Scholastic
The Flight of Amelia Earhart Teaching Guide
Amelia Earhart's accomplishments and strength of character extend beyond her status as one of the first female aviators in America. Elementary and middle schoolers learn about Earhart's early life and the historical context surrounding...
School District of Palm Beach County
Timelines
What do BC and AD mean on a timeline? What is the difference between a decade and a century? Here is a nice handout that offers all the foundational knowledge your young historians will need on how to look at historical timelines.
Scholastic
Abraham Lincoln: A Time Line Research Project
Though Abraham Lincoln's life was tragically cut short, it was filled with accomplishments and inspiring moments that continue to influence American democracy. Explore the ways the 16th president of the United States made his way from a...
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Writing Prompts for Middle School
Scratching your head when it comes to engaging writing prompts? Check out a list of prompts designed for middle school classes, which includes topics for persuasive writing, expository writing, how-to essays, personal narratives, and...
School Rack
Westward Expansion Project Choices
What a great list of brief research projects for reviewing the era of westward expansion in the United States! Learners are directed to choose and complete three of the projects on the given list, which includes opportunities to design...
Seattle & King County Family-Planning Program
Gender Roles
Class members identify gender-specific roles and expectations in American society today by surveying adults, examining modern entertainment, and researching historical figures.
Curated OER
Wonders Of The World
Students explore wonders of the world. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students create criteria for naming ancient wonders of the world and then use the criteria to evaluate wonders of world since the original list. Students create...
Curated OER
Tracing the Impact of Historical Figures
Students use the Internet to research one historical figure. Using the information they collect, they create a display and present it to the class. They complete flowchart notes and discuss how one figure can alter the course of history.
Curated OER
A Brief History of Fairfax County
Young scholars brainstorm a list of things they already know about the history of Fairfax County, Virginia. After reading a primary source document, they discuss the similarities and differences between their prior knowledge and what...
Curated OER
Choosing the Best Candidate
Who would win an election between Napoleon and Julius Caesar? Group your class up to analyze and discuss which of their given choices would make the best presidential candidate, given specific criteria. The potential candidate list...
Curated OER
The Spread of Enlightenment Ideas
Looking for a simple and straightforward reference on the Enlightenment for your young historians? Check out this list of key terms and important figures from the period, followed by a traditional assessment where your learners will be...
East Lyme Public Schools
To Declare or Not to Declare Independence?
Class members adopt the persona of real figures in American history, Patriots and Loyalists, research these individuals to determine their stance, and then debate the question of whether or not to declare independence from...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad Mini-Unit
Students watch a film about slavery. Students view a PowerPoint about the Underground Railroad and use various resources to make a timeline for the topic. Students research a historical figure from the Underground Railroad era and give a...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
Participants examine two documents related to Rosa Parks and the bus boycott, sources that challenge some of the commonly held preconceptions about Rosa Parks. They then respond to discussion questions to reinforce...
Curated OER
Famous Person - Who Am I?
Students have an important historical figure on a card on their back and by giving them clues, students have to determine who they are. In this historical figure lesson plan, students compete to find out who they are first.
Curated OER
Interviewing a Historical Figure
Students examine a historical figure by designing an interview for them.
Curated OER
I've Just Seen a Face: Portraits
Students examine portraits for different images they project, cite three purposes a portrait can serve, analyze portraits of historical figures, and relate biographical research to portraits.
Curated OER
Personalities of the Renaissance
Have the class interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. They examine sources regarding architecture, art, exploration, government, literature, religion, and technology of the era. Then they use their...
Curated OER
News Interviews of Historical Figures During the Indian Wars
Young scholars examine the lives of important historical figures. Using primary source documents, they develop a list of questions to ask the figure if they were still alive. In groups, they discover information about the other...
Curated OER
Hello, I Am Deborah Sampson
Fifth graders research a historical figure from the Revolutionary War, dress as that person, and present information on that person. In this Revolutionary War lesson plan, 5th graders are videotaped as they present to the class.
Novelinks
Tuck Everlasting: Bio-Poem
Learn about the characters of Natalie Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting with a character biopoem. Readers fill in a poem format to detail the character traits of Winnie, Jesse, Miles, and Mae, and share their finished poems...
Curated OER
"I am determined to prove a villain" Richard III, Shakespeare, and the Creation of Villains
Pupils create a list of historical and fictional figures to identify their villainous behaviors and qualities. In this Shakespeare lesson, students discuss historical and fictional villains and their common characteristics. Pupils read...
Laura Candler
Bio Poems Made Easy
A creative way bring autobiographical writing to your poetry unit or back-to-school curriculum, this lesson plan guides you through a bio poem activity. Kids use the graphic organizer to describe themselves using adjectives, things...
Curated OER
Biopoem
Reinforce the actions, emotions, and characteristics that determine what a character is like by having your middle schoolers create a biopoem using the model presented here. You could engage them first by having them write a poem about...