Activity
Scouts

The Deadly Picnic: A Lab on Deductive Reasoning

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Whodunnit? Find out who killed Mr. Brooks through a logical examination of evidence. Class members fill out a couple of data tables to help them pin down the suspect. After they've figured out just who the culprit is, pupils compose...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wreck Detectives

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Junior archaeologists examine types of artifacts from the Bronze Age on the internet. In collaborative groups, they create a story about a ship from this period and then construct a model of the ocean floor after their ship has sunk....
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

CSI Lesson Plans Can Turn Students Into Learning Detectives

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Children learn to use the methods of good detection for solving a crime, and even analyzing literature.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Sherlock Holmes: Teaching English Through Detective Fiction

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students read examples of mysteries and detective fiction. With a focus on Sherlock Holmes, they are introduced to the techniques for reading properly. In groups, they define new vocabulary, make predictions and summarize the stories. ...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Developing Thinking and Reasoning Skills in Primary Learners Using Detective Fiction

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students are introduced to the genre of detective fiction. Based on their reading level, they are given a different series of books to read. For each story, they are to make predictions and practice decoding messages. To end the...
Activity
PBS

1000 Words

For Students 6th - 12th Standards
A picture really can speak a thousand words—no matter how old! Scholars become history detectives as they learn how to analyze historical photos and evidence to uncover the past. The fun hands-on activity makes history come alive through...
Lesson Plan
PBS

The Sixties: Hitsville USA

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
James Jamerson. You probably heard him but may not have heard of him. But fans of Motown Records will certainly recognize his contributions to the sound that desegregated popular music during the 1960s. Challenge young history...
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Family History: On Your Honor

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
What is your history? Scholars work with their own families to create a unique story of the courage and bravery of their ancestors. The third and final part of the series culminates in a creation of not just a family history, but a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Investigating Jack London's White Fang: Nature and Culture Detectives

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore images of the Klondike and read Jack London's White Fang to become culture and nature detectives. In this novel analysis lesson, students analyze the setting of the novel and the ways London portrays nature and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Whodunnit?

For Teachers K - 5th
Want to create an exciting mystery activity? Investigators will identify the elements of a mystery, review mystery stories, then write their own mysteries. They engage in forensic science experiments related to mysteries and learn to ask...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Using Primary Sources: Nazi Spy Ring Busted

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Spy games are not just for professionals anymore! Scholars use short video clips, primary documents, and photographs to investigate Nazi spies in America during World War II.  The young detectives analyze the paranoia warfare can...
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Women's History: Glass Windows; Glass Ceilings

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Discover stories about women's history in beautiful stained glass windows. The second in a three-part series teaches scholars about a famous artistic style of stained glass windows and the influential women that used art to impact...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Cardboard History

For Teachers 3rd - 11th
A PBS clip focused on collecting sports memorabilia launches this research project lesson plan. Class members then read Dan Gutman’s Honus and Me in which Wagner’s baseball card is used to time travel. The lesson plan ends with...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History Detective

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students study the effects of the Great Exchange on the Americas.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Be a Quilt Detective

For Teachers 6th - 10th
Learners examine handmade quilts. They conduct research to learn the story behind the stitches. They write a report on their research with the quilter or from Internet sources.
Interactive
DocsTeach

Exploring America's Diversity: Motel Garber (Beginner)

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Young detectives delve into the past in an exciting series exploring immigration. The activity uses primary sources to teach elementary scholars historical analysis. Academics read records to understand the life of Motel Garber, from...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Deborah Sampson: Revolutionary War Heroine

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders read the story of Deborah Sampson, who helped bring freedom to the newly organized colonies in their fight for independence from England.
Lesson Plan
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PBS

Women's History: Clara Barton

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students investigate Clara Barton's contributions to society. In this Clara Barton lesson plan, students watch videos, listen to lectures, and conduct research regarding Clara Barton's life and her possible authorship of a Civil War...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Potrait Detectives

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Students examine a variety of portraits and distinguish them from other art forms such as landscapes and still lifes. They investigate why artists make portraits and why patrons wish to have portraits made.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Dino Detectives

For Teachers 4th
As students examine maps of Utah, 4th graders search for clues about what prehistoric life was like in Utah.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Inside Story

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Young scholars think about and investigate some of the social problems facing their communities: what causes them; how extensive they are; and what can be done to solve them.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Biographical Sketches

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students examine historical figures by reading about their lives.  In this biography lesson, students research the Internet to find out about a chosen figure that is important to the United States.  Students create a story...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Inquiry Lesson

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students explore the poetry of William Blake and the historical context that he presents. A story is analyzed and evaluated in order to solve a puzzle. The political commentary of the poetic piece is examined in this instructional activity.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Chocolate and Ice Cream Across the Curriculum

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders in a special education class discuss excerpts of two stories and read biographical information on the authors. In groups, they read the full text of both stories and try to solve the mystery as they read. They practice...

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