Curated OER
Case Study of a Campaign
Learners read a case study of one campaign to discover how political campaigns addresses the needs of the voters. In groups, they answer questions related to the case and discuss how the commercials affect society as a whole. They use...
School Improvement in Maryland
Demographic Investigation
What are the factors that influence voting patterns? How do these factors influence government funding? Is participation the squeaky wheel gets the grease? Class members interpret graphs and analyze trends to determine what...
Curated OER
Getting the Meaning in Pop Music
Critical thinkers compare the impact of visual versus aural perception in how they comprehend artistic intent. They consider the meaning of a set of pop lyrics first by reading them, then by listening to them orally, and finally viewing...
Curated OER
International Children's Book Day
Celebrate International Children's Book Day using this resource. Learners complete activities, such as reading a passage, sequencing, unscrambling sentences, writing questions, conducting surveys, and writing. Students complete twelve...
Curated OER
Little House in the Census: Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder
How would you use census data from 1880-1900? Here are a set of ways you can incorporate the book Little House on the Prairie and US census data from that time period. Learners will research the validity or the book based on factual...
Curated OER
Making a Pinhole Camera
Students participate in a number of activities in order to study the history of photography and to examine the workings of a pinhole camera.
Curated OER
Archaeology as a Career
Fourth graders read about archaeology as a career. They develop a list of questions they would like to ask an archaeologist and then actually interview an archaeologist on the future of archaeology as a career.
Curated OER
Thank You, Mr. Edison
Students read a letter to Thomas Edison and search for advertisements of the period. They review primary sources and photographs of items made available in the 1920's. They interact on the American Memory Collection website.
Curated OER
Competing National Stories in Tibet
Learners research the Tibetan conflict from the point of view of both Tibet and China. They review resources produced by both factions and then apply these skills to consider other competing national stories.
Curated OER
Using Wikis in the Classroom
Learners write a review of a music video. They discuss the review online about the music video. Students create a fan's webpage featuring artist news and biographical information. They discuss what types of music they like listening to,...
National First Ladies' Library
The Sport of Kings: Horse Racing in America
Pupils examine the history of horse racing. They discuss their experiences with horse racing and conduct Internet research. They select a topic related to the history of horse racing, write and present a report, and read and summarize a...
National First Ladies' Library
Designing an Appalachian Folk Art Museum
Learners investigate the concepts related to the Appalachian area and the movement of Folk Art. They conduct research using a variety of resources and use the samples as inspiration for creating their own works of art. They could...
Curated OER
Being an Educated Consumer of Statistics
Students examine kinds of data used to report statistics, and create their own statistical report based on any of the four sources of media information (Internet, newspaper, TV, magazine).
National First Ladies' Library
Who’s on First? in the End Zone? at the net? in the Ring?
Pupils are introduced to some sport heroes from the 20th century. They are told that although many sports have their own Halls of Fame, there is no one list of the top 10 athletes from the 20th century. It is their job to research famous...
Curated OER
Writers of the 19th Century
Students are introduced to women authors during the 19th century. In groups, they read about the criticism they faced during this time period by the public and literary community. Using the internet, they research one author to...
National First Ladies' Library
E.T. Phones Home: The History of the Telephone
Students create illustrated timelines of the telephone's history. In groups, they research 25-year sections beginning in 1876. Once each group has completed their portion of the timeline, they are all assembled to create one banner.
Curated OER
ESL Holiday Lessons: Get a Different Name Day
In this language skills worksheet, students read an article about Get a Different Name Day. Students respond to 6 matching questions, 29 fill in the blank questions, 30 multiple choice questions, 12 word scramble questions, 30...
National First Ladies' Library
Let's Make a World Series Almanac
Middle schoolers discuss the meaning of the word, almanac and then decide which statistics about the World Series they think should be included in the almanac, browsing some websites to get some idea of what statistics are available....
National First Ladies' Library
Michigan vs. Ohio State: A Serious Rivalry!
Middle schoolers discuss and research the pros and cons of school rivalries. In particular, they study the Michigan-Ohio State rivalry. Through their research, they think about how media accounts of college football games can be shaped...
Curated OER
Time Traveler Blues: The Great Depression
Students research the Great Depression Era and its effect on the world. They create a multimedia presentation over the Great Depression from many angles.
National First Ladies' Library
Gibson Girls and Flappers: What is this "New Woman"?
Students divide into five groups with each exploring one section of the website, "The New Woman". After they complete their research, they discuss the nature and characteristics of the "new woman" and compare these to characteristics of...
National First Ladies' Library
Social Studies: Who Burned Down Barnum's Museum?
Learners examine the social conflict of the 19th century and the destruction of the American Museum. In pairs, they conduct Internet research and attempt to solve the mystery of who burned down the museum. Clues to the mystery are found...
Curated OER
The Media and Social Justice in the United States
Students investigate why the hip hop is sometimes called the CNN of black youth. They explore the political themes in American hip hop. Students examine the connection between art, media and social justice in hip hop.
National First Ladies' Library
Don't Be a Duffer! Understanding the Sport of Golf
Students are divided into six groups to access the "History of Golf Since 1497" website, and familiarize themselves with the data on one of the six pages of the website. They then work together as a large group to construct a timeline of...