Encyclopedia Britannica
Candidate Book Report
After reading candidate biographies, class members select one candidate to research. They craft a report on the candidate's book, their position on issues, and the image the candidate wants to project.
Whitewater Valley Railroad
Teaching and Learning with The Polar Express
Use a series of extension activities to enhance your class reading of Chris Van Allsburg's holiday classic, The Polar Express. From a biography of the author to filmed book reviews and research about the railroad, kids can take...
Curated OER
History Book Review
Students, in American History,read books that take place during certain time periods. They read outside of class with time in class spent on sharing as the book projects are completed.
Curated OER
All About Me Poster
For this biography/autobiography lesson, young scholars read a few biographies and discuss the term and it's characteristics. Students then brainstorm what makes a good biography/autobiography and create an 'All about me' poster....
Curated OER
The All About Me Poster
Students discover the literary genre of biographies. In this creative writing lesson, students write about their own life experiences and personal stories. Students create a poster about their lives, a biographical...
Curated OER
More Than Anything Else
Second graders investigate the life of Booker T. Washington by reading a biography. In this biographical lesson, 2nd graders read the story More Than Anything Else, and examine the geographical locations Washington once resided...
Curated OER
Michelangelo Buonarroti
This online interactive history quiz is made up of 25 multiple choice questions about Michelangelo Buonarroti. The quiz is based on information included on the Sparknotes website, although the questions relate to topics that are present...
Curated OER
Call It a Hunch
Give young scholars a chance to practice making inferences after reading the book Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges. They confirm whether or not their conclusions are true, have a class discussion, and then independently complete an...
Curated OER
Dr. King's Dream
Young scholars explore life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr., reflect on section of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, discuss inequities that still exist in the United States, and create picture books about their own dreams of freedom...
Curated OER
Passage to Freedom
Lead students through the process of reading with a critical eye. It focuses primarily on vocabulary and reviewing reading comprehension strategies. This PowerPoint includes multiple web resources to reference.
Curated OER
George Winter
Who is George Winter? Learners review knowledge of George Winter, an artist who captured images of the Trail of Tears. They distinguish the difference between primary and secondary sources and determine the reliability of a document....
Curated OER
Comparing Good and Bad Character Traits of Historical and Current Figures
Students create a chart with two columns. In one column include good and bad character traits of historical figures in biographies and historical fiction. In the second column include good and bad character traits of current famous...
Curated OER
Purim, Esther, and Bella Abzug: Wearing Costumes and Choosing Roles
Explore the story of Bella Abzug and her role as a 1940s office worker. Collaborative learners work in groups to tell the biblical story of Esther and add details as each member participates. Comparing and contrasting the roles of Esther...
Curated OER
Writing a Biography - Part Three
Students edit and revise a first draft of an essay which they are in the process of writing. They proofread for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation errors while using their word processing skills.
Curated OER
Writing and Sharing Community Stories
Students use interviewing skills to explore and express the culture of their community. For this literacy/writing lesson, students interview a community member as a basis for a biographical writing project. Each class member contributes...
Curated OER
Biopoem
Reinforce the actions, emotions, and characteristics that determine what a character is like by having your middle schoolers create a biopoem using the model presented here. You could engage them first by having them write a poem about...
Polk County Public Schools
Suffragists
The Women's Rights movement is the focus of an engaging and collaborative exercise, in which young historians use information found in textbooks, class notes, and the provided documents to craft a DBQ essay.
National WWII Museum
Dr. Seuss and WWII
What famous children's author and illustrator created World War II political cartoons featuring such subjects as fascism, the war effort, discrimination, and the dangers of isolationism? The who in this story is Dr. Seuss, and what...
Curated OER
The Early Suffragists
Young scholars research early suffragists in an effort to find the most influential leader of the movement. They give presentations and the class chooses a winner. They write letters to the postmaster suggesting they be placed on a stamp.
Curated OER
Roller Time Line
Young scholars create a timeline of a historical event or person's life and decorate the center of a roll of toilet paper with their timeline.
Curated OER
Literature: Yoshiko Uchida Unit
Sixth graders read the books, The Invisible Thread: An Autobiography by Yoshiko Uchida and Baseball Saved Us by Ken Mochizuki about Japanese Americans during World War II. They hold discussions, take quizzes, and write essays about the...
Curated OER
Progressive Newspapers
High schoolers create a newspaper on local, state and national issues in the muckracking style of progessive era journalism. They research the style by reading articles from the time period on women's sufrage, child labor laws and...
Curated OER
Women's History
Learners research famous women in history. In this Women's History month lesson, students choose one historical woman to research and use biographies and websites to gather information. Learners complete an included research outline and...
Curated OER
Ancient Egypt: Connecting Literature and Geography
Students brainstorm prior knowledge of Ancient Egypt, locate Egypt on map of Africa and on world map, watch King Tut film, discuss term biography, and map geographical information mentioned in stories and documentaries about Ancient Egypt.