Smithsonian Institution
Students’ Response to 9/11—A Documentary Report
Young historians research the devastating attacks of 9/11 and use that information to script their own documentaries. The follow-up activity includes recording the documentary and conducting classmate interviews,
Curated OER
United States Entry into World War I: A Documentary Chronology
Students complete a unit of lessons on the events that led to U.S. involvement in WWI. They complete a Webquest, conduct research, complete a Venn diagram, read and discuss the reasons for entering the war, and create a slideshow.
Described and Captioned Media Program
Malcolm X: Make It Plain, Part II
Track the transformation of Malcolm Little into Malcolm X and then into El Jajj Malik El-Shabazz with the second part of Make it Plain, a documentary on the famous civil rights activist. Viewers consider not only how events shaped and...
Channel Islands Film
Once Upon a Time (Sa Hi Pa Ca): Lesson Plan 3
What was the most significant tool used by the Chumash? How did the environment make the tool possible? What group behaviors allowed the Chumash be be successful for thousands of years? After watching West of the West's documentary Once...
Respect for All Project
Let's Get Real Curriculum Guide
"Let's Get Real," a documentary about cyberbullying, is the cornerstone of a curriculum guide intended to help instructors design an anti-bullying unit for middle school classes. Packet with suggestions for how plan the unit,...
Curated OER
The Learning Network: Poetry Pairing July, 21, 2011
Although not a complete lesson plan, this set of emotionally powerful texts could be used in a variety of lessons. From The New York Times' Learning Network site, the resource includes a poem, an excerpt from a New York Times article and...
Described and Captioned Media Program
Malcolm X: Make It Plain, Part I
Malcolm X was a complicated man that few in white America understood. After sharing what they know or think they know about this civil rights leader, about nationalism and Black Nationalism, class members view a two-part documentary...
Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 1 - Grades 9-12
Archaeologists have discovered a cache of Native American relics. They want to preserve these relics by removing them from the rapidly eroding site to a lab where they can be studied. Native American traditions demand that the items...
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...
Facing History and Ourselves
Emmett Till: Examining the Choices People Made
The choices made by Roy Bryant and J.W. Millam, the men who murdered Emmett Till in 1955, are usually the ones people ponder when they examine the case. But other individuals made choices that contributed to the event and its subsequent...
New York State Education Department
Global History and Geography Examination: June 2017
Learners respond to multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions to demonstrate their understanding of global history and geography.
The New York Times
Reader Idea | Thinking Like a Historian About Current World Events
Check out this fantastic research project where learners work to see the modern world through the eyes of a historian and analyze a contemporary event of their choice. An in-depth reflection on the project is given by the project...
Smithsonian Institution
World War I
How did World War I effect the United States' status as a world power? Pupils examine a website to learn many interesting facts about American involvement during World War I. They read passages and interact with artifacts in an online...
Channel Islands Film
Eminent Domain
After viewing the documentary The Last Roundup, a documentary about the transitioning of Santa Rosa from a privately own island to a National Park, class members debate the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment that permits the...
Reading Through History
The Battle of Yorktown
The Battle of Yorktown was an important battle of the American Revolutionary War for all sides. Learners read everything from the point of view of the British, the Americans, and finally, the French. After reading, they answer...
Channel Islands Film
Santa Cruz Island - Visible Thinking Routines
Visible Thinking Routines are designed to help learners deepen their understanding of what they are learning and enable them to communicate their understanding of concepts to others. Individuals adopt one of these routines to use to...
Channel Islands Film
Island Rotation: Lesson Plan 3
How far have California's Channel islands moved? What was the rate of this movement? Class members first examine data that shows the age of the Hawaiian island chain and the average speed of the Pacific Plate. They then watch West...
Facing History and Ourselves
Kristallnacht: Decision-Making in Times of Injustice
Have you ever been singled out in a crowd before? Pupils investigate and analyze the events of the Holocaust. They dive into the life of a middle school student, as well as the diary entries of those in Kristallnacht during World War...
Curated OER
Every Building Tells a Story
Examine images from past that depict buildings and towns from their own communities, and compare images with photographs taken at present locations, interview local architect and compare role of 19th Century architect to 21st Century...
Curated OER
Columbian Folklore
Students learn about Columbian Folklore and make a mini documentary based on their own cultural background. In this culture lesson plan, students include Canadian cultural diversity in their presentation.
Curated OER
A Bison Web
High schoolers view a documentary on the treatment of the buffalo. In groups, they create a website using ideas and solutions they developed. They must include graphics or animation and a multi-level webpage. They share their pages...
Curated OER
The Buffalo War: A Clash of Cultures
Students view a documentary on the different values and meaning placed on the buffalo. Examining various cultures, they link the attitudes to the treatment of the animal in the wild. They develop solutions to the conflict raised by the...
Curated OER
The First American Party System: A Documentary Timeline of Important Events (1787-1800)
High schoolers conduct research on the events of the end of the 18th century in order to identify critical factors leading to the development of the Federalist and Democratic-Republican political parties. They summarize the key positions...
Curated OER
Looking for a Windshield Experience
Students identify American geography by participating in a national parks activity. In this road trip lesson, students view the Ken Burns documentary "National Parks" and identify the importance of automobiles in the park system....