Curated OER
"I Cannot Tell a Lie"
Young scholars examine and debunk historical myths, using the American Revolution as a starting point. They create and play a game of "American History: Fact or Fiction?"
Curated OER
Tapokadooa: How the Dawes Act Affected Northern Paiute Children's Lives
Students investigate the Dawes Act and understand its effects on the Paiute Indians. In this Paiute lesson, students recognize that many Native Americans lost their land and money after the Dawes Act. Students dissect a worksheet for...
Curated OER
Change the Face of History
Learners create and write a "Choose Your Own Adventure" story as they investigate the Revolutionary War. They choose a historical figure who played a key role in the war who meets other influential figures and has the opportunity to...
Curated OER
Waldseemüller’s Map: World 1507
Students take a closer look at historical maps. In this primary source analysis instructional activity, students examine the first world map produced by Martin Waldseemuller. Students complete the included map analysis worksheet and then...
Curated OER
See the Stars
Students explore the nighttime sky. In this space science lesson, students read the book Maria's Comet and and investigate the sky using their naked eyes. Students compare the view of their naked eyes to the view of a telescope.
Curated OER
Roman Numerals and Their History
Students identify Roman numerals and the history associated with them. In this historical number lesson, students investigate charts and photographs to discover the history of Roman numerals. Students bring a Roman numeral...
Curated OER
Ida Tarbell: Hysterical Woman vs. Historical Facts
Students examine journalism and its different styles. In this effective communication instructional activity students create an editorial message and articulate an article.
Curated OER
How Historians Know: Investigating a Midwife's Life
Students view "A Midwife's Tale" to explain the methods historians use to study the past. They complete worksheets to identify what historians look for.
Curated OER
Murals: Historic Walls
Students examine Mexican history in murals. In this visual arts instructional activity, students research the artistic style of Mexican murals and the artists that create them. Students then present their research findings to their...
English Enhanced Scope and Sequence
Media Literacy Applied
After investigating various forms of print, oral, and electronic media as sources of information, class members research a historical figure and produce a résumé for this person. While templates are provided for an initial sorting...
Friends of Fort McHenry
A Just War or Just a War?
What, if anything, makes a war "just"? This is an interesting and important question to explore with your class, and you can utilize an excellent lesson plan to support your group inquiry. The American Revolution and the War of 1812...
Curated OER
Australian Aboriginal Art And Storytelling
Students explore Aboriginal storytelling traditions through the spoken word and through visual culture. They listen to stories of the Dreamtime told by the Aboriginal people and investigate Aboriginal storytelling in contemporary dot...
Curated OER
Investigating Sources-Artifacts
Students discuss artifacts. In this social science lesson, students realize that artifacts can help one in determining about the person the artifacts belonged to. Students will be put into small groups and will look at objects from a box...
Curated OER
American Colonial Life in the Late 1700s: Distant Cousins
Students research how early colonists lived. They investigate late 17th century colonist's lives from Massachusetts and Delaware. Using their research, students write historical fiction in the form of friendly letters between the two...
Curated OER
Mastering the Mighty Melville
“Bartleby the Scrivner” as an existential forerunner to The Office? Dense and often dark, Herman Melville’s stories abound with Biblical allusions and complex symbols. If you are considering using Melville’s novels or short stories with...
NOAA
To Boldly Go...
When we think of ocean exploration, many of us have visions of sunken pirate ships full of treasure or mysterious creatures of the deep. What really motivates deep-sea investigation? The first in a series of diverse six-part lessons...
Curated OER
Exploring Arthurian Legend
High schoolers investigate the evolution of the King Arthur stories and analyze them as a window into the culture that preserved them. They trace the legends through their earliest versions through medieval and Victorian times and into...
National Endowment for the Humanities
History in Quilts
Learners investigate the use of cloth-based art forms intended to pass down traditions and history. They research types of quilts, quilt characteristics and then identify how Freedom Quilts were historically used in the US.
Library of Congress
Child Labor in America
Students investigate child labor during the Great Depression. In this US policy lesson, students evaluate multiple layers of the social, economic, and political affects of policy during the Great Depression. Students will engage in 5...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Declaration of Independence
Give budding historians a guided exploration of the Declaration of Independence, historic photos, videos, and more as they deepen their understanding of the American Revolution and the attitude of the colonists leading up to...
Curated OER
New York City Delights: The Taxi Cab
You set the rate! Step into the shoes of a taxi driver in New York City, and also pretend to be a person who uses taxis to get around town. The class will conduct collaborative research to learn about the history of taxis. Then, they...
Curated OER
Understanding Points of View
Investigate the importance of author's point of view. Young linguists study primary source documents related to the Treaty of Casco Bay. The first source is authored by the Native American Chiefs, the second by an English...
Curated OER
Blueprint Paper
Students investigate chemical reactions involved in making a blueprint. In this blueprint paper lesson plan, students expose blueprint paper with writing that has been soaked in a solution of potassium ferricyanide and iron (III)...
Curated OER
Lewis and Clark
Students investigate Lewis and Clark. For this Lewis and Clark lesson, students search the Internet for information about Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery. Students use maps to understand the explorations and decide which...