Curated OER
The Literature of Upheaval
In groups, 8th graders read different documents and answer questions on the Civil War period. Students read documents by Thoreau, Stowe and Frederick Douglas.
Curated OER
Runaway Ad - Using Primary Documents
High schoolers examine a runaway slave advertisement. In this American history lesson, students investigate a missing slave advertisement run by Thomas Jefferson in 1769. High schoolers make inferences based on the advertisement.
Curated OER
Transnational Pollution: Why Are You Dumping on Me?
Students research transnational pollution and role-play a hypothetical case of transnational pollution involving the Danube River. They practice, develop and defend a position in a debate and evaluate each other's presentations.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's 1901 Constitution
"We, the People of the State of Alabama. . ." Did you know that the Alabama State Constitution has 357,157 words while the US Constitution has only 4,400? And that it has 798 amendments while the US Constitution has...
Rochester Institute of Technology
Heat Transfer
Use an exciting role play activity to teach young chemists about the importance of heat transfer in maintaining homeostasis. They assume the role of a dog sled owner who has been abandoned and must fend for themselves with only a...
Rochester Institute of Technology
Chemical Reactions and Electricity
After a discussion of chemical reactions and electricity, scholars break into groups and follow a scripted activity to discover if fruit can power a clock. After a concluding discussion, the class a presented with a challenge.
Rochester Institute of Technology
Molecules and Fuel Cell Technology
A fuel cell is where the jailer keeps gas guzzlers. Scholars review chemical reactions, chemical bonds, and chemical structure in order to apply these concepts. Participants construct fuel cell kits, using electrolysis to run the car and...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Dueling Telegrams: 1963 Verbal Power Play Between Wallace and JFK
Information, inferences, and innuendos. Text and subtext. Class members examine telegrams exchanged between President John F. Kennedy and Alabama Governor George Wallace, studying both what is stated and what is implied by the...
Curated OER
Speaking of the Speaker
Students deconstruct an obituary and examine the elements and incidents of a person's life that were chosen to memorialize in an obituary. They research a notable American and write and obituary about their life.
Curated OER
Multigenre Research Project
Students research influences on African American literature. They research someone who has influenced the development of African American literature and create a multi-genre research project. They create a photograph poem, character...
Curated OER
Urban Concentration and Racial Violence
Students research one of the many urban race riots in U.S. history, from the New York City riots during the Civil War to the "Red Summer of 1919" or the hate-strikes of 1943. They present their findings in the form of a newspaper's front...
Curated OER
Official Statements
Pupils research the viewpoints of famous Americans, and then write commencement speeches reflecting these viewpoints to be delivered to high school graduates of today.
Curated OER
Black and Blue
Students create print advertisements that persuade viewers to visit African-American history museums by detailing their artistic, cultural, and historical benefits.
Curated OER
Friends or Foes?
Students discuss Spain's relationship with Europe and the U.S. and research incidents of American-European disagreements regarding international actions and policy. They write essays on how the world might be different if a multipolar...
Curated OER
"Aerogrammes"
Learners examine Asian American culture through the analysis of the poem, 'Aerogrammes.' They watch a video, read and discuss the poem, take a field trip to Chinatown, and write a poem about their Chinatown experience.
Curated OER
Reader Response: Keith Gilyard and Mourning Dove
Students respond to Mourning Dove's Coyote Stories by discovering Native American storytelling. They create a traditional lodge and write their own stories.
Curated OER
Lawson Fusao Inada
Students read and analyze poetry written by Lawson Fusao Inada. They read and discuss the executive order issued to Japanese Americans during WWII, take a field trip to the Nikkei Legacy Center, and read and discuss poems.
Curated OER
The Changing Union
Fourth graders analyze a document and make assessment and historical prediction based on the text. In this establishment of American government lesson, 4th graders analyze a poem and discuss the climate of the Union in the early 1800's....
Curated OER
Pablita Velarde: A Biography
Students listen to Pablita Velarde: Painting Her People, a story by Marcella J. Rich. They discuss the book and why they think the author wrote it. They make a concept map of their ideas using Kidspiration software.
Curated OER
Maps and Legends by Micheal Chabon
Students read an essay to improve language skills and understanding of American culture for ESL teachers. In this American culture lesson, students read the essay 'Maps and Legends' by Michael Chabon and complete various activities to...
Curated OER
A Slave No More
Students discover what it was like to cross into freedom. In this slavery lesson, students read the "Emancipation Proclamation," and letters written by Abraham Lincoln and John Washington (a former slave). Students identify the key ideas...
Curated OER
Literature: Isabel Allende
Students watch and respond to a Bill Moyers Now video on the Chilean author, Isabel Allende. They brainstorm a list of recent events that might inspire writers and choose one to write about in poetic, diary, or short story form.
Curated OER
Radical Reads
Young scholars recreate an "American Idol" contest in which they present their favorite books to their classmates using arguments for and excerpts from the books. Following the presentation, students will be polled and the least popular...
Curated OER
Ambassadors or Annoyances?
In this lesson, students learn about the need for behavior standards for American college students in foreign study programs; they then create an introductory guide to the cultural values and customs of their own region for students...