Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Close Reading in Expert Groups: What is it Like in the Rainforest Canopy? (Pages 13–16)

For Teachers 5th Standards
Put it together piece by piece. Scholars read pages 13-16 of The Most Beautiful Roof in the World by dividing it into chunks. They analyze each chunk for gist and word meaning. Individuals then create a matching game by writing...
Lesson Plan
National Woman's History Museum

Fannie Lou Hamer and Social Activism

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Not all heroes wear capes. An impactful lesson plan focuses on the life and activism of Fannie Lou Hamer during the civil rights movement. Scholars read her speeches and other material, participate in group discussion, and complete a...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Extending Suffrage to Women

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Votes for women! The activity highlights the push for the Nineteenth Amendment giving women the right to vote. High school scholars learn how the Fifteenth Amendment giving African American men the right to vote helped to spark the...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Exploring America's Diversity: Mercedes Valle (Beginner)

For Teachers 4th - 10th
An enlightening activity focuses on the life of Mercedes Valle, an immigrant from Ecuador. Scholars analyze ships and census records to understand the life of Mercedes Valle. In addition, they participate in a group discussion and...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Exploring America's Diversity: Motel Garber (Beginner)

For Teachers 4th - 10th
Young detectives delve into the past in an exciting series exploring immigration. The activity uses primary sources to teach elementary scholars historical analysis. Academics read records to understand the life of Motel Garber, from...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Inevitable Accident or Wrongful Act: Judging the Titanic Disaster

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The unsinkable ship that sunk. Scholars review the case against the White Star Line following the tragic loss of life from the Titanic disaster. Academics read documents and organize them into arguments for and against the cruise line....
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Borders with the World: Mexican-American War and U.S. Southern Borderlands

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
The Mexican-American War created social borders—not just physical ones. Scholars learn about the effects of the Mexican-American War on the people living in the borderlands using text excerpts, maps, and partnered activities. Academics...
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Resistance to School Desegregation: The Boston Busing Crisis

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Despite how it sounds, Boston's busing crisis wasn't a transportation problem. Academics address the problems faced by African Americans following school desegregation and the struggle to receive equal educational opportunities. Scholars...
Lesson Plan
1
1
American Chemical Society

Keeping Warm in the Cold

For Teachers K
Bundle up to stay warm! A fun-filled investigation opens with a group discussion about heat loss and using materials to prevent it. Young scientists then view an animation about thermometers and the Celsius scale and practice reading...
Activity
Exploratorium

Skin Shield - Explore the Body’s First Line of Defense Against Pathogens

For Students 6th - 12th
Make pathogens and the body's defense systems come alive for young biologists in a hands-on activity. Investigators model the skin's protection against infection by observing and comparing changes in a punctured tomato and an intact...
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

A Dream Deferred: DACA

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
 "Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses" has even more meaning for some children. The resource explores the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Scholars analyze primary sources and participate in...
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Hidden Histories: Mexican Repatriation During the 1930s

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Mexican Repatriation: the forgotten deportation of American citizens. The resource focuses on the deportation of Mexican American citizens during the Great Depression. Young historians read documents, complete a free-write, and fill out...
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Targeted at Home: Islamophobia

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
September 11th was a terrible tragedy with long-reaching consequences. Scholars learn about the Islamophobia that occurred to many Muslim Americans following the 9/11 attacks. The resource provides videos, articles, and interviews to...
Lesson Plan
2
2
Smithsonian Institution

Fighting For Freedom: The Stono Rebellion and Free Frank McWhorter

For Teachers 8th - 11th Standards
Travel back in time to the Stono Rebellion. Young historians research historical figures who played a role in African Americans' fight to escape slavery. Scholars research material, complete handouts, participate in group discussion, and...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Non-Importation Movement

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Boycott for free trade! An eye-opening lesson explores the non-importation movement created by American colonists in response to the Stamp and Sugar Acts. Scholars specifically look at the impact the boycott had on colonial women who had...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Democratic Ideas of the 1776 Maryland Constitution

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
1776 was a year of political upheaval in the American colonies. Academics examine the Maryland Constitution to understand the desire to break with Great Britain. Young historians learn about Maryland's efforts to extend rights to its...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Who Fired the Shot Heard Round the World?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Take a closer look. Young academics become detectives in an engaging instructional activity on the American Revolution. Scholars work in groups to analyze documents to uncover whether the American colonists or British soldiers fired the...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

The Founding Fathers and the Constitutional Struggle Over Centralized Power

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Believe it or not, the Constitution was America's second attempt at a democratic government. Academics travel back to the past to explore the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation that would eventually lead to the Constitutional...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Breaking the Great League of Peace and Power: The Six Iroquois Nations During and After the American Revolution

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
What happens when you can't remain neutral? An informative lesson explores the impact of the American Revolution on the Iroquois Nations. Scholars learn about the six Iroquois nations and their treaty with the newly formed American...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Lewis Hine Shedding Light on Child Labor through Photographs

For Teachers 6th - 12th
The Industrial Revolution: long hours, low pay, and unsafe conditions. An eye-opening activity explores the darker side of industry and exposes the realities of child labor with photos. Scholars view four photos from the famous...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Sequencing from Seeds to Harvest

For Teachers K - 2nd
Explore the farm to table experience in a fast-paced lesson on gardening. The activity uses image sequencing to help young scholars understand the process of growing food from seed to harvest. Academics also participate in group...
Lesson Plan
EngageNY

Organizing an Opinion, Reasons, and Evidence: Text 2 for Each Expert Group

For Teachers 5th Standards
The proof is in the reading. Using the informative resource, scholars read a second article about either Althea Gibson or Roberto Clemente. As they read, they continue adding reasons and evidence to their graphic organizers to show how...
Unit Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Science Starts With a Question: Energy - Teacher Guide

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Get an up-close look at energy transfer. Using a three-part activity, investigators first observe a teacher-led demonstration before building a model marble track to convert potential energy to kinetic energy. Scientists explore six...
Lesson Plan
Center for History Education

Helping to Move On? An Analysis of the Reconstruction Amendments

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Reconstruction amendments: a helping hand or another form of slavery? An inquisitive lesson compares the Reconstruction legislation that ended slavery, granted citizenship, and protected voting right for African American men. Scholars...

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