Youngsters examine selected amendments to the Constitution to determine how voting requirements in the US have changed from the colonial days to the present.

High schoolers examine the "quiet crisis," the lack of clean water, by reading articles and viewing video clips. They discuss the situations in Ethiopia, Yemen, Kenya, and Nepal. There are two options for the lesson, but one of them...

Even history can be the basis for the inquiry process. First, several images of a bowls and vessels used in Japanese tea ceremonies are examined. Then, the class crafts questions about the origin, purpose, and use of the items. They use...

A traditional textbook chapter focuses on feudal powers in Japan, and includes vocabulary, note-taking tips in the sidebar, main ideas, and follow-up assessment questions. It also incorporates opportunities for art...

Why do decreasing prices (deflation) restrain economic growth, and why is this a real concern? Here you'll find reading materials and a related worksheet that gets right to the heart of this question, using recent events and...

Here's a great resource for your curriculum library. The 240-page packet, organized into units by topics, includes sample lesson plans, links to primary and secondary source documents, worksheets, activities, and sample assessments.

An inaugural address represents the first moments of a new beginning. Using John F. Kennedy's speech as a model for guided practice, groups examine the ingredients of an inaugural address. Individuals then repeat the analysis...

President Lincoln believed in the Thirteenth Amendment so strongly that he signed 14 copies of it, but died before he could see it passed on December 18, 1965. Explore the text that forever abolished slavery in America with a document...

After viewing the West of the West's documentary Cache, individuals craft either a newspaper article chronicling the discovery of the cache on San Nicolas Island, a historical narrative of the placement of the cache in the cliff side, or...

What does an ad reveal about a culture, or about the values of its intended audience? Class members examine a series of runaway slave ads—one of which was written by Thomas Jefferson—and consider what these primary source documents...

How do you get a theorem named after you? Euler knows what it takes! The third lesson of five asks pupils to use an interactive activity to compare the faces, vertices, and edges of seven different three-dimensional solids. They use...

Can you read a map? Scholars use an interactive technology tool to analyze maps of various kinds to gather evidence and data to better understand their meanings and usefulness. Using newly obtained knowledge, they form an interpretation...

Was the Civil War fought only due to slavery? Using an interactive web tool, scholars investigate the four main causes of the Civil War. Gathering evidence and data to support their claims, they present a final statistical breakdown...

Learners investigate the climate changes occurring locally, regionally and globally over the last one hundred years. They brainstorm and predict whether the current year's weather was warmer or colder than last year then check the...

What is the universal breakfast? The resource includes two activities, the first one observing oatmeal to understand the texture of the universe. Then, scholars measure raisin bread dough before and after it rises to represent the...

Students analyze photographs of Maine's history. They discuss the character of Maine and read a photograph. They analyze photos in pairs and complete an analysis sheet for each one. They evaluate their photos and rank them for qualities...

Students analyze and read historic photographs. In this historic photographs lesson, students explore history and writing by looking at photographs. Students discuss the photographs and produce a written record of the historical photograph.

Students examine primary documents from various key historical events, including those from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. They discuss the importance of such documents.

Pupils read and analyze letters written by a soldier during World War II. They discuss using letters as a primary source of historical information, complete a worksheet, and write a letter to a loved one.

Students analyze Edward Hopper's painting and Hirsch's poem to explore the types of emotion generated by each work. In this literary and art analysis lesson, students discuss how Hopper establishes tone and analyze Hirsch's use of...

Students analyze two works by Pablo Picasso and how he represents female figures. For this art analysis lesson, students analyze the female figures in the two artworks and discuss them. Students research a topic of social importance and...

Students explain the definition of a portrait. They identify the visual clues that Gilbert Stuart included in his portrait of George Washington. They compare the reproduction to other images of Washington. They discuss the importance of...

Eighth graders explore historical records. In this cemetery mapping lesson, 8th graders analyze local community data as they examine gravestones and read epitaphs. 

Young scholars write and send postcards to and from famous historical figures.