Study and research the American Civil War in this explanatory writing lesson. Middle schoolers complete six activities to learn about the American Civil War and soldiers' views of the war. The lesson includes several options to complete...

A picture is worth a thousand words, but political art may be worth even more! After examining examples of political cartoons, murals, and other forms of public art, class members create their own pieces to reflect their ideals and...

While humans have always been on the move, the period between 1400 and 1800 saw vast migrations of people between the East and the West. These migrations—whether through slavery or a desire to colonize new lands—shaped the modern world....

Students examine the Kansas state quarter and the Buffalo nickel and look for clue to help them identify why the bison was so important to the Native American. They perform "freeze frames" depicting Native American use of the bison.

Students study the impact of westward expansion on Native American populations. They create a diorama of a Native American scene, write imaginary letters as a pioneer child reflecting on his/her experiences, and create story sticks that...

Students study letters and images of the Japanese American Interment during World War II. They discuss the issues presented.

Students explore philanthropy. In this service learning lesson, students read Sam and the Lucky Moon, identify the elements of the story, and examine the benefits and costs of giving.

Students take a "field trip" with the teacher through the school then draw a diagram of what they saw. They bring the maps to the computer lab where they create electronic maps using the software program Neighborhood Map Machine.

Students view headshots of people representing different ethnic groups, draw and color bodies and clothing they feel best represents each headshot, and observe drawings made by classmates. Students then identify and discuss stereotypes,...

Middle schoolers discuss the types of information they can get from artifacts. In groups, they practice "reading" artifacts and determining their usage. They use inferences to test against official information about certain pieces. ...

Students examine the impact of the Great Depression. In this Great Depression instructional activity, students research employment opportunities during the era. Students determine how they may have been able to survive the economic...

First graders solve a mystery by following map clues. In this map clues lesson plan, 1st graders follow a computer program called Neighborhood Map Machine. In this program, it gives students directional and spatial clues in order to...

Students discover how to maintain successful businesses as they assume the roles of owners and drivers of their own ice cream trucks.

Students select an athlete from the Canadian Olympians website. They select pictures and list the qualities demonstrated by their chosen athlete which are required for the sport. They create posters showing their chosen athlete in action.

Students share verbally at least one thing that makes them unique, observe, compare and record their fingerprints, classify which of the basic fingerprints resemble their own and share their findings.

Students discover archaeology by investigating the history of Native Americans in Georgia.  In this U.S. history lesson plan, students participate in a mock archaeological excavation in their classroom by recovering artifacts and...

Students examine pictures of pottery and classify them. They work together to create a list of characteristics for each piece. They share their findings with the class.

Students use the internet to gather information on immigrants from the beginning of time. Using this information, they create a scrapbook showing the various immigrant groups and their effects on different cultures throughout the world....

Students read and discuss a news article about the elderly in the workplace. They use the content of the article for practice in making predictions, determining verb tense, and basic comprehension.

Students examine an original engraving of a piece of equipment called, The Grasshopper Catcher. They describe how technologies developed in Iowa during the Industrial Revolution influenced farming practices, and develop hypotheses about...

Fifth graders encounter the TCI History Alive Assessment. Create a rubric together with other students. Use graphic organizers to brainstorm challenges that one would face attending school in a foreign country.

Students analyze and compare various primary source documents. They formulate historical questions based on the documents.

Students view a video clip about a sultan's lost treasure. They examine artifacts and determine their characteristics. They complete a worksheet to end the lesson.

Suggestions for using primary sources.