The artistic choices Art Spiegelman made in his graphic novel, Maus, are the focus of an exercise that asks class members to compare classic comic book forms with Spiegelman’s panels and frames. Directed to specific pages and guided by a...

History classes can explore two different depictions of the Vietnam War experience with this engaging resource. While watching clips of Platoon and reading excerpts from the comic, The 'Nam, young scholars take notes for use in...

Looking for a good lesson on the Colonial Period for your upper-elementary class? Then, this lesson is for you! They use website designs, U.S. travel publications, and maps to plan a family vacation to states which were part of the...

Students design and construct a model town. For this community lesson, students will collaboratively build a small town from construction paper and toys.

Is there value in preserving indigenous languages that are almost extinct? That's the question posed to viewers of a short film about the attempt of one Native American woman who is creating a dictionary for Wakchumni, the language of...

At what point does the right of privacy end and the government begin? Scholars research rights under the Ninth Amendment to the Constitution. Using the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case as a starting point, along with small group work...

Learners role play the voyage on the Mayflower. In this United States history lesson plan, students play the parts of Pilgrims and sailors and discuss how to solve various conflicts during the "journey."

Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this world history lesson, students research several historical events and their impact. Students compose essays that address the question, "Why...

Fifth graders recreate Mesoamerican Codex Books using brown paper bags, paints, glue, an iron, and books on Mesoamerican Glyphs in this 5th grade lesson plan in the Art classroom. Resource links and book references are provided for...

Students discover the literary genre of biographies.  In this creative writing instructional activity, students write about their own life experiences and personal stories.  Students create a poster about their lives, a...

For this lesson, students read the book that focuses on the ascpects of citizenship/ Students imagine a scene in which each statement is actually happening. Students descirbe rights, repsonisbilities. Assess students by asking what is...

In this biography/autobiography lesson plan, students read a few biographies and discuss the term and it's characteristics. Students then brainstorm what makes a good biography/autobiography and create an 'All about me' poster....

Eighth graders participate in a basketball game that involves taking on the roles of Union and Confederate armies. In two teams, each wearing either gray or blue fabric strips, they attempt to capture their opponents and free their own...

In this Guy Fawkes instructional activity, students cut apart 8 sentence strips; each tells an event in the life of Guy Fawkes. Students put them in the right order, paste them on a paper, and illustrate each event.

Students investigate the colonial era and the crafts practiced in each of the trades as an expression of the interdependence the colonists had on each other. The impact of emigration from an American colonial town is experienced as...

Young scholars explore geographic features of the desert and apply their understanding of the topography of the desert by creating a tissue paper painting.

Students examine and discuss the role of the Kimono in Japanese culture. They create Kimono Paper Weavings, Kimono Scratch Art, and Kimono Clay Sculptures.

Fifth graders use visual art as a form of communication as they create a codex book based on their knowledge of Mesoamericans.

Students use flash cards to match the mother names to the baby names for farm animals. In a designated "barn" in the room, students simulate being mothers, fathers, and babies. The baby must find his mother and father. Students visit...

Tenth graders identify and locate Africa, the United States, the Original 13 colonies, and the region of West Africa on a map. They list examples of culture and African American culture. Students link the culture of West Africa with the...

In this Jordan learning exercise, learners read the article, answer true and false questions, complete synonym matching, complete phrase matching, complete a gap fill, answer short answer questions, answer discussion questions, write,...

Students explore life on a southern plantation, and the difficulties slaves encountered in food preparation. They make a sweet potato pie and discuss the uses of sweet potatoes instead of traditional fruits in southern cooking.

Students plan a family vacation to states that were among the original 13 colonies. The groups determine which state they visit, map their route, calculate the mileage, and determine how much money they spend on gasoline.

In this World War II learning exercise, students follow the provided instructions to mark 2 maps according to events and outcomes of the war.