Curated OER
A Look at Life of the Plains Indians through artists like George Catlin
Students identify and interpret the life of the Indians on the Plains during the 1800's through artworks of George Catlin and others during this time period. Students examine life of the Pawnee Indians and interpret conditions that...
Curated OER
Latin American Colonial Diary
Middle schoolers examine the class systems of New Spain. In small groups, they create a five-day diary about the family life, food, occupation, and government involvement of an assigned personality from the time of Colonial Latin America.
Curated OER
Social Studies: People in the Rocks
Students discover characteristics of Native Americans as depicted in their rock art. By examining the rocks from the Human Figures Photo Gallery, they make inferences about the activities and purposes of the people drawn on them.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Treaty Comparisons of Indigenous People
Learners assess the Treaty of Waitangi and compare it to various Native American treaties. After discussing the legal issues of the treaties, they role-play as groups representing a nation-state and indigenous people who negotiate a...
Curated OER
The Importance of Buffalo Culture to Blackfeet Indians
Learners examine importance of buffalo in culture of Blackfeet Indians, and explore types of technology used by Indians to kill large numbers of buffalo. Students research transition of Blackfeet from subsistence economy to capitalist...
Curated OER
Reading Images: Maconaquah
Students examine a portrait of Maconaquah and compose a list of things they observe about her. They look at her age, clothing, jewelry, and her emotions based on her facial expression. Conclusions are drawn as they "read" the pictures...
National First Ladies' Library
Will the Real Pocahontas Please Stand Up?
Learners explore the life of Pocahontas and Powhatan Indians. After studying information on a given website, students compare and contrast what they read about Pocahontas and what they previously thought of her. They explore life in a...
Curated OER
Money Talks
Students move from fact finding to interpretation as they examine paper money from the time of the American Revolution. In the final exercise, they use the issue dates of the bills to construct a chronology of political changes during...
Curated OER
Hand Built Tea Bowls
Young scholars follow directions to create clay bowls. In this pottery lesson, students use clay and the pictured tools to follow the directions and create a fire baked tea bowl.
Curated OER
Live from Channel 22
Learners explore 1920s America. In this American history instructional activity, students research primary and secondary sources in order to examine the events and noteworthy people of the time period. Learners use their...
Curated OER
"ART ZOO 'Blacks in the Westward Movement', 'What Can You Do with a Portrait', and 'Of Beetles, Worms, and Leaves of Grass'"
Students study black history, examine portraits and portrait making and create their own portraits, and investigate their natural environment. This humanities lesson provides a text that can be used to teach lessons in black...
Curated OER
The Westward Movement
Students study the westward movement through examining stamps. For this westward movement lesson plan, students draw conclusions, determine cause and effect relationships and examine the westward movement of the United States by...
Curated OER
Rock Art
First graders create and share their own rock art. They listen and read stories: "Mathematics from Many Cultures" and "The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush."
Curated OER
Native Chili Planting
Students discover the process of planting chili. After comparing two types of seeds students plant and with the use of a digital camera, record the seed progress. When ready for transplant, students take young plants to a retirement...
Curated OER
Cracking Catlins's Code
Students create a chart comparing visual clues with artistic meaning. This lesson plan is designed to introduce students to the ways in which consistent patterns of gesture and pose chosen by an artist (specifically George Catlin)...
Curated OER
Domains Portrayed and Invaded
Students examine the art and work of Carl Runguis. After reading a play, they discuss how an artist portrays his feelings about a topic in his work. They view the preplay and write an essay reflecting on their experiences. They also...
Curated OER
Settling Nroth America: Improvisation and Playwriting
Learners map the classroom by marking the movement of the first Americans' migration from Alaska down into North America. To improve their skills in map-reading and sense of direction, students identify physical features of the map and...
Curated OER
Exploring Nebraska Art and Architecture
Students explore the art and architecture of Nebraska. Using the internet, they view artwork by various artists and analyze it by using a form given to them by their teacher. They share their analysis with their classmates and discuss...
Curated OER
Inside Catlin's Head
Students will develop a variety of skills that include spatial, body kinesthetic, and communication skills. They create journal entries about the artist George Caitlin and a script for a theatrical skit.
Curated OER
Spontaneous Britishstrokes
Students are introduced to Chinese painting and they examine how Daoist phiolosophy influenced artistic style. They discuss how art and artistic technique as a reflection of Daoist culture. Students discuss how art is a reflection of...
Curated OER
Pictures Telling Stories
Learners see the importance of primary sources in the study of history, but also the limitations of relying only on primary sources of taking the money, as it were, at face value.
Curated OER
Mini Masks: Ceramics
Masks have been used for many reasons throughout human history. They are also great subjects for art projects! Included here are instructions, background information, and all the supplies needed to create mini masks in your class.
Global Oneness Project
Clowning Around
Being a clown is hard work — no joke! Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee's Laugh Clown Laugh, a short film about German clown Reinhard "Filou" Harstkotte, asks viewers to consider the various roles played by clowns and to consider the...