Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oh, Say, Can You See What the Star-Spangled Banner Means?

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students research the historical inspiration for the lyrics of the "The Star Spangled Banner". They explore websites, read articles and analyze poetry in an examination of America's patriotic symbols and history.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

British Royal Family Tree

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students explore the rules of succession and how succession to the British throne works. Students arrange the royal family members in succession order. They explore the concept of lineage by constructing the British royal family tree.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Honoring the Past

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students explore the beginnings of the United States and the freedoms we enjoy. They discover important events, people, monuments in Washington, D.C., and its history. Students investigate ways to honor and remember important people and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Self-Portrait Shields

For Teachers K - 5th
Students listen to the story, The Shield of Athena, and examine the original context of the sculptural fragment of a fallen warrior. They list important events and people in their lives, then create shields that depict their personal...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Impact of the Music of the Harlem Renaissance on Society

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students define the community of Harlem. They explain the growth of music in this area and identify important people who spearheaded this movement. They identify places where music grew in Harlem and establish a visual as well as an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Trading Cards

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students create trading cards based on historical individuals that helped people with disabilities. In this disabilities lesson plan, students put the name, picture, description, and graphic on the card.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Museo Mural Diego Rivera

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners take a virtual tip to the Mural Museum and examine the Museo Mural Diego Rivera. Students Identify fifteen people in the mural and research them to find out more about their lives. They discover the history of the painting and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Evolution of Mass Media after 1920

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders study the importance of media through American History.  In this American History lesson, 11th graders develop teamwork skills discovering information regarding an assigned time period.  Students predict and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Filigree Jewelry

For Teachers 3rd - 12th
Young scholars describe physical and human characteristics of North Africa and the Middle East, plot on a map areas populated by nomadic people in those areas, explain importance of filigree jewelry in Arab culture, and create their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cave Art: Discovering Prehistoric Humans through Pictures

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students explore how people in earlier times used art as a way to record stories and communicate ideas. By studying paintings from the Cave of Lascaux and other caves in France, students discover that pictures are more than pretty colors.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Virginia's Historical Figures

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders write full paragraphs about important historical figures from Virginia's history. They research an the historical figure before word processing three complete paragraphs using facts and appropriate clipart. They compare...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Political Cartoons

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students analyze cartoons by identifying the symbols, characters and information and its significance in history. They examine the economic and political changes in contemporary America. They determine that political cartoons play an...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ben Franklin

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students study Ben Franklin and why he was an important person in our country's development. They draw a picture of him by following step by step oral instructions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Postcards in Time

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students write and send postcards to and from famous historical figures.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Painted Lodges

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students explore lodge construction as a representation of culture. In this cultural diversity and Native American history lesson, students listen to a narrative explaining the origin of Native American painted lodges. Students design...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Visit to China

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders study the history of China. They explore the Chinese people, the Great Wall of China, religions, government and Dynasties. In groups, 6th graders collect information on China. They write a report on their findings and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

From The Great War To The Great Depression

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Discover details about 1920's America. In this American history lesson, students read From the Great War to the Great Depression. Students then research famous Americans from the time period and present their findings to their classmates.
Handout
Jersey Heritage

A Victorian Christmas

For Students 8th - 12th Standards
In many ways, Victorian Christmas is alive and well today! Class members read an informative passage to learn more about traditional Christmas gifts, decorations, crackers, and visits from Santa Claus in nineteenth-century England—as...
Worksheet
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Curated OER

Persuasive Journal Prompts

For Students 9th - 10th
Need a journal topic? Whether you use these prompts as part of a persuasive writing unit, or reproduce the download as a one-page handout for your class members, the suggested topics make a great addition to your curriculum library. In...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Day of Infamy:Analyzing FDR’s Pearl Harbor Address

For Teachers 6th - 8th
In 1941 FDR spoke out on the events at Pearl Harbor. The class will get to analyze word choice,  word meaning, author's craft and structure by analyzing an actual draft of this speech. They will look critically at the words used,...
Lesson Plan
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Curated OER

Introduction to Abigail Adams

For Teachers 9th - Higher Ed Standards
Remember this lady! Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams, the second President of the United States, and the mother of the sixth president, John Quincy Adams, was much more than a wife and mother. This prolific letter writer is the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Immigration

For Teachers 8th - 12th
This 3-day immigration study draws on historical trends and current events. A worksheet accompanies initial research on one group's U.S. immigration history, giving opportunity for collaborative learning through sharing findings. Groups...
Lesson Plan
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Museum of Disability

Taking Visual Impairment to School

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd Standards
What is the world like when you can't see, or when your vision is impaired? Learn about how Lisa communicates with the world around her with Taking Visual Impairment to School by Rita Whitman Steingold. Learners answer...
Lesson Plan
Smithsonian Institution

Autobiography through Objects

For Teachers 1st - 4th
Show youngsters how objects can tell a story! Here your class will learn about Cuban salsa dancer Celia Cruz by analyzing pictures of her dress, her shoes, and her marriage certificate. After describing Cruz's items and imagining what...