After defeating the most powerful nation in the world, the United States had to deal with its own weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation. Activities in the lesson plan include analyzing primary sources from the Founding Fathers to...

The United States needed an executive power, but it wanted to avoid a monarchy. Using James Madison's notes on the Constitutional Convention, young historians look at the juggling act the Founding Fathers did to create a role for the...

Students identify the key characteristics that comprise American literary naturalism in Jack London's "To Build a Fire" and Stephen Crane's "The Open Boat." In this naturalism analysis lesson, students identify characteristics of the...

Students consider how Socrates might have responded to extenuating circumstances: for example, if his sentence had been imposed by a tyrant rather than in a trial, or if it had been influenced by prejudice.

Students examine how Stephen Crane treats the process by which a youth matures in his novel the Red Badge of Courage. They study how he exemplifies manly virtues associated with soldiers in war and examine the three endings that were...

Students analyze Antigone and its universal issues as well as explore ancient Greece. For this Antigone and Ancient Greece lesson, students read and complete activities for Sophocles' Antigone. Students reconstruct the experience of a...

Pupils view images of presidents working and living at the White House. They list activities that take place at the White House and discuss the many purposes of the building.

Students analyze Chaucer's portrayal of the Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales. Students prepare class reports on the institution of marriage and the place of women in the Medieval society.

Students discuss the countries and cultures that are part of their family history. They research the country their family "came from" and write a report.

Students explore the key events of the Hundred Years' War Using computer technology, they research the life of Joan of Arc. Students explain Joan's military and political strategies and their importance in history. Students complete...

Students research amazing Americans using America's Library. In this American heroes lesson, students identify criteria for amazing Americans. Students copy and paste text and graphics from websites to use in their own documents....

Eleventh graders list some tea party protests other than the Boston Tea Party, then state some possible reasons behind the tea protests. They explain the connection between the Boston Tea Party, other tea parties, and events that...

Eleventh graders explore the role and impact of recent First Ladies through research and family interviews, then work in groups to present a documentary portrait to the class.

Eleventh graders read the words and listen to the voices of some central participants in the debate over the League of Nations.

High schoolers use the internet to track the growth of the King Arthur legend from the Dark Ages to its arrival on the silver screen.

Students read various pieces of literature by Nathaniel Hawthorne to recognize the difference between a narrator and author. Students in small groups report on the narrative point of view represented in a story they have read.

Young scholars analyze imagery in Shakespeare's, Romeo and Juliet, and act out the passage to see how the author includes stage directions with his poetry.

High schoolers review what they have already learned about similies and begin to engage with similies on a deeper and more abstract level as they create their own.

Students explore the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794 and its significance in the early history of the United States. They explore how George Washington made the choice to meet this challenge to federal authority with military force

Students describe two different houses in use at the time the first European settlements were founded. Students list ways in which our lives differ from the lives of the Native Americans and Europeans during that period of history.

Students name tall tale characters and locations, which are based on actual people and places, and describe how they are used in an exaggerated way. Students name created characters and events from tall tales. Students write a tall tale.

Students explain the purpose of cave paintings and rock art, identify some of the animals that roamed France in prehistoric times, appreciate the methods used by ancient civilization to create cave and rock art, and use appropriate...

Students list a variety of interests and achievements of Franklin and Jefferson. They take a position that one or the other's interests and achievements were more wide-ranging or that they were equivalent. They write out their findings.

Students identify line in the composition of a number of art works. They explain how the artist's compositional choices guide the viewer's eye to important components of the image. Students identify sight lines in several paintings and...