The power of a picture. During the events surrounding World War I, propaganda posters were widely distributed in American society to sway the emotions of its citizens. By analyzing World War I propaganda posters in the first installment...

Pupils explore the meaning of the ancient Greek word aretê and the place of virtue in historical athletic competition and modern sports. They begin by reading an informational text on the goal of sports in education, and then...

Investigate the importance of author's point of view. Young linguists study primary source documents related to the Treaty of Casco Bay. The first source is authored by the Native American Chiefs, the second by an English...

Before there can be peace, we have to understand conflict. Introduce the concept of conflict through a two-part activity that combines discussion, collaboration, and writing. The first in a 15-part series examines the multiple meanings...

Young scholars read texts reflecting multiple cultural perspectives. 

Did you know that some languages have no word for art? The English language does and the narrator of this short video discusses the aesthetic dimension of religious art as it "visually communicates meaning beyond language." 

 “Words have colors, emotions, numbers, shapes, and personalities.” Daniel Tammet welcomes viewers to his world with a 10-minutes video that illustrates how he, as an autistic savant, perceives the world. Class members are then...

Why is it important to use precise language? Participants explore this question in the fourth activity in a series of 15 on effective instruction. Perfect for all content areas, the activity promotes appropriate language choice through...

Develop a world-wide, email chain on which class members can showcase their acts of kindness. After defining the meaning of random acts of kindness through discussion and through a reading of Random Acts of Kindness,...

While the Spanish claimed to bring civilization to California indigenous peoples, in reality, they also brought violence and forced assimilation to European values. Primary sources, such as the reports of Catholic priests and Europeans...

As a summative assessment for this unit on colonial trade, fourth graders listen to and read informational texts in order to demonstrate their ability to take notes, write summaries, and draw connections. Young scholars first listen as...

Here is a mid-unit assessment for a group of lessons studying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The first half of this instructional activity calls for several forms of review. Your class will review the content of the...

Introduce a lesson on Civil War slang to your class of fresh fish. After looking at pictures from the Civil War and examining the list of slang terms, young historians write a letter to a family member as if they are a Union soldier or a...

This is a basic multiple choice activity. Learners answer a set of 9 multiple choice questions about early colonists and branches of government. You might use this as a check for understanding or a quick quiz. The first 2 questions are...

Have an engaging class discussion on the Bill of Rights, U.S. Constitution, and the Supreme Court. Learners examine multiple aspects of the Marbury v. Madison case and the impact that case had on the judicial system in the U.S. Web...

Young scholars analyze the direct action tactics of nonviolence. As a class, they distinguish between a strategy and a tactic and identify tactics used during the civil rights movement. They relate these tactics and how they might be...

For Learners wanting to practice verbal/linguistic intelligence, any Dr. Seuss book is an excellent text for examining rhyming words. They explore words that rhyme with bully, mean, snooty, nasty, tease, harass, hurt.

For this reading comprehension worksheet, students read a passage describing the history of Italy's flag. Then they respond to six multiple choice questions based on the description they read. Students discover who chose the colors of...

Young scholars view images of New Deal programs to see its successes. They work in groups to create captions for the images and suggest captions that might indicate different meanings.

Namely through discussion, get your opinionated scholars examining the roles of government- is it even necessary? They analyze the quote: "To be free, one must be chained," writing what it represents and then sharing. Consider...

Do all languages have a common ancestor? Although no one yet knows the answer to that big question, the narrator of this short, animated video explains how linguists use migration patterns, geological features, and word clues to...

Read any financial website or book, and it is bound to discuss the words asset and liability. But what do these words actually mean to the class? The resource effectively explains by using multiple formats and techniques, including...

What is the difference between prejudice and discrimination? Between collaborators and bystanders? Guilt and responsibility? Prompt learners to think critically about a very complex and textured topic with an innovative packet...

Young scholars explore how words can be powerful instruments of racism, and discuss ways to combat racism, prejudice and discrimination in their own lives.