Smithsonian Institution
Changing Gender Roles on the Home Front
Many historians discuss how gender roles changed because of World War II, but how did this come to be? An informative resource challenges scholars to do some digging and research the information for themselves. They research how...
Curated OER
The Sands of Arabia
Sixth graders apply geographic information to the study of World History. In this Geography lesson plan, 6th graders create a political/physical map of the Middle East, develop questions and answers about the culture of the Middle...
Curated OER
Making Stained Glass Windows
Students, in groups, research several European cathedrals from the Middle Ages. They design stained glass windows and decorate a school window with their design using black construction paper and cellophane.
Curated OER
The Countries of Slave Trade
Students create graphs, routes, and write an essay based on their research of the slave trade. In this slave trade lesson plan, students research the Middle Passage and how slave trade happened in the United States.
Curated OER
Michigan Court System (Part 1) (Middle School)
Students identify the courts that make up the Michigan judicial system. They explore the responsibility of each court and diagram how cases move to the Supreme Court. They compare and contrast the different types of courts.
Curated OER
Middle School Consumer Action Scavenger Hunt
Students research consumer information at the Federal Citizen Information Center Action Website to complete a worksheet. They examine the process of using the Consumer Action Handbook to solve consumer problems.
Curated OER
My Manners Matter
Students examine behavior. In this polite manners activity, students will determine appropriate responses to different situations they may experience at school. They will listen to the story My Manners Matter by Pat Thomas and contribute...
Curated OER
Medieval Celebration
Students celebrate the completion of a unit of study about Medieval times. In this Medieval celebration lesson, students showcase their work from a unit of study by creating a wax museum. They complete KWL charts and read over their...
Curated OER
The Reformation
Fifth graders identify key events of the Reformation. They recognize the impact of religion during the Middle Ages.
National First Ladies' Library
All the News That's Fit to Draw: Political Cartooning and the Presidency
Students research, analyze and study the history of political cartooning in the United States. They recognize a political cartoon, be able to identify the main idea, the symbols and the exaggeration and caricature in political cartoons....
Curated OER
United We Stand
Students recreate and simulate the secession of the South during the Civil War by having their class secede from the school. They write an essay comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences of everyday life before and after...
Curated OER
Harry Potter: Middle Grades Activity
Middle schoolers identify inferred and recurring literary, cultural and social themes such as bravery, loyalty, friendship and the notion of good vs. evil.
Curated OER
Laurence of Arabia
Students critically examine the life and contributions of Lawrence of Arabia to the modern Middle East. They view a video on Laurence of Arabia. Students discuss the movie. Students create a propaganda posters or stories identifying...
Curated OER
A Crossroads in Israel
Students explore Middle Eastern relations. In this current events lesson, students research the listed Web sites that include information about the history of the conflict between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Students determine how...
Curated OER
Hope vs. History
Students explore the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East. In this World History instructional activity, students research a key person that was involved in the Arab-Israeli conflict over the past several years, then create a...
Curated OER
What do they want? Critical Perspectives on the 1960's in the United States
Learners determine that history is a field of study that can help them understand themselves and the people around them. By reading sources by and about people with many of the same interests and concerns that they have and learning to...
Curated OER
Tolerance and Genocide
Students investigate the causes of genocide. In this cultural diversity lesson, students discuss genocide incidents in Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. Students then write essays about what they would do if their cultural...
University of Chicago
Gender Roles in Ancient Egyptian Society
After reading about the legal status of women in the Old Kingdom of ancient Egypt and doing some additional research, your young historians will work in groups to develop short skits that reflect a typical gender-role related scenario...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
A College Student's Perspective on WWI
Some things remain the same, such as the world being on the brink of war, or college attendees writing home requesting money. As part of their research into events that led up to President Wilson's declaration of war on...
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 Beef Moves to Nebraska
Just how long was the Long Drive? Learners investigate the movement of cattle in the Great Plains during the mid-1800s. They incorporate photographic, newspaper, video, and primary source evidence into their posters, artwork, and written...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
A Lifetime of Responsibilities: Child Labor in Alabama
Imagine children working long hours in factories, coal mines, and in the fields. Class members examine a series of pictures and read about early attempts to regulate child labor and current child labor laws.
James Madison Memorial Fellowship Foundation
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
This exercise on the Constitution requires small groups to design a visual metaphor that expresses the concept behind one of seven principles: popular sovereignty, federalism, republicanism, separation of powers, checks and balances,...
Discovery Education
Making Your Voice Count
As learners watch a video on voting, they take notes on a worksheet that lists various voting topics, including electoral and popular votes, early voting, and exit polling. Then, young people research the Internet for their state's...
Bully Free Systems
Bully Free Lesson Plans—Ninth Grade
"Bullying and Prejudice" and "Do You Cyber Bully," two lessons from a complete Bully Free program, serve as samples of the approach used in a unit designed to bring awareness to and to combat bullying. Each lesson asks class...