Curated OER
Garb and Grub Across the Globe
First graders discuss what part of the world their ancestors came from. They locate the locations on a map and discuss the differences and similarities of each continent and their people. They become familiar with the traditional...
Curated OER
Pilgrim Heritage and Ancestory
Students explore immigrants and immigration to the United States. They define and explain their definition of the term pilgrim. Students evaluate the goals of their ancestors as they arrived in America. Students research and design a...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Ellis Island—The “Golden Door” to America
Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...
PBS
Family History: On Your Honor
What is your history? Scholars work with their own families to create a unique story of the courage and bravery of their ancestors. The third and final part of the series culminates in a creation of not just a family history, but a...
BW Walch
Unexpected Family History
The history of the northern states' involvement in the slave trade is not widely known. This resource uses the PBS documentary, Traces of the Trade, and the nonfiction book, Children of the New England Slave Trade, to examine this aspect...
Denton Independent School District
World Religions
Support your class members in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of cultures and perspectives around the globe with a project on world religions.
K12 Reader
Abigail Adams: Persuading Her Husband
After reading a brief excerpt from a letter written by Abigail Adams to her husband and future president of the United States, John Adams, your young historians will practice their reading comprehension skills and identify what Abigail...
Curated OER
Making Peace
Students examine how African societies view their family and ancestors and settle disputes. They create a spirit doll, and role-play conflict resolution using the ancestor figure dolls.
Curated OER
Celebrating Ancestors
Young scholars participate in a "hands-on" activity, to explain that African masks were and are more than aesthetic artifacts, they are functional implements of the many cultures of the African continent.
Curated OER
Asian and Other Cultures
Students view and discuss a video showing different festivals celebrated in Asian cultures. They participate in a class survey of the different festivals celebrated in their own families and brainstorm the purposes for festivals. In...
Curated OER
In the Future we will all be Mixed Bloods and Mestizoes
Students examine the concept of origin and ethnicity. In this ethnic studies lesson, students engage in a variety of interdisciplinary activities including posters, and discussions to better understand our past and future.
Curated OER
Lesson Plan on Family History and Past Generations
Second graders listen to The Keeping Quilt and through class/small group discussion relate this story to beliefs, customs, and traditions of their own families. They make a class quilt based on these discussions.
Curated OER
"Coolies, Sailors and Settlers: Voyage to the New World"
Students examine the larger social, political and economic issues that influenced the first Asians' migration to the Americas in the 18th and 19th centuries. They distinguish between commonly held assumptions about the first Asians in...
Curated OER
The Heritage of Puerto Rico and Cuba
Students examine the influences of the Hispanic culture in the United States. In groups, they read about the life of a slave in Cuba and identify the misconceptions are discussed. As a class, they define racism, read an essay and...
Curated OER
Where Do People Move To Or From?
Students identify countries of origin of their ancestors, graph patterns of migration to the U.S. and Hawaii, then utilize oral history as a primary document by interviewing their ancestors or parents to explain why they moved to their...
Curated OER
Finding Your Spot in The World; Geography, Maps, Multi-Culturalism
Learners use a variety of maps to locate their home, their school and the origin of their ancestors.
Curated OER
Exploring Learned and Innate Behavior
Young scholars explore the differences between learned and innate behavior among humans and monkeys. They complete an assignment and read articles about two studies, which used similar test methods to show that infants and monkeys share...
Curated OER
American Revolution: Case Studies
Students examine the climate regarding women and slaves following the American Revolution. In this primary research skills lesson plan, students examine 15 case studies that require them to discuss the scenarios paired with...
Cornell College
Dred Scott v. Sandford Supreme Court Decision
Dred Scott was a harbinger of the Civil War. An enslaved man claimed freedom because his owner had taken him into free territory. Not only did the Supreme Court rule that Dred Scott and his wife were to remain enslaved, but it also ruled...
Curated OER
The Story of Kwanzaa
Celebrate Kwanzaa with a game of Kalah, also known as Mankala or Owara. Using an egg carton and a set of beans, players take all of the beans out of one of his or her cups and move to the right, dropping one bean into each of the...
Curated OER
Chalkboard Challenge: The Beginning of Human Society
After studying Ancient Civilizations, learners could use this jeopardy-like game as a review. Having questions relating to the Neolithic, Paleolithic Era, and more, this presentation would be a great whole class or center activity.
Curated OER
The Black Death: 1347 - 1351
Grim and gruesome, the Black Death literally infects history with its social and political ramification. Your class will be positively agog over the details of the Plague, from its causes to its symptoms, and eventually to its grisly end...
Curated OER
Class Experience: African Masks
Students discover the many diverse artwork produced in Africa while focusing upon masks created in tribal groups. They conduct research using a variety of resources and then use the information as samples for inspiration to create their...
Curated OER
Current Connections
Many of us read our history books and take each word as truth. Show learners that history can easily be altered depending on who writes it. Your class will watch a series of videos, read a first person testimony, and discuss the...