Curated OER
The Soundtrack of One's Life
Students gather important information about a historical figure. They write a short biography, including illustrations. Students collect songs from the time period when the person lived. They create a play list in iTunes. Students...
Curated OER
Of Human Bondage
How does the particular point of view in a situation affect the way it is presented? Focusing on perspectives on slavery during the Civil War, middle schoolers use research to write narratives from the points of view of their historical...
Curated OER
Poetry Through Digital Storytelling
Bring digital storytelling to your language arts class! To begin, learners select their own topic, such as a poem that reflects a life experience they had or a historical figure who interests them. Then they work to create a storyboard...
Curated OER
Trek Across America
Bring a time machine into your classroom with this writing lesson, in which young writers project themselves back in time and have a variety of choices from that point forward. They either write a conversation with a historical figure,...
Curated OER
Biography
Transform a written biography into a video biography! Introduce your learners to the biography format by reading them a few examples (some suggestions are included). Then discuss the factors that make a good biography. What information...
Curated OER
Telling Stories in Art: Symbols of a Life
Through a series of activities, learners are exposed to how artists use symbolic imagery to create the narrative of a subject’s life. They study The Birth of Alexander and some manuscripts kept at J. Paul Getty Museum. They then draft...
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Learning About the Historical and Geographical Setting of Esperanza Rising (Chapter 1: “Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1924”)
Set up your class to read Esperanza Rising, by Pam Muñoz Ryan, through a class read-aloud and exploration of the setting. The detailed instructional activity outlines each step. First, class members read over the first few pages and...
Curated OER
How to Write a Biography
Looking for a great lesson on how to write a biography? Here, middle schoolers draw from magazine articles, novels, historical figures, and current events to choose a person, or character to write about in a biography. They follow a...
School District of Palm Beach County
Timelines
What do BC and AD mean on a timeline? What is the difference between a decade and a century? Here is a nice handout that offers all the foundational knowledge your young historians will need on how to look at historical timelines.
Curated OER
Postcards in Time
Students write and send postcards to and from famous historical figures.
Curated OER
Texas State Capitol, Post-Visit Lesson Plan, 4th Grade
Fourth graders tour the Texas State Capitol and review historic figures discussed on the Capitol tour. They complete additional research to acquire additional
information about important Texans. They write a report about the individual...
Curated OER
Lincoln Meets Gates
Students research historical figures and create presentations for their research using technology tools. In this historical figures lesson, students use the provided links to research historical figures in America. Students then use...
Curated OER
State History Acting and Podcasting
Students participate in a play. In this historical figures lesson, students choose a person from history and take on their role. Students research the character, create historically accurate costumes and work in groups to prepare a...
Curated OER
Famous Elders, Historic Figures, Contemporary Tribal Leaders
Sixth graders explain significance of Elders. In this research lesson students tell that being an Elder is not always related to age. They explain why a person is important in history.
Curated OER
News Interviews of Historical Figures During the Indian Wars
Students examine the lives of important historical figures. Using primary source documents, they develop a list of questions to ask the figure if they were still alive. In groups, they discover information about the other historical...
Curated OER
Technology: Historic Figures
Fifth graders research historical figures and create Powerpoint presentations about them. They present their completed projects to the class. Students gfenerate one question about their figure which is included on a quiz.
Curated OER
Heroes, Elders, Historic Figures, Contemporary Tribal Leaders
Fifth graders research famous Elders. They receive a list of Elders, Historic Figures and Contemporary Tribal Leaders (included with the lesson). They discuss the Essential Question to guide their research. Students take notes based on...
Scholastic
Biographical History
Elementary learners study and research an important historical figure. They research a historical figure and use a four square organizer to take notes. They develop a timeline and poem that reflects the life of the historical figure....
Curated OER
Who Am I?
Get to know a person in your class or a famous figure in history. With questions about the person's birthplace, parents, and what they are famous for. A space at the bottom prompts writers to list three things they have learned.
Curated OER
Analyzing the Use of Irony in a Short Story
Ninth graders examine how literature connects to real-life and see how irony aids in the development of theme. They read Shirley Jackson's The Lottery, and discuss elements of foreshadowing and situational irony. Then learners will write...
Center for Civic Education
The Power of Nonviolence: Change Through Strategic Nonviolent Action
How did major historical figures, such as Henry David Thoreau, Susan B. Anthony, and Mohandas K. Gandhi, explain and defend their beliefs in nonviolence? Your learners will begin by studying the backgrounds of these individuals, and then...
Curated OER
Writing Exercises: The European Middle Ages
Use this worksheet to check for understanding after your class reads materials related to Europe in the Middle Ages. There are three questions that ask them to describe Charlemagne as a prominent historical figure, the feudal system, and...
Adult Fiction by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Ghost Boys: Educator Guide
The spirit of the Civil Rights Movement lives on in a more literal than figurative way in Ghost Boys. A focused lesson plan features Jewell Parker Rhodes' novel about ghosts of slain black teenagers, including the main character, Jerome,...
Reed Novel Studies
To Kill a Mockingbird: Novel Study
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American fiction writer whose biggest claim to fame was the creation of Tarzan. Using the novel study for Harper Lee's beloved novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, pupils research and list facts about him or another...