Curated OER
Time in a Teakettle
Students compare and contrast the development of teakettles. In this artifacts lesson, students divide into groups and examine different teakettles. Students complete an artifact analysis worksheet, draw a picture of their kettle and...
Curated OER
Quilting Our Communities
Students share personal artifacts and use them to make a classroom community quilt.
Curated OER
Unearthing Ancient Greece
Young scholars locate and analyze clues about ancient Greek life. In this ancient Greece lesson, students look at art, architecture, and artifacts to determine what was important to the Greeks and discover details about their culture....
Curated OER
Today We Encountered the White Man
Students analyze and interpret artifacts and a timeline to get specific information. In this timeline lesson plan students work in groups to research an Indian tribe and write an information piece of their research.
Curated OER
Public Displays of Contention
Students consider historic events or movements that may be viewed as controversial by different groups of people, and then create proposals supporting the inclusion of specific artifacts to be displayed in related museum exhibit
Curated OER
Random Strategies in Archaeology
Young scholars critically evaluate cultures according to their artifacts. In this Random Strategies in Archaeology lesson, Students interpret evidence in order to better understand ancient societies. Young scholars watch films that...
Curated OER
Everyone has Interesting Stuff
Middle schoolers examine a random collection of artifacts. In this deductive reasoning and cultural awareness lesson, students will pair up and examine a given artifact. Each student will attempt to use the artifact's attributes and...
Curated OER
The Ancient Cliff Dwellers of Mesa Verde
Students research evidence discovered during Mesa Verde archaeological dig, view images of ancient artifacts, simultate real dig and reconstruct items buried on school grounds, and create newsletter or video tape skit.
Curated OER
History Did Happen in My Back Yard!
Eighth graders interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. For this Louisiana history lesson, 8th graders research their parish history using the LOUISiana Digital Library resources. Students create multimedia...
Curated OER
Milestones of Flight
Discover seven of the most historic aircraft and spacecraft in the collections of the National Air and Space Museum. By research into the major milestones of aviation history your students will recognize features that enable flight,...
Curated OER
Fun-Factory - NOT!
Students design a solution to a problem based on the Industrial Revolution. In this design lesson plan, students come up with architectural designs and present them to teachers in a simulated factory.
Ford's Theatre
How Perspective Shapes Understanding of History
The Boston Massacre may be an iconic event in American history, but perhaps the British soldiers had another point of view. Using primary sources, including reports from Boston newspapers and secondary sources from the British...
Maryland Department of Education
Our Children Can Soar
Amazing efforts of African American leaders are celebrated in a lesson plan on civil participation. The engaging resource focuses on primary and secondary sources to analyze the impact of African American leaders such as Ella Fitzgerald....
Curated OER
Creating An Understanding of the Past/Through The Art of George Catlin and Native American Artifacts
Students explore Native American culture. They observe and discuss the paintings of George Catlin. Students examine the lives of the Pawnee Native American Indians during the time period of 1830-1840. Numerous cross curriculum activities...
Curated OER
Forward March: Continuing Frederick Douglass' Footsteps
Students view numerous artifacts from the life of Frederick Douglass. Using the objects, they discover the many parts of his life and develop a hypothesis about the significance of the objects in his life. They identify the...
Curated OER
History at Home: The Object Box
Students examine "artifacts". In this anthropology lesson, students analyze possible uses for objects such as washboards, hot water bottles, and old magazines. Students record and share their speculations with their classmates.
Curated OER
Historical Witness: Social Messaging
Research European expansionism and colonialism during the Age of Exploration. Study the Marquise de Miramon and discuss the objects from Japan. Research Europe's expansionism and colonialism during the Age of Exploration by working in...
Curated OER
Artifact Puzzles
Students role-play the position of archaeologists to determine the different types of artifacts. They cut out a drawing of their object and connect them with their classmates objects. They write an essay about their object and where it...
Curated OER
Shoebox Dig
Students participate in a simulation in which they dig for artifacts in a shoebox filled with objects. In groups, they record the types of material and artifacts found in each layer. To end the instructional activity, they answer...
PBS
Civil War: Face Jug
Students examine African American art. For this African American history lesson, students research face jugs created by African American freedmen after they watch a video about the artifact and its significance. Students then create...
Curated OER
A Maya Masterpiece
Students analyze the symbols presented in a Maya artifact. They create collages that depict a theme related to contemporary life in their community, and write brief analyses explaining the symbolism of the images they chose.
Curated OER
We Are History: Family Stories
Students examine their own family heritage and share family stories with the class. They differentiate between primary and secondary sources, and bring in and write about three artifacts from their family. They conduct an interview...
Curated OER
Native American Interdisciplinary Educational Unit
Students research various Native American stories and legends. They participate in reader's theater, write original legends, cook Native American foods, construct dioramas and view Native American art and artifacts.
Curated OER
A Journey To Africa: Art And Artifacts
Students create a multimedia presentation based on a piece of African Art. They use the art piece to demonstrate the culture and ceremonies of the area in which it was produced. They research facts for a Power Point, write a poem...