J. Paul Getty Trust
Still-Life Painting: Arranging Nature—Lesson 1
Art learners examine still-life arrangement images and respond to a series of prompts. In a whole-class discussion, pupils list elements and qualities that still-life paintings can have. After instructors create an arrangement and model...
Curated OER
The Role of the Media
High schoolers 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...
Curated OER
Friar Margil & The Spanish Missions
Learners explore the life of Friar Margil de Jesus as well as other Spanish friars. They research Friar Margil and write a paragraph explaining why Spanish friars came to Texas. In groups, students create a PowerPoint presentation...
Curated OER
Reading Questions: Alex Haley's "My Furthest Back Person: The African"
Based on Alex Haley's moving essay "My Furthest Back Person: The African," these 11 questions support comprehension and prepare readers for discussion of the text. Use this tool, and the essay, as a nonfiction addition to units on...
DePaul University
Contrast and Evaluate Fact and Opinion
How can you tell when an author is expression an opinion or stating a fact? Use two short reading selections to emphasize the difference between a statement that you can prove and one that you can't. The first passage explains food...
Curated OER
Corporate Tax Rate and Jobs
Does lowering the corporate tax rate help create jobs in the United States? Learners explore the top pro and con arguments and quotes relating to the issue. They read background information about the creation of the federal corporate...
American Battlefield Trust
Jeremiah Handley
Designed for middle school scholars, a instructional activity explores the life of Jeremiah Handley, a young man when the Civil War broke out. Pupils read Handley's personal story, accounts of battles, and view images to understand what...
Scholastic
The First Thanksgiving Feast for Grades 6–8
It's time for the feast! Young historians complete their study of the First Thanksgiving by completing an online activity, watching a slideshow, and examining a First Thanksgiving timeline. After answering text-dependent questions to...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
The Revolutionary Times as Seen Through the Eyes of Women
The role of women before and during the American Revolution changed dramatically. To gain an understanding of these changes, middle schoolers analyze primary source documents, including letters from women that supported the patriot cause...
Curated OER
Abigail and John in Love
The second lesson in the series asks groups to analyze an exchange of love letters between Abigail and John Adams. Scholars identify the many allusions and references in the letters and consider what they can infer about the writers.
Stanford University
Edward Curtis Photographs
A picture is worth a thousand words. The photos of Edward Curtis capture the life and culture of Native American Tribes during the early part of the twentieth century. A presentation first gives background information on Edward Curtis...
US National Archives
Eastern Europe 1939-45 — Berlin
The inevitability of World War II has arrived: Berlin has fallen. Young historians watch contemporaneous footage of the event, analyze primary source documents, and write a news report that details the roles of the Soviet, British,...
Beverly Hills High School
French Revolution
What led up to the French Revolution? Middle and high schoolers explore the factors that contributed to the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789, as well as the events following that fateful day, with a presentation on the French...
Digital Public Library of America
The Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850
Escaping Enslaved people attempting to escape didn't need a ticket to ride on the Underground Railroad. Here is a packet of primary sources that reveal the kind of courage and determination they did need to face the challenges to gain...
DocsTeach
Analyzing a Photograph of a Young American Indian
A true glimpse of the past, Angelic La Moose smiles back from more than 100 years ago. Young learners examine the picture of a young girl on a Montana Native American reservation from 1913 to comb it for historical details. A form, which...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "A New National Anthem" by Ada Limón
Ada Limon's poem, "A New National Anthem," offers young scholars an opportunity to reflect on the significance of the US national anthem and the extent to which Key's vision applies to all Americans. After watching a video of Whitney...
Curated OER
Build a Black History Database/Timeline
Students research famous people and events in Black History then break the biographies and events down into specific information related to dates in history. They
Curated OER
History of the Local Community
Students research their local communities and identify the founding fathers of their city and county. In this communities lesson plan, students research using the library and internet. Students also interview citizens who have lived in...
Curated OER
HISTORY OF SCIENCE: ASTRONAUTS
Students study the pioneers of space exploration and travel; identify some of the early astronauts who prepared the way for others; examine the social and political conditions at the dawn of the Space Age; and differentiate among space...
Curated OER
History In the House
Young scholars analyze primary sources. In this historical analysis lesson, students will closely examine the household objects that most impact their lives. Young scholars will use research, analysis, and class discussion to draw...
Curated OER
The 36th President: Lyndon B. Johnson, US History
Students research and analyze Lyndon B. Johnson's achievements as the 36th President focusing on his legislative program. They consider how the passage of time can influence a President's reputation.
Curated OER
Fueling Around with Energy: A Comparative Study of Conventional and Renewable Energy Use Among Nations
Ninth graders examine the relationship between energy and society. In groups, they define energy sources as renewable or conventional and research how each method contributes to the world's energy. They write about how the patterns of...
Curated OER
Masks: History and Artistry
Learners research masks and their purposes,. They listen to the teacher read books about masks. Students study techniques for working with clay, they create masks from clay. Learners take pictures of the process and the finished project,...
Curated OER
Reliving History Through Slave Narratives
Students read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery activity, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific examples....