Looking for a performance assessment that asks individuals to demonstrate their competency in writing about informational text? Use Frederick Douglass' essay "On the Dred Scott Decision," and an excerpt from Abraham Lincoln's 1857 speech...

In the ecological game of who eats who, one small change can have a big impact! Individuals create food chains in an array of ecosystems, then determine what happens to organisms in the chain when one organism changes its feeding...

Did Western settlers receiving free land from the Homestead Act realize it wasn't really free at all? Scholars investigate the impact Western expansion had on Native American culture in the mid-1800s. They use documents, timelines, and...

What does the French and Indian War have to do with the American Revolution? Following the war, Britain issued the Proclamation of 1763 in an attempt to limit the colonists' western expansion. To understand how the proclamation, the...

Napoleon Bonaparte may have only held onto French leadership for a short period of time, but his legacy looms large throughout European history. An informative slideshow teaches history students about the age of Napoleon, the unification...

Statistically speaking, the content covers several grades. Featuring all of the statistics typically covered in a college-level Statistics course, the expansive content spans from sixth grade on up to high school. Material...

While the United States is now one of the strongest countries in the world, at its founding, it was plagued by controversies over the ratification of the Constitution, the Louisiana Purchase, and the expansion of slavery. Using a...

The presidencies of John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan were defined by the Cold War. Using primary source documents and scaffolded analysis questions, pupils explore the effect the Cold War had on these presidencies. A...

A photo catches a moment in time that provides a glimpse into the past. An interesting resource focuses on historical analysis using an image from a treaty council with Native Americans. Budding historians complete an online worksheet...

Once Americans won the Revolutionary War, their quest to gain land did not end. An interesting activity focuses on Americans' expansion into the frontier following the war and how it conflicted with Native Americans living in the area....

Stop westward expansion! The quick activity delves into the past to understand the petition against the annexation of Hawaii by the United States. Scholars analyze the petition to understand why native Hawaiians were against the...

Prompt scholars to discover the expansion of the universe themselves. Using photographs of other galaxies, they measure and then graph the size and distance of each. Finally, they draw conclusions and prove the universe is...

Begin your next class with a BANG! Pupils discuss the formation of our universe and its expansion before proceeding with an activity designed to demonstrate what most likely occurred billions of years ago. They conclude with a discussion...

When Einstein first heard the theory of the expanding universe, he dismissed it as bad physics. Now scholars learn about the theory and how scientists prove it has merit. Through a hands-on simulation and videos, class members measure...

A teacher guided lesson on perfect squares and factoring. They discuss perfect squares, observe the expansion steps for finding the product, and practice solving problems. They complete a worksheet on perfect squares and factoring.

High schoolers explore the development of the textile industry in Great Britain. They link the rapid growth in both the textile industry and in coal mining in Great Britain. Students connect the process of industrialization to the...

Students research emperor Justinian I in this lesson. They identify the contributions of Theodora to Justinian's rule, and the expansion of the Byzantine Empire during this time. They then analyze the contributions of Byzantine on...

Students study the time period after the Revolutionary War when people were striving to move away from the coastal areas and look for pathways to the west. Westerward expansion is a central theme and students use a variety of resources...

Fourth graders explore the various trails that settlers took West from Missouri. They examine the reasons that people took these trails as well as the kind of people who made the journeys. They examine the Oregon, the Mormon, the Santa...

Students discuss famous explorers. They discuss manifest destiny and watch a PowerPoint presentation. Students relate the explorers trips to a trip to Mars. They create a graphic organizer showing what they would bring on a trip to Mars....

Students examine the western migration in the United States in the early 19th century and identify the factors that caused the migration as well as how government adapted to meet the needs of an expanding country.

Fourth graders participate in a simulation of the Donner Party in order to learn more about this episode in history. In this social studies lesson, 4th graders take on a role which dictates their group job; each role was assigned to...

Students will observe an alternative method of temperature measurement. In this scientific measurement instructional activity, students observe and discuss alternative systems used to measure temperature.

Fifth graders practice reading skills while looking at different accounts of The Homestead Strike.  In this reading skills activity, 5th graders practice sourcing, close reading, and corroboration through reading a timeline and...