Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Human Feet Are Strange
Feet are neat! So, if you've already walked the path of examining animal footprints with your class, put them in the shoes of early humans! A well-designed lesson incorporates video, discussion, and hands-on learning to demonstrate how...
Curated OER
Rights in Early America
Get your historians to hop into someone else's 18th century shoes with a simulation on rights in early America. Each individual gets an identity card, indicating their race, gender, and status (slave or free). Areas around the room are...
San Francisco Symphony
Music and Early Man
Creative projects are great ways to increase interest in topical research. Middle schoolers learning about primitive life styles in the Americas explore the importance of music to hunter gatherers. They research and create musical...
Curated OER
Cave Art Revisited
Students research the sources of prehistoric cave paintings and engage in an activity of creating their own cave art. The activity focuses on the design, composition style of the art, and importance of cultural contributions cave...
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Bears and Panthers Aplenty: Early Settlers Make a Home in Arkansas
Young historians research the Southwest Trail, which ran through Arkansas back in the 19th century. Pupils are divided into four groups. Each group researches a pioneer who blazed the Southwest Trail. Then, the group presents an oral or...
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International Institute of Archaeology an Anthropology
Students research early humans and their cultures. They conduct Internet research, discuss their findings with their group, evaluate the information provided by artifacts, and create a report to present to a simulated archaeology institute.
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The Ancient World
Students explore the concept of migration. In this ancient civilizations instructional activity, students watch "The Ancient World" and research life in the Fertile Crescent. Students then write letters from the perspective of people...
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Ancient Gold Working
Students create a sculpture inspired by the masks, pendants, or human and animal forms found in ancient Indian art of the Americas. They focus on the techniques of metalworking, especially repousse.
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Agriculture Shapes Kentucky History
Young scholars explore the lives of early American Indians and settlers in Kentucky. They describe the agricultural practices of Indians native to Kentucky and develop a supply list for a group of settlers coming to the state to...
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Population Diversity And Human Rights
Students explore the concept of economic sanctions. In this population diversity and human rights lesson, students examine how the United States uses economic sanctions to support or prohibit international activities. Students present...
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CyberHunt: Ancient China
Pupils participate in various web based activities about ancient China in order to discover the accomplishments of this extraordinary culture. In this history lesson, students explore the Chinese paper making recipes, and the special...
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Past and Present Trends in Human Migration
In this history worksheet, young scholars will complete a chart about human migration in/from Ireland, Germany, and England in the early 18th century. Students will input information about the natural resources, crops, climate and...
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The First Humans: Prehistory-3500 B.C. "Lucy"
Students explore prehistoric times by completing web activities in class. In this human ancestry lesson, students identify the archaeological discovery of the "Lucy" skeleton and what it meant for science. Students investigate the Leakey...
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Ancient Tablets, Ancient Graves: Accessing Women's Lives in Mesopotamia
Students explore the role of women in ancient Mesopotamia. Several excerpts from the Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets and artifacts are analyzed to determine the treatment, rights, and powers of women in this era.
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Urban Ecosystems 2: Why are There Cities? A Historical Perspective
Second in a series of five lessons, this lesson encourages preteens to consider cities as urban ecosystems. First, they keep a food diary for a few days. They visit the Natrional Agricultural Statistics Service website for current data...
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Bill Robinson: Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles was born just after slavery was abolished and became one of the most beloved entertainers of his time. Explore key vocabulary, the life of an African-American entertainer, and the impact of the Harlem Renaissance on...
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Ardipithecus ramidus: A Prehistory Lesson Plan
Students discover details about the genus Ardipithecus. For this prehistory lesson, students listen to a lecture about the attributes of Ardipithecus. Students then conduct further research on either Ardipithecus ramidus or...
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Human Evolution
Students recognize that achievements of human beings throughout human history can be considered part of the ongoing story of human evolution. They research settings such as the biosphere and Mars and write imaginative short stories using...
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Ancient Hunters of the Great Lakes
High schoolers describe theories on how the first humans came to America and show the evidence that supports it. In this investigative lesson students study given material and prepare written or oral reports in their groups.
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Melba Pattillo and Ruby Bridges: Two Heroes of School Integration
Learners put themselves in the shoes of students who integrated Little Rock High School in 1957-58. Note: The primary resources in this activity provide powerful and poignant descriptions of what those students faced.
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Ancient Origins: The Role of Archaeology in Reconstructing the Past
Students read information about the ancient origins of art and archaeology with a focus on the Malian culture. In this art origins lesson, students read background information for the topic and compare ancient and contemporary objects....
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Geometry History Lesson
Tenth graders investigate the early history of geometry. In this geometry lesson, 10th graders investigate translations, rotations, and reflections. They also solve problems with line of symmetry and rotational symmetry while reviewing...
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American Colonists Protest Song
Students explore the role of protest songs. For this early American history lesson, students research the acts passed by the British that angered colonists. Students then listen to protest songs from contemporary American history prior...
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Explorers Unit
Fifth graders complete a unit on early explorers. They develop a timeline, sing a Viking song, watch a video, compile a checklist of supplies needed for an expedition, participate in a scavenger hunt, write a letter from Christopher...