Curated OER
Love It or Leave It?
Learners identify flags by country, then research the symbolism and history of those flags in preparation for writing and delivering oral presentations. For homework, they write essays reflecting on the relationship between flags,...
Curated OER
Class Actions
Students examine the many facets of the term "class," defining the term and exploring some of the ways that class plays into life in American society. They participate in a poll about class-related issues.
Curated OER
Crime Watch
Students analyze the recent rise of homicides in some American cities, create and share posters, and write reflective essays in the form of letters to community leaders.
Curated OER
Comparing Colleges
Young scholars begin process of selecting suitable colleges by exploring colleges in foreign countries and reflecting on a possible future life far from their native countries. They rank various criteria for selecting colleges, discuss...
Curated OER
Plagued by Warfare
Students define "biological weapon" and explore why these types of weapons are so dangerous. They also explore the covert shift of American grant research money to an organization that once directed the Soviet Union's germ warfare...
Curated OER
A Place for the Birds
Students reflect on bird migrations and develop a project to collect data on bird species from across North America to further investigate the ranges and migrations of common birds. They create a field guide of North American birds.
Curated OER
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Students reflect on the events that lead up to the Cuban Missile Crisis in the early 1960s. For this history lesson plan, students explore the conflicts between the United States and the Soviet Union revolving around missiles in...
Curated OER
Feature Column: Virtual Field Trips
Students discover ways to stay healthy by utilizing Internet education software. In this computer technology lesson, students investigate Internet programs that simulate a field trip by showing images and video. Students...
Curated OER
Back to the Past
What was the Untied States like in 1938? What were the concerns of Americans in the post World War I era? What were their fears? What were their sources of news and entertainment? To understand the reaction to Orson Welles' radio...
Curated OER
People behind the Civil Rights Movement
Learners identify the people actively involved in the Civil Rights Movement. In this United States History lesson, students watch the video "Eyes on the Prize" then participate in a class discussion about the video. Learners also...
Curated OER
Drums of War
Students research the political climate prior to major American wars of the past, then reflect on the current call for power to confront Iraq. They create posters using newspaper articles and headlines to highlight the major opinions of...
Curated OER
Burning Hatred
Students examine the constitutionality of various forms of expression; they then take part in a mock trial on the issue of cross burning. Divide the class into three groups; Supreme Court Justices, and two groups that don't agree on this...
The New York Times
A Worker's Compensation
Middle schoolers read about the history of Labor Day in a newspaper article. They discuss difficulties American employees of the past had to face, learn about labor rallies, and conduct Internet research. Part of the intention of this...
Curated OER
Measured Opinions
Young scholars read "Public Is Wary but Supportive on Rights Curbs," at the New York Times online. They explore how opinion polls are created and conducted, focusing on the wording of questions and the methods of sampling a population.
Curated OER
Going to the Promised Land
Students analyze primary resources and map in order to draw conclusions regarding the migrant-worker experience during the Great Depression. They explain and explain the impact of economic and ecological events on individuals.
Curated OER
Mr. Powell Leaves Washington
Students examine the life and achievements of Colin Powell. After reading an article, they discuss the role of the Secretary of State. In groups, they evaluate his successes in different regions throughout the world. They reflect on the...
Curated OER
Electing Economies
Students examine the economic and political challenges the past six presidents have faced during their terms of office, and how those challenges may or may not have impacted their chances for re-election. They create campaign slogans...
Curated OER
A Question, Mr. Lincoln!
Students discuss Abraham Lincoln. In this social science lesson, students describe key events in Lincoln's life. Students practice using interviewing skills to gather information pretending to be Lincoln.
Curated OER
The Greatest Educational Change America has Ever Seen
Students examine the history of the penny. For this Lincoln Bicentennial One Cent teachers guide, students connect the life of President Abraham Lincoln to the 1-cent coin in his honor through a variety of lessons and...
Curated OER
Benjamin Franklin - Master of Electricity The Kite Experiment and the Invention of the Lightning Rod
Learners study Benjamin Franklin including who he was, what he invented and his experiment. In this inventive lesson students follow the steps of Ben Franklin and build a Leyden jar.
Curated OER
For Whom Does the Bell Toll?
Students, gauging Public Opinion about Death During War, conduct surveys to gather and report information on a variety of key issues surrounding the war with Iraq. April 9, 2003).
Curated OER
Spreading the Word
Students analyze the use of propaganda in the war against terrorism, focusing specifically on the attacks in Afghanistan, exploring the distinction between ideas spread to benefit a cause and those spread to damage an opposing cause.
Curated OER
Trading Off
Students explore how the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has impacted the people and economies of North America and Mexico.
Curated OER
A Delicate Balance
Students reflect on racial balance in their own schools, debate merits of policies that seek to create and maintain school racial diversity, and write essays on whether their school should promote racial balance.