Links to other pandemic poems are provided in the optional extensions

Just as Kermit the Frog notes, "It isn't easy being green!" it isn't easy occupying "multiple Identity spaces." Class members read and discuss poems by writers detailing what it is like when their identities are "oppressed."

Anti-democratic violence is not new in the United States. Learners watch videos and then compare and contrast the 1873 Colfax and the 1898 Wilmington massacres. They then watch a video about the Capitol Hill insurrection of 2021 and...

Young political scientists investigate the Poor People's Campaign protest held in Washington, D.C., on June 18, 2022. They research how the event was reported in various news outlets and consider their stance on whether...

Panel 58 from Jacob Lawrence's "Migration Series" of paintings provides middle schoolers with an opportunity to sharpen their observation and analytical skills. After engaging in a warm-up activity that introduces the concepts of...

Here's a new take on a new year. After watching and discussing the video of Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman performing her "New Day's Lyric," young poets craft poems that reflect their feelings about the past year and their resolutions...

June 19 is now a United States federal holiday. Young historians examine the background of the first Juneteenth celebrations and why on June 15, 2021, Congress finally approved "Juneteenth National Independence Day" as a federal holiday.

To appreciate the oratory of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech, scholars examine the rhetorical devices and influences that make the speech so famous. They examine background information, conduct a close reading of the...

Young historians watch a video of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivering his "I Have a Dream" speech and answer questions that test their knowledge of the event. After discussing the fact sheet, they reread the speech, select a phrase or...

Explore the harsh climate of Antarctica and its wildlife. Participate in experiments to determine how humans survive in the continent's climate, and address the difficulties faced by scientists.

A picture speaks a thousand words, no matter how old! Scholars use political cartoons from the era of Prohibition and the Temperance Movement to analyze what, a primary document (in this case, a bootlegger's notebook) is telling them...

Finding an expert in a given field when conducting research can be a challenge. This guide provides step-by-step directions as well as links to resources that help young sleuths find the authorities and experts they need. As a bonus, two...

Being a historian requires serious sleuthing. They examine primary source documents and look for evidence, for clues that reveal who wrote the document, when, and why. After watching two historians model the process, young history...

Abraham Lincoln was one of the greatest presidents ever ... right? Scholars research the accomplishments and struggles of the Lincoln presidency. They uncover facts, materials and information via video clips, primary, and secondary...

Calling all junior detectives! Scholars use the tools of investigation to determine the causes and impacts of the American Civil War. Using viewing guides, videos, group research, and written resources, they discover what it takes to...

What sunk the Sultana? Scholars become investigators to uncover the facts behind the 1865 sinking just after the end of the Civil War. Through group work, videos, and primary documents, they research and analyze why 1,800 men died....

Preschoolers identify the different types of homes people live in though discussion and presentation of nursery rhymes, which include "Peter, Peter, Pumpkin Eater," and "There Was An Old Woman." They get together in groups, and each...

The concepts of a year, and the changing of the seasons are very important concepts to reinforce with young learners. Here, pre-kindergartners and kindergartners begin to understand the concept of one year, the passing of time, and the...

An important and engaging lesson on bicycles and bicycle safety that will enlighten and educated your class. Learners are shown the most important bicycle safety rules. After a discussion about what they already know about bicycles,...

Help young children identify their feelings and learn appropriate ways for expressing them. This lesson will help them understand that happy and sad are two different feelings, learn to distinguish and express different feelings, and...

Here's a great way to encourage your kids to celebrate their families. A Family Day event is planned. After a big class discussion on families, preparations are made for the big event. Invitations are created, decorations are made, and...

After listening to the story, Arthur Meets the President, 2nd graders create travel posters about Washington DC A discussion about what makes a good travel poster takes place, then pupils are given travel brochures and art supplies so...

There's nothing like a good movement activity for young learners. For this one, everyone pretends to be a certain kind of animal and moves in a way that the animal really does. First, a brainstorm session is held where the kids name the...

Kids love to guess what's hidden in the bag! This classic activity allows them to do just that by using two of their senses: their sense of touch and their sense of hearing. Objects are hidden inside a sock, and pupils must guess what...