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The Dawn of Humanity
Students investigate recent archaeological challenges to theories of human origins. They research the history and geography of various African regions to create proposals for future excavations.
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Where Does History Stand on the Last Stand?
Students examine the Battle of Little Bighorn and its impact on United States and Native American culture through reading current and historic New York Times articles and by creating a research-based exhibit about this historic event.
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History According to Shakespeare
Students read Shakespeare's, Julius Caesar while identifying a number of literary elements including simile, metaphor, personification, and hyperbole. As a response activity, they simulate a mock trial, and finally, compare and contrast...
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Out of the Dust: Visions of Dust Bowl History Lesson Overview
Students complete activities with the book Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. For this literature lesson, students read this story and view the Dust Bowl history from the eyes of a child. They discover the Great Depression and life in...
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Whitewashing History
Students revisit issues of civil rights in the U.S. They use the recent national discussion of retiring Senator Strom Thurmond's 1948 Dixiecrat Presidential campaign as a starting point.
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Reliving History Through Writing
Students read a first hand account of John F. Kennedy's assassination. They write an essay describing how a world or national event affected them.
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Sparking History
Learners create exhibits about patriotic symbols for a living museum. They write reflective essays exploring the themes and symbols of independence and their influences on social responsibility.
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Relative History
Students explore theories about how the Olmec civilization influenced other Mesoamerican societies. They research the Olmecs to create a museum exhibit of their findings and reflect on how an Olmec person might have understood the...
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Drawing Conclusions - Is This a Map of the Underground Railroad?
Students complete activities to study potential maps of the Underground Railroad. In this Underground Railroad activity, students watch a video about map collector Anne Zorela's Underground Railroad map. Students complete a graphic...
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Take a Breath, Steal Some Time
Students explore the art of haiku's by listening to, modeling and creating them. For this haiku poetry lesson, students choose an object to focus their haiku on. After hearing a brief history of the haiku; students...
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Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story - The Birth of Soul
Students analyze various kinds of music. In this music lesson, students listen to music clips to determine the kind of music each clip is then they participate in a class discussion about the music and prepare a presentation.
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Declarations of Independence
Students examine what they know about American Indians past and present, then research key issues facing American Indian tribes today. To synthesize their learning, students write letters taking the perspective of an American Indian.
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The Roots of American Culture
Students explore the notion of culture and the influence of Latino culture on the U.S. They work in small groups to identify ways that Latino and non-Latino U.S. cultures have engaged in cultural 'cross-fertilization.'
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Reign of Terror?
Students research acts of terrorism around the world over the past thirty years to create a visual timeline of these events for the classroom.
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The Taming of the Few
Students consider the cultural, historical, and social implications of domesticating animals as pets. They create informative posters of various animals, illustrating their histories as pets.
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The Life of a President
Students examine the life of President Gerald R. Ford. After reading an article, they discuss his legacy. They collect articles written during his time in office and examine the key issues of his presidency. They write an article about...
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Clash of Civilizations?
Students identify common misconceptions people have about cultures different than their own. After reading an article, they discover how the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations was founded. They research the misconceptions of the...
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Nature in a Flick of the Eye
Students explore the visual information a diorama artist provides by thinking of all the details for the background of a location described by their teacher. They investigate diorama artists and their importance in creating the illusion...
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Land of the Rising Guns?
Students discuss the decision after World War II of Japan's to follow a policy of pacifism. After reading an article, they identify the ways Japan is strengthening its military. They watch a video to discover how their Constitution was...
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The Mission of Lewis and Clark
Students comprehend the various aspects of the Lewis and Clark expediton. They complete an idea web. Students work in small groups. They recall some important aspects of the Lewis and Clark expedition by performing the Corps of...
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The Art Of War
Young scholars analyze the military, business, and political implications of Sun Tzu's book The Art of War. In this literature lesson, students read and discuss the novel prior to interviewing business people about business practices...
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Mexico's Day of the Dead
Students explore global culture by researching a Mexican holiday. In this Day of the Dead lesson, students read assigned text which discusses the view of death in several different cultures including the U.S. and Mexico. Students write a...
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The Persuasive Art of Portraiture
Students first explore the power of the visual image to convey a message by examining the portrait of George Washington on American dollar bills. They next use, 'Prolific Chinese Painter Is Anonymous No More,' to explore a famous...
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History Lesson Plan: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Students explore the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For this Middle Eastern history lesson, students discover the ancient and contemporary history of Palestine in a lecture format. Students research primary and secondary sources regarding...