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
Unit Plan Template
Use this U.S. History unit plan as a template for creating your own! Simply download the resource and edit the text fields with your own customized unit plan. This is a great jumping-off step, especially for newer teachers.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The First Communities
These documents list essential questions and foundational concepts associated with early civilizations and farming communities in the agricultural revolution. Use this as a starting point for developing specific lessons and activities...
Curated OER
Culture Clash: New World Meets Old
Sixth graders explore the history of Christopher Columbus. In this World History lesson plan, 6th graders research facts about Christopher Columbus. Students write their own opinion about Columbus's background focusing on three...
Curated OER
Early Humans
Eighth graders work together in groups to examine the earliest civilizations. After reading two stories, they compare and contrast the facts with those stories with other ones they have read. They discuss the different hypothesis on...
Curated OER
Bears and Panthers Aplenty: Early Settlers Make a Home in Arkansas
Young historians research the Southwest Trail, which ran through Arkansas back in the 19th century. Pupils are divided into four groups. Each group researches a pioneer who blazed the Southwest Trail. Then, the group presents an oral or...
Curated OER
The Tet Offensive and the Vietnam War
Students comprehend how the United States became involved in what one historian called the quagmire. Students identify and analyze the importance of the Tet Offensive in turning American public opinion against the Vietnam War. Students...
Curated OER
Ireland: the Emerald Isle
Third graders complete a unit of study that examines several perspectives of Ireland. They explore how climate shapes Irish culture, reference historical and political maps, compute exchange values for Irish money, complete worksheets,...
Curated OER
Introduction to Modernist Poetry
Students analyze modernist poetry in depth and detail. The several historical, social, and cultural forces that prompted the modernist movement and its effects are examined in this lesson.
Stanford University
Annexation of Hawaii
Once an independent nation, Hawaii became part of the United States only after a business-sponsored coup of its queen. After examining newspapers from the 1890s, learners consider whether native Hawaiians wished to become Americans at...
Curated OER
Scientists and Statesmen in Early America
Explore the historic and cultural context of the foundations of the United States of America. They identify the political and scientific contributions of early American scientists.
Curated OER
Human Settlement and Movement
Learners are introduced to the way humans have settled and moved throughout history. In groups, they compare and contrast the settlement and movement of two different ethnic groups. They discover why some are more dominate in an area...
Curated OER
Cave Painting in the Ice Age
Students take notes and sketch during the Internet research. They take notes of the colors found in the cave paintings (black, browns, ochre, sienna). They create an initial full size comprehensive sketch on scrap paper and in their...
Curated OER
Getting to Know You
Students complete an getting to know each other activity. In this personal names lesson, students play a name game, read a book about names, and then discuss why names are important. Students design a name card on oak tag rectangles and...
Curated OER
Neighborhoods
Students examine homes around the world. For this multicultural lesson, students read the book A World of Homes and Homes Around the World. Students compare and contrast the homes in the books to their own homes. Students construct a...
Curated OER
Themes Frame: A Historian's Tool
High schoolers research the scientific, economic, and cultural themes that connect Paleolithic and Neolithic inhabitants. They complete Paleolithic and Neolithic Theme Frames, comparing/contrasting the two cultures in an essay or Venn...
Curated OER
Hey Cavey Baby
Ninth graders create an unfamiliar sound with natural materials. They role play an early man sound experience. They imagine themselves a member of a clan of early people.
Curated OER
China's Ancient Tomb Culture
Students research and discuss Chinese history through the examination of ancient tomb artifacts. Emphasis is placed on the creation of student posters displaying "what they would put in a tomb".
Curated OER
Microbes & History: Microbial influence on the spread of Civilization
Students explore how to extract plant fibers from the flax plant Linum usitatissimum in the process of making linen fibers. Doing so spark interest in the importance of microbial action on the spread of human culture and civilization.
Curated OER
Math is Beautiful
Students explore how geometry is used on the composition of artworks by artists from different cultures. This lesson is equally suited for a Math or Art classroom at the late-elementary or early-middle school level.
Curated OER
social studies: Life in Colonial America
Students explore the trials and tribulations early colonial life and note its successes. Through literature, Internet research, and interactive software, they engage in various activities to evaluate early social and cultural development.
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
The Dating Game
Learn about the human's ancestors through the (carbon) Dating Game. Use the script to have your high schoolers act out one round of the game. Once they have the idea, they will research another human ancestor and play a second round the...
Curated OER
Men of Steel
Learners explore early 20th century steel making. In this U.S. history steel making lesson, students view and describe a postcard and a picture depicting exaggerated aspects of the steel industry. Learners listen to a poem about Joe...
Smithsonian Institution
Comparing Confederate and Union Soldiers
The Civil War, a war that divided a nation. Comparing and contrasting the Confederate and Union soldiers is not always an easy task, but the eighth of 15 resources makes it easy to teach the concepts. Exercises include watching videos in...