Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Going to the Promised Land (Dust Bowl Migration)

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine Dust Bowl migration. In this Great Depression lesson, students research primary sources regarding migration issues in the United States during the Great Depression. Students discuss their research findings and impressions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Children at War

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students conduct Internet research to investigate the use of children in combat throughout the world. Students read personal testimonies and analyze media coverage of children in combat.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson Plan: The Net Neutrality Debate

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Should Internet users who send data-heavy content pay higher fees than those who are involved in activities, like sending an email, that have less content? This question is at the heart of the Net Neutrality debate. After watching a PBS...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Hummingbirds and Flowers: A Study of Co-Adaptive Relationships

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Hummingbirds and flowers need each other to survive! Pupils explore the co-adaptation of hummingbirds and the flowering plants. They explain how a flowering plant has adapted to be pollinated by a hummingbird and how the hummingbird has...
Lesson Plan
New York Public Library

What's for Lunch?: New York City Restaurant Menus

For Teachers 1st - 2nd Standards
Do you remember the days when a cup of coffee cost five cents? At A.W. Dennett restaurant in 1894, you could buy a five-cent cup of coffee and as well as a five-cent slice of pie to accompany it. The menu from that year is a primary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

World War One- Lesson #1 of 3

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders search an online database for World War I posters, newspapers, magazines and other media. They write an essay about public sentiment of the time based on the research.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Coming to America

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders listen to the song America by Neil Diamond, view pictures of Ellis Island, and role play as processing officers who evaluate, classify and recommend which immigrants can stay in America.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Ellis Island: Gateway To America

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study the immigration station on Ellis Island. Through several activities, they see that immigrants who arrived at Ellis Island came to America from different countries, mostly those in Europe, for a variety of reasons.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The War Lesson Plan

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students view video clips of the film "The War". Several classroom activities are included and address major themes found in the film. The lessons incorporate video clips from the film as well as additional resources provided.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Gateway to America

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders study about immigration, Ellis Island, and tenement life from 1890 to 1924. They create an identity of a fictitious immigrant and describe what they find when they arrive in New York.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Black History Project

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders explore and analyze about famous African-Americans by listening to four picture book biographies. They generate a list of 15 famous African-Americans and then create a survey to rank them according to importance of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Life of a President

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine the life of President Gerald R. Ford. After reading an article, they discuss his legacy. They collect articles written during his time in office and examine the key issues of his presidency. They write an article about...
Lesson Plan
PBS

Looking for Lincoln Throughout His Life

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
Young historians gather information about Abraham Lincoln through a variety of activities. They match vocabulary words with pictures to create a timeline. Additionally, learners read books and articles that teach them...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native Americans of Rockland County

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students comprehend Native American cultures through the use of both secondary and primary sources. They explore and investigate Native Americans in New York State. Students are shown some old Indian arrowheads and they are challenged...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Romare Bearden: Piecing Together A Viewpoint

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students examine the history of Romare Bearden and her artwork. The lesson consists of some virtual field trips and projects. The lesson is designed to be taught as either a social studies or art lesson. The teacher could also teach this...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Latinos Spice Up Melting Pot

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students investigate the history of early Hispanic workers in the U.S. They complete an online Webquest, explore various websites, read about Latinos in the U.S. today, view a mural, and answer discussion questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Can You Walk a Mile With My Foot?

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the measurement of a foot as a customary unit. They take part in a series of activities to help them acquire skills of using a foot to compare other units of measurement. The teacher...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A More Perfect Union: Barack Obama's Race Speech at the National Constitution Center

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders explore the process of perfecting the Union through changes made to the Constitution, and through the powers delegated to each branch of government.  In this American Government lesson, 11th graders research various...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Expanding the Mission: Historical Parks

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students explore U.S. geography by viewing a documentary in class. In this national parks lesson, students view video clips of individual national parks and locate them using Google Earth software. Students create a persuasive...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

USS Alligator

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Student study the USS Alligator, the United States' first submarine. They describe the United States' first submarine, the USS Alligator's technology in 1862 and its voyages. A nautical vocabulary list is included for student reference.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Urban Concentration and Racial Violence

For Teachers 6th - 8th
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...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wisconsin Heritage Timeline

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore why groups of immigrants settled in Wisconsin. Through intervies with family members, printed materials, and internet research, 4th graders discover the contributions early residents made to the state. Students...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Historical Events in Utah History

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders choose a topic they are interested in related to the history of Utah. Using the internet, they research the topic making sure to cite where they gathered the information and take notes. To end the lesson, they write their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson III: Crisis, Pearl Harbor, Internment

For Teachers 9th - 11th
The third in a series of lessons introduced by “A Fence Away From Freedom,” uses the Smithsonian website, “A More Perfect Union: Japanese Americans and the U.S. Constitution” and focuses on the section of the presentation devoted to the...