Curated OER
Coming Attractions Theater
Elementary young scholars research the history and construction of movie theaters, read a book of their choice and portray its primary characters and plot in a visual, movie-style report. They design and create their own movie theater in...
Curated OER
Labor Day Workers Cube
Students examine the history of celebrating Labor Day and discuss the important role blue-collar workers play in the country's economy. After discussion, they create a cube displaying drawings of various jobs they admire. Panels of cube...
Curated OER
Happy 100th Birthday Airplane
Learners research the Wright Brothers and their plane. In this airplane history lesson, students use a hotlist of sites to research and create an airplane. A question is provided for each site.
Curated OER
Lesson: The Shadow Spirit Sidekick
Who doesn't need a sidekick or protective spell? Kids examine a clay vessel from ancient Colombia as they discuss the idea of sidekicks or protective magic. They then illustrate a comic strip that represents the concept of protection in...
Curated OER
Gandhi Speech Writing
Explore non-violent protest in this social values and world history lesson. After viewing the movie Gandhi, and discussing important events in Gandhi's life, young orators write a speech defending Gandhi's position on the value of...
Curated OER
My Secret War: Lesson 4
Fifth graders write a speech. For this history lesson, 5th graders define the word infamy and listen to a speech by FDR. Students work in groups to summarize his speech and rewrite sections of the speech.
Curated OER
Casting Doubt: "Color-blind" and Nontraditional Casting Decisions
In his article about color-blind casting entitled, "Willy Loman Is Lost, Still Looking for Stimulus Plan and Some Dignity," Charles Isherwood quotes August Wilson as saying, "To mount an all-black production of a 'Death of a...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Frida (Winter)
Combine vocabulary in context with art history using Jonah Winter's colorful biography Frida. Although there are quite a few words you could teach from this text, four are listed here with connecting questions: ill, imitate,...
Curated OER
Teaching the Holocaust through Literature
Centered on the short story "The Tenth Man" by Polish Holocaust survivor Ida Fink, here is a solid one-day resource to support study of World War II or Nazi history, short stories, or to complement any ELA unit on The Diary of Anne Frank...
Curated OER
Ready-Set-Go-Whoa!
The Apaches: People of the Southwest offers readers a chance to employ the “Ready-Set-Go-Whoa!” strategy (an adaptation of the KWL) to test what they know and summarize what they learn as they read Jennifer Fleischner’s nonfiction...
Hawaiʻi State Department of Education
Gargoyles Galore
Grrrrr, gargoyles are on the loose! Young artists are familiarized with the history of gargoyles, examine pictures of them, and hear a story about them. Then, they draw a gargoyle and write down exactly how they did it (procedural...
Curated OER
Egyptian Tomb Treasures
Young scholars are taught that the culture and customs of ancient Egyptian civilization. They recognize Egyptian symbols, patterns, and artwork. Students demonstrate their knowledge of Egyptian funeral procedures by creating replica...
Media Smarts
Selling Tobacco
Take a look at tobacco advertising techniques through the decades. Learners analyze the differences in strategies, and write an essay on the advertising history of one brand of tobacco, how tobacco advertising has changed over time, or...
Media Smarts
The Citizen Reporter
Ripped from the headlines! Discuss topical social issues like racism, discrimination, and diversity while exploring the concept of citizen journalism. Begin with a professional-looking presentation on the history of citizen journalism....
Curated OER
Point of View
Class members examine depictions of Thanksgiving in various mediums and discuss how point of view influences the composition and presentation of the work. While the focus here is on important events in American history as seen from the...
Curated OER
Portraits as Keys to History: Nathaniel Hurd, portraiture, identity
Students view portraits of Nathanial Hurd. They complete a worksheet and identify differences between the portraits. This lesson finishes with a visit to the "About Face" exhibit in the Memorial Art Gallery.
Curated OER
U.S. History: Antebellum Heroes and Villains
Eighth graders research and write reports on key figures of the Antebellum Period. The projects also include pictures, bibliographies, and timelines about their assigned figure. In addition, 8th graders present oral reports to classmates.
Agriculture’s Lasting Heritage
Apples Around Us
Apple tasting launches an investigation of the story and travels of John Chapman, also known as Johnny Appleseed. After listening to his story, class members craft a summary of the tale, chart his journeys on a map, and sample different...
Mary Pope Osborne, Classroom Adventures Program
Dinosaurs Before Dark
Young readers travel back to the time of the dinosaurs in this literature unit based on the story Dinosaurs Before Dark. Intended for use with upper-elementary special education students, this resource provides reading...
Digital Public Library of America
Teaching Guide: Exploring Little Women
Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a literary masterpiece as well as a timestamp of the formative mid-nineteenth century in America. Using a primary source set of photographs, letters, and portraits, readers discuss the ways...
Curated OER
Celebration of Living History
Students create a living history book about themselves and read it to a senior friend. In this living history lesson plan, students complete a project about the living history of their lives by filling out venn diagrams and sharing it...
Curated OER
What is Brazil's history?
Students research Brazil's history and note the changes that take place over time in Brazil's history. They analyze reasons for changes in Brazil's history and compare and contrast Brazil's history with that of the United States in...
Curated OER
History Lesson Plan: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Pupils explore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For this Middle Eastern history lesson, students discover the ancient and contemporary history of Palestine in a lecture format. Pupils research primary and secondary sources regarding the...
Curated OER
A Day at the Ancient Olympics
Learners examine how athletes from various ancient Greek city-states behaved at the Olympic Games. They conduct Internet research, take notes on a worksheet, and write a screenplay for a television drama about the Olympic Games in...