."2, 4, 6, 8....Who Do...
Curated OER
Line and Design (Advanced)
As part of an exploration of line and design, students complete a variety of activities which include discussing a list of vocabulary terms, and learning about principles of design.
Curated OER
Halloween Activities
For this online/interactive Halloween worksheet, students view and listen to the "Five Little Pumpkins" video to fill in the blanks to complete sentences, use picture clues to unscramble words about Halloween, match sentences and...
Museum of Tolerance
And Justice for All? Slavery Not Just in the Past
Slavery in India, Sudan, and Mauritania? What about in the United States? Groups research modern slavery in these four countries, collecting factual evidence (What), determine their feelings about this evidence (So what), and consider...
Stanford University
Letter from Birmingham Jail: The Power of Nonviolent Direct Action
What strategies are most effective in changing an unjust law? Class members examine the tactics used in the Birmingham Campaign of 1963 (Project C) to achieve social justice and social transformation. After examining documents that...
Minnesota Literacy Council
Introduction to Historical Thinking
Christopher Columbus: hero or villain? Prepare class members for the debate with activities that asks them to think critically about how history is reported.
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Beauty of Anglo-Saxon Poetry: A Prelude to Beowulf
Riddle me this! What do kennings, caesura, and alliteration have to do with the Nowell Codex? Introduce class members to Anglo-Saxon poetry and prepare readers for a study of Beowulf with a series of activities that includes asking...