Curated OER
Christmas in Mexico
Students identify how Christmas holidays are celebrated in Mexico, compare Mexican holidays with U.S. holidays, and learn Mexican customs. Lesson includes many downloadable activities to try with students.
Curated OER
Recuerdos De Mis Vacaciones Mexicanas.
Learners are presented with five items found in a suitcase to reflect upon the experience of a Mexican vacation. They use realia to produce a journal entry about one of the objects and its uses. The item is then brought to the front of...
Curated OER
St. Michael, Prince of the Celestial Armies
Students describe this work of art as reflecting the beliefs of Mexicans in the viceregal period. They create their own sculptures in a lightweight material that shows themselves in an active pose.
Curated OER
Cinco de Mayo Vocabulary Word Jumble
In this word jumble activity, students unscramble the letters to spell words associated with Cinco de Mayo. Students spell 20 words.
Curated OER
Puebla Patterned Pots
Sixth graders examine and discuss the characteristics of tin glazed earthenware pottery of Colonial Mexico. They design and create their own Talavera-style plate by applying the concept of radial symmetry.
Curated OER
Stolen Property or Finders Keepers
Learners explore the questionable acquisition of priceless artworks gained as spoils of World War II. They become investigators and reporters looking into the matter of ownership of the world's greatest art.
Curated OER
"The Circuit" and the Civil Rights Movement
Young scholars compare and contrast concepts of the civil rights movement to the concepts presented in the short story, "The Circuit." In groups, they sort a series of ideas written on index cards into two categories - rights and...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
Curated OER
A Dollar Goes A Long Way
Investigate life along the Old Spanish Trail! They visit websites and identify the history and environment. They create journals, dramatic enactments, and maps to discover the role individuals played in society. They also explore the...
Curated OER
Reporting on the 1920s
Use this roaring 1920s history lesson to have young writers research primary and secondary sources. They use their research to examine the events or famous public figures of the time period. Next, they imagine they're in the 1920s and...
Curated OER
The Cherokee: Trail Where They Cried
Students read the Trail of Tears about the Cherokee Nation removal and write a letter pretending they are the grandparent of a Cherokee child. In this Trail of Tears lesson plan, students understand the changing of boundaries.
Curated OER
Meet the Underground Railroad
Students research and learn about the Underground Railroad. In this Underground Railroad lesson plan, students take 2 weeks to research an individual, complete journal writings, read passages in small groups, list major events, and more.
Curated OER
Lesson Plans on the Intersection of History and Literature
Finding out about "the story behind the story" can provide a greater understanding of literature and its historical and social context.
Curated OER
Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month!
Students use information from the U.S. Bureau of the Census to create a bar graph, a picture graph, or a circle graph showing the country of origin of U.S. Hispanics.
Curated OER
Human Abstraction
Students explore and compare abstraction of human forms in various ancient cultures and by creating self-portraits using geometric shapes. They identify which geometric shapes form the following features: face, nose, arms, torso, legs,...
Curated OER
History of Immigration through the 1850's
Students research the history of Immigration. In this World History activity, students explore European immigration then specifically focus on ways African Immigration was different. Students then divide into small groups and create a...
Curated OER
That's Exercise?
Students examine a variety of ways to exercise and keep their bodies strong. They make letters of the alphabet with their bodies and listen to the book Baseball Brothers. Students watch a video clip from the PBS show Teletubbies, and...
Curated OER
What does it mean to be American?
Students create a mural depicting what it means to be an American. In this being American lesson plan, students pull out magazine ads that depict what it means to be an American, then they make a mural out of it, and finally they present...
Curated OER
Cinco De Mayo Vocabulary Word Jumble
In this Cinco de Mayo worksheet, students unscramble the letters in 20 words to spell vocabulary pertaining to the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. There is a word list.
Curated OER
Westward Ho
Middle schoolers examine primary sources regarding Western migration. In this Manifest Destiny lesson, students determine why the pioneers moved west and what the trip was like as they examine sources and write journals based on their...
Curated OER
"Hello's" Heard Around the World
Students say hello in five different languages (Spanish, Swahili, French, Portuguese, and Japanese). They are introduced to the countries of these languages (Mexico, Tanzania Africa, France, Brazil, and Japan).
Curated OER
History of Immigration From the 1850's to the Present
Eleventh graders study the history of immigration from 1850 to the present. In this American History lesson, 11th graders compare the 1924 and 1965 immigration acts and give a reasoned opinion on each. Students research, write, and...
Curated OER
Bless Me, Ultima - 1
Tenth graders consider the importance of setting in the Southwest-themed novel "Bless Me, Ultima". As part of a larger unit, 10th graders research the setting of New Mexico and work in groups to prepare presentations about the region's...