Annenberg Foundation
Contested Territories
United States expansion into Western territories impacted much more than just lines on a map. The seventh installment of a 22-part series about America's history puts scholars into the lives of those making the journey westward as well...
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.
Main Memory Network
Longfellow's "The Village Blacksmith" and Whitman's "Song of Myself"
Although the work Americans do has changed over time, the plight of the American worker has largely remained the same. Facilitate a class discussion aboutAmerican workers using Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Village Blacksmith" and...
Teach Engineering
Bridging the Gaps
The London Bridge should not have fallen down. And here's why. After a brief history of bridges and the three main types, class members are introduce to the concepts of tension and compression, the two main forces acting upon bridges.
Curriculum Corner
7th Grade ELA Common Core Checklists
Track your class's progress on all of the ELA Common Core standards with these handy charts. Along the left side, each seventh grade identifier is listed along with the full text of the standard. As you teach, reteach, assess,...
Curated OER
My Reading Words in My Social Studies Book?
Connect social studies and language arts using this resource. After studying root words, have learners locate five words from their social studies book that have a prefix, suffix, or root word. This puts a new twist on practicing basic...
Curated OER
What is Your Story?
Students conduct an interview with a member of their family in preparation for writing their own family histories. They listen to their teacher's family story, and listen to the book "Picnic in October." Students then conduct their...
Curated OER
Radical Reconstruction
Students explore the Republican plan for Radical Reconstruction. In this reading comprehension lesson, students use a PowerPoint presentation given by the teacher and multiple texts to answer questions that help them understand why the...
Curated OER
The Battle of the Little Bighorn
Pupils assess how point of view can change a story. In this content area reading instructional activity, students read about the Battle of the Little Bighorn from three different sources. Pupils answer questions based upon their reading...
Curated OER
Monsters
Do monsters really exist? Find out what your class thinks with these discussion questions prior to reading Beowulf. Incorporate music and a video clip into the anticipatory set to engage your learners. Take a day to search online...
Curated OER
Map Reading in the 21st Century
Students interact with MapPoint tools to view maps of the past and the present in multiple ways. They participate in mini-lessons aimed at locating certain points of interest or famous routes taken in history.
Curated OER
Activity Plan 5-6: Art History 101
Students learn to appreciate art. In this early childhood lesson plan, students read about different artists and imitate their style to develop creative thinking, and language and literacy skills.
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 African American Settlers
Go West, young man! Scholars investigate the impact of African American settlers moving to the Nebraska territory, following the passage of the Kansas-Nebraska Act in the mid 1800s. Using primary sources, timelines, maps, and...
NET Foundation for Television
1850-1874 Native Americans and Settlers
Did Western settlers receiving free land from the Homestead Act realize it wasn't really free at all? Scholars investigate the impact Western expansion had on Native American culture in the mid-1800s. They use documents, timelines, and...
Curated OER
Secret Life of Bees Research
The Secret Life of Bees provides high schoolers an opportunity to connect the events in the novel to events in America’s history. After choosing a topic from a provided list, individuals research how the event affected the Civil Rights...
Curated OER
Treaties
Fifth graders investigate Canadian history by examining the alliances made in the past. In this Canadian treaties instructional activity, 5th graders identify the Native Americans of Canada, known as the First Nations people or...
Curated OER
Diversity of Life: Geologic Time Scale
Students investigate the history of Earth by creating a geologic time scale. In this Earth History lesson, students practice sequencing events in their life as a way to get familiar with creating a time scale. Students...
New York State Education Department
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 11
You'll C-E-R a difference in classroom achievement after using a helpful lesson. Designed for economics, civics, government, and US history classes, participants practice using the CER model to craft arguments about primary and secondary...
Curated OER
Background on Mongol History and Society
Students discuss the impact of the Mongols on history. In groups, they read a different component to the relationship between the Mongols and Han. They summarize what they have read, identify any questions they have and develop their...
Curated OER
Cardboard History
Students investigate the history of baseball and create baseball cards based on research they have collected about early baseball players.
Curated OER
Trade in the Ancient Mediterranean
Students begin the lesson by locating cities and other points of interest in the ancient world. In groups, they use the internet to research the types of ships used during this time period and discuss the reasons why trade was used. ...
Curated OER
Exchange of Goods and Ideas in the Ancient Mediterranean
Ninth graders begin the lesson by discussing and locating the trade routes in the Mediterranean. Using pieces of pottery and coins, they discuss how it shows the culture of an area and create a chart showing the value of the coins. ...
Cornell University
Constructing and Visualizing Topographic Profiles
Militaries throughout history have used topography information to plan strategies, yet many pupils today don't understand it. Scholars use Legos and a contour gauge to understand how to construct and visualize topographic profiles. This...
Curated OER
Energy, Matter, and Organization
Tenth graders review the Energy, Matter, and Organization unit. They have one week to complete an essay. Students must submit a concept map or drawing. The activity is introduces by reading a short story line which presents a simple...