Students examine how art and music help to define and unify a social movement and also how they can function as symbols of protest. They watch KQED program And Then One Night: The Making of Dead Man Walking and discuss what happens when...

Students share dance moves that reflect their personalities or depict how they are feeling, explore popularity of recreational and competitive social dancing by reading and discussing the article "Follow the Flying Feet," present...

Students investigate social behavior patterns of primates. Next, students research a specific primate-analyzing individual and group behavior patterns particular to the species. They create informational posters and present findings to...

Students consider the demands of the judicial process and work in small groups to write editorials in response to the one that is read in class. For homework, they grade a television judge and write reflective essays.

Third graders conduct an interview and create a class cookbook. In this family heritage lesson, 3rd graders read Everybody Bakes Bread and discuss a dish or recipe that is a part of their family's heritage. Students interview family...

Students explore the significance of various body parts in artistic and social expression. They research a body part and create a museum installation depicting the artistic and social significance of the body part throughout history.

Students probe the impact of Greek and Latin on the English language in this ten lesson unit. Root words are analyzed for their origins and displayed on a word wall. Inventions are created using the words and placed in a class museum.

Students listen to popular music of the 50's and 60's to make literature connections to The Outsiders. For this popular culture lesson, students evaluate and analyze various songs and connect them with the themes in the literature...

Fourth graders create their classroom rules.  In this Mayflower Compact lesson, 4th graders listen to the Plymouth story and learn about the Mayflower Compact.  Students analyze the Mayflower Compact and create a class compact...

Students explain the symbols of Canada and their relevance.  In this Canada lesson, students read Oh Canada and exchange pen-pal letters with students in Canada.  Students create a class quilt with Canadian symbols.

Applying the five themes of geography, preteen explorers develop a visual aid for younger learners in celebration African American History Month. They investigate the political, geographic, economic, and social aspects of the continent...

Middle schoolers examine the design and construction of skyscrapers. They use the internet to research information about different types of skyscrapers. They create their own building and defend it to the class.

Young scholars examine how diamonds are portrayed in American culture. They identify the political and social implications of conflict diamonds and the locations of these diamonds in Africa. They evaluate the effectiveness of the...

Young scholars participate in a collaboration activity. In this My Hero Project lesson, students discover what a hero is to someone halfway around the world and themselves. Over the 16-week session, circles, made up of between 6-9...

Students analyze art to determine themes for the Great Depression Era. In this Great Depression lesson, students identify themes for the era and research evidence for the themes to present to the class. Students interview family members...

Learners locate the literary devices used in Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech. In this figurative language lesson plan, students first distinguish between similes, metaphors, analogies, personification, etc. Learners...

Young scholars explore fiction that moves individuals to social action. In this literature instructional activity, students read The Jungle by Upton Sinclair and analyze its literary worth as well as its investigative journalism. Young...

Fifth graders discover the Civil War as taught by their peers. In this Civil War activity, 5th graders create their own lesson plans to teach the class about the Civil War. The students are monitored by the teacher but are given lectures...

Students explore Inuit language. In this Inuktitut instructional activity, students listen to a lecture about the history and phonology of the Inuit language. Students create Inuktitut-English dictionaries with...

Tenth graders explore the events leading up to the French Revolution. In this World History instructional activity, 10th graders participate in a class discussion as the teacher shares a Powerpoint presentation, then the students...

Learners explore the modern history, culture, economy, conflicts, social conditions, and geographical boundaries of Armenia and present their findings to fellow classmates at a teach-in.

Students explore diversity and race by creating art. In this ethnic background lesson, students discuss their family history, where their relatives lived and how it affects their life today. Students create pieces of a quilt representing...

Twelfth graders survey how controversial court cases have changed the viewpoints of civil rights.  In this U.S. Government lesson, 12th graders work in small groups to prepare summaries of specific court cases, then present their...

Students research U.S. history by completing a worksheet activity in class. In this historical figure instructional activity, students identify the contributions and risks taken by the former African-American leader Martin Luther King...