To war! To war! Every nation in the history of the world has had to deal with warfare on some level. Scholars go through a series of activities and discussions surrounding the development of the Constitution to help them better...

Students examine the geography, politics and history of their local town of New Haven, Connecticut. Using the internet, they explore the neighbors of New Haven and write directions from their house to school. In groups, they research...

Tenth graders explore slavery in the U.S. by researching the web. In this U.S. history lesson plan, 10th graders identify the geography of Connecticut and the overall involvement the state had in the slavery process. Students view data...

Students participate in class discussion to investigate how media affects the ideas of Americans (specifically in politics) and then research events in political history to analyze how the media may have influenced the government's...

Discuss the lives of artists in the Lyme Art Colony in the 1900s with this resource. Young historians write and perform a short scene depicting individuals who lived in the Griswold boardinghouse, used by the colony artists. They use the...

Students examine the contributions of African Americans in New Haven, Connecticut in the 19th and 20th centuries. After being introduced to new vocabulary, they review the elements of autobiographies and read excerpts of African...

Eleventh graders explore the role of women in 1800's America. In this women's history lesson, 11th graders examine excerpts of "An Essay on Slavery and Abolitionism with Reference to the Duty of American Females," and "Letters to...

Students explore African American history by researching the Jim Crow laws. In this Civil Rights lesson, students define the Jim Crow laws, the reasons they were put into place, and how they were ultimately defeated. Students write a...

Students research philanthropists of the American Revolution. In this philanthropy lesson plan, students watch the video Johnny Tremain and analyze the characters and determine their motives. Students read the Declaration of...

Sixth graders read legends to learn the history of Connecticut in a fun informative way.

Twelfth graders define cloning in their own words and examine the different types of cloning. After reading an article, they summarize it in their own words and use the internet to research the history of cloning. In groups, they...

Sixth graders explore ways to tie Afro-American history into the study of Connecticut. They compare Blacks in Connecticut with the different situations of Blacks in other parts of America. They study the period from 1848 to the present.

Eleventh graders take a closer look at slavery in Connecticut. In this slavery lesson, 11th graders research the contributions of Connecticut residents who spoke out about the issue of slavery. Students take on the personas of the...

Eleventh graders compare and contrast the visions of abolitionists and proponents of slavery. In this slavery instructional activity, 11th graders read primary documents representing both sides of the slavery issue and use graphic...

Students take a closer look at Constitutional Amendments. In this Progressive Era lesson, students discover how the amendment process works and then examine 4 amendments proposed during the era in Connecticut. Students research primary...

Sixth graders review the various immigrant groups who settled in the Newhallville neighborhood. In groups, they compare the boundaries of the neighborhood in the past and today. Using the Internet, they research the types of industries...

Eighth graders examine immigration patterns. In this family history lesson, 8th graders investigate their own family histories and then compare and contrast immigration patterns of their class to national immigration patterns between...

Discover the five main elements political cartoonists use—symbolism, captioning and labels, analogy, irony, and exaggeration—to convey their point of view.

Here, young historians compare their early lives to that of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s. They listen to a read aloud of a story by Dr. King's sister, and then write in the provided reflective journal template. Lastly, they share their...

Seventh graders investigate the slave trade. In this Middle Passage lesson plan, 7th graders read excerpts of ship logs from Connecticut Slave Trade ships. Students respond to the provided analysis questions based on the logs. 

Eighth graders analyze documents and maps of Plainfield, CT from different time periods, then, working in a small group, create a map for a giventime.  In this Plainfield instructional activity, 8th graders read primary and...

Students are introduced to the foods and traditions of the Caribbean. In groups, they brainstorm their own definition of culture and review the physical and political geography of the Caribbean. They spend time sampling different foods...

Eighth graders consider the plight of migrant farmers during the Great Depression. In this historical perspectives lesson, 8th graders watch the film based on Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and then discuss the conditions the characters...

Students examine the geology of Connecticut, including plate tectonics, glaciation, and fossil formation. After reviewing past lessons, they write essays about what life may have been like in the Mesozoic Period. Following a field...