Smarter Balanced
Archaeological Discoveries
Artifacts, inscriptions, and monuments. Here's an activity designed to ensure that all learners are familiar with the key terms and concepts they will need to begin a study of archaeological discoveries.
Curated OER
African American Life in the Nineteenth Century
Students read about the life and work of John and Mary Jones. Using primary source documents, they draw conclusions about their role in the abolistionist movement. They also examine artifacts from their lives and analyze their portrait...
Curated OER
Hidden Children
Eleventh graders explore, analyze and study a specific genocidal event in twentieth-century history, The Holocaust. They evaluate a variety of historical artifacts and synthesize the information gathered into their own in order to...
Curated OER
Pop Culture and Art
Learn about American pop culture, art, and the social voice that art can convey. The class discusses the life and art of Barton Benes, views his piece Reliquarium, then discusses what they see and feel when they view his work. Make sure...
Curated OER
Clash of Cultures: Comparing the 1920s and 1960s
Students compare the social, cltural and politicalp roblems of the 1920s with the 1960s.
Curated OER
Clash of Cultures: Comparing the 1920s and 1960s
Students identify the social, culturaland political problems of the 1920s and compare them to the problems of the 1960s. They research both eras and then make a presentation to the rest of the class.
Aurora Trust
Journey Under the Sea
Discover the interesting world of maritime archaeology and explorations under the sea with this nice set of worksheets, which cover such topics as search tools and techniques of underwater archaeology, carbon dating,...
PBS
African American History: Honored as Heroes
To gain an understanding of the treatment of African American soldiers during World War I, class members watch an excerpt from the History Detectives film, Our Colored Heroes, and then examine three recruitment posters from that...
Reading Through History
The March on Washington
How does marching get a point across to the government? Teach pupils about civics, human rights, and freedom of speech using the resource about the March on Washington. After reading, learners complete multiple-choice and short-answer...
Described and Captioned Media Program
Malcolm X: Make It Plain, Part I
Malcolm X was a complicated man that few in white America understood. After sharing what they know or think they know about this civil rights leader, about nationalism and Black Nationalism, class members view a two-part documentary...
American Museum of Natural History
What's the Big Idea About Archeology
The American Museum of Natural History offers a website sure to engage young anthropologists. Learners can dig into a site that offers an explanation of the field of archaeology, the kinds of questions archaeologists ask that launch...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This?: Early Humans
Early humans crafted shelters out of whatever materials they could find. A one-question quiz asks learners to identify the type of bones used to construct the hut pictured in a display.
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Mythic Mask or Puppet
No need to wait until Halloween to create a mask. Young anthropologists get involved in the centuries-old tradition of mask and puppet making with the help of an engaging resource that shows them how to craft their own masks or puppets.
PBS
Document This
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...
US House of Representatives
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
Groups select a photograph from one of the four eras of African Americans in Congress and develop a five-minute presentation that provides background information about the image as well as its historical significance. The class compares...
Curated OER
Life Story of an Artifact
Students write about an artifact that they are studying. In this artifacts lesson plan, students analyze details of the artifact and answer short answer questions about it.
Curated OER
American Industry Growth
Eleventh graders explore the economic growth from 1878 to 1893. For this social studies lesson, 11th graders discuss how the improvements lead to an inequality in wealth and the problems that it caused.
Curated OER
Using Art to Study the Past: Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation - 1863
Fifth graders analyze artwork as historical artifact and recognize that the Emancipation Proclamation was a major turning point in the Civil War.
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New Haven Families: Artifacts and Attitudes, 1770s to 1890s
Students investigate their own city's cultural past in New England. They
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The Study of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas: Understanding Photo Essays
Students analyze a photo essay of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas by the photojournalist Russell Lee. They identify the goals of the photo essay, explore a website, and complete a worksheet.
Channel Islands Film
Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island: Lesson Plan 3
Should researchers be able to excavate, examine, and remove Native American artifacts from historic sites? Should companies be permitted to build on sacred Native American land? After watching West of the West's documentary, The Lone...
Curated OER
Hammurabi's Code
Here is a narrow view of Hammurabi's code. Without cultural, social, or political context, this presentation asks students what they think of the concept of an eye for an eye. Images of Babylonian artifacts and Hammurabi's laws are...
Curated OER
Colonial Farm Life: Claude Moore Colonial Farm
Fourth graders, while visiting a colonial farm, are shown artifacts and participate in a craft lesson. They write about the experience at a later date.
Curated OER
Walking Tour of Historic Occoquan
Fourth graders tour the Occoquan Mill House Museum and have the chance to handle artifacts and view the clothing of the period. They are involved in a discussion at the end of the tour to share their thoughts.