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"The Big Bridge Scheme": The Building and Impact of the Brooklyn Bridge
Students watch a video and examine archival newspaper articles to study the different points of view about the building of the Brooklyn Bridge. They examine the impact the bridge had on those living in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
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Aftermath and Universal Lessons of the Holocaust
Students reflect on the information given to them during the examination of the Holocaust. In groups, they answer hard questions about what they have learned and how they could make a difference in the world today. They also analyze...
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American Families: Portraits of African-American Families
Students develop a greater understanding and appreciation for their families. They increase personal self-esteem and pride as a result of studying about families through literature. They assess the importance of family values and...
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If These Walls Could Speak...
Students examine the relationship between history, the use of a given space, and its design. They research the relationship between technology and design while exploring a variety of sources. They study what scale models are and how to...
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Harlem Renaissance and Toni Morrison's Jazz
Students study the historical time of the Harlem Renaissance, including key events and figures. They read literature that weaves fiction and history and survey some of the references to the Harlem Renaissance in the novel, Jazz, by Toni...
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Imaginary Trip to South Korea
Students "visit" South Korea through the use of technology, in a fun, and stimulating, detailed project. They arrange travel, make choices, work through a budget, learn history, have exposure to language, and get a sense of what a...
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Lewis and Clark: Prized Possession
Students create a Sacagawea-inspired wampum belt. In this Native-American lesson, students study Sacagawea and her influence on the Lewis and Clark expedition. Students learn about wampum and prized possessions and work in groups to...
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How Does Power Affect Conflict?
Students use several short stories to analyze different types of power. While discussing the role of power in these short stories, students will practice communication skills essential to conflict transformation, specifically attentive...
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Early Explorers
Fifth graders investigate the routes taken by the early explorers. In this explorers instructional activity, 5th graders use interactive notebooks, discussion and maps to discover the routes taken. Students get into pairs and label maps,...
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Drawing Political Cartoons
Students draw political cartoons. In this editorial cartoons lesson, students discover the history of the cartoons in America, analyze some cartoons, and then draw their own cartoons that make social statements.
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Talk to the Hand
Students explore the significance of various body parts in artistic and social expression. They research a body part and create a museum installation depicting the artistic and social significance of the body part throughout history.
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Mom, Where Do TV's Come From?
Students explore the history of television using the lifetime achievements of Milton Berle as a springboard for studying social and technological advances in American entertainment. They, in groups, examine the role of television through...
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Peasants To Popes
Students analyze and interpret pictures of medieval life to better explain the political and social structure of the time period.
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Working Together to Improve Our Community
Students from the fourth grade research a solution to a community problem and converse with eighth graders via email. Eighth graders study the political process and work with the fourth graders to present information to the public to...
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Middle Passage: a Journey of Endurance
Students determine that thriving African cultures engaged in international trade and exploration before the emergence of European civilization. The study ancient Ghana, its geographic locale, the diversity therein to include its people,...
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History of the American West
Ninth graders research early mining in California. They study the "placer method" for mining gold, which is surface mining that does not involve tunneling. They examine what it was like for the early miners to pan for gold with...
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Now and Then
Students record transformations and their effects within and across cultures. Students study the life of specific people in a former time period and then in the present time period. This teacher focused on the Winnebago tribe, using her...
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Kentucky: Past, Present and Future
Fourth graders analyze how Kentucky's past is different from the present. They research why Kentucky was even explored and settles. What social issues face Kentucky now. Discussion lies on how Kentucky can be improved for the 21st century.
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Art and Literature: What's the Point?
Eleventh graders analyze the social/political purpose(s) of art and literature. They create written and visual texts that bring attention to a social/political concern. Presentation and discussion of art and literature in connection with...
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On the Job
Students identify the concept of occupational folklife and learn about occupations in their community and the state. Then they collect examples of occupational folklife such as special terms, equipment, or gestures, as well as stories,...
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Old Bear
Students explore different aspects of nature through a bear. In this lesson about Old Bear, students understand nature and how it all works together. Students read the story and then participate in answering discussion questions about...
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Low Birthweight Infants
Ninth graders examine why there is a low birth-weight in infants. In this Social Studies lesson, 9th graders read articles on the low birth weight. Students debate the different strategies to help combat low birth weight.
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Paul Robeson: 20th-Century Renaissance Man, Hero In Any Century
Students study the life and times of actor Paul Robeson. In this social activism lesson, students research primary and secondary documents to create multi-media presentations featuring Paul Robeson's life and political activism.
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Getting Inside The Outsiders Through Music
Young scholars listen to popular music of the 50's and 60's to make literature connections to The Outsiders. In this popular culture lesson, students evaluate and analyze various songs and connect them with the themes in the literature...