Curated OER
Byzantine Art: 5th century to 1453 AD
Art and architecture are great ways to help define historical periods and cultural norms. Take a critical look at the art of the Byzantine period as seen under Justinian rule. Iconography, vocabulary, religious, and political concepts...
Curated OER
Human Development
Students brainstorm about the physical, emotional, and social developmental milestones of human beings. They complete a timeline as a class that begins with birth and ends with death. Students identify whether each milestone is...
Curated OER
American Colonists Protest Song
Students explore the role of protest songs. For this early American history lesson, students research the acts passed by the British that angered colonists. Students then listen to protest songs from contemporary American history prior...
Curated OER
The American Landscape (1800 - 1850)
Students are introduced to the romantic cultural movement in America. Reading examples of pictures of Washington Irving's home, they identify the characteristics of the movement. They view other paintings of artists from the same time...
Curated OER
Vive Le Quebec Libre!
Learners use video, the Internet and CD-ROM's to investigate the cultural and linguistic traditions of Quebec, Canada. They identify the reasons behind the secession from Canada movement.
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
Early Humankind and the Development of Human Societies
Students examine archaeological studies to gather information on the physcial and cultural development of humankind. Using that information, they describe hunter-gatherer societies and how they developed tools and fire. Using maps,...
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 instructional activity, 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.Â
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, 6th graders research facts about Christopher Columbus. Students write their own opinion about Columbus's background focusing on three piecesof...
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
Young scholars 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...
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
Inventions over Time
Sixth graders examine inventions, such as spear points and bows and arrows, and discuss their importance in human cultural development. They compare these early inventions with modern ones and determine the impact of science and...
Curated OER
Getting to Know You
Students complete an getting to know each other activity. In this personal names lesson plan, 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...
Curated OER
Neighborhoods
Learners examine homes around the world. In this multicultural lesson, students read the book A World of Homes and Homes Around the World. Learners compare and contrast the homes in the books to their own homes. Students construct a...
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.