Activity
Bringing History Home

Ellis Island Simulation

For Teachers 2nd - 4th Standards
Young historians step into the shoes of immigrants coming to Ellis Island. A simulation creates an experience in which participants visit several rooms, go through an interview process, and receive a stamp in their passport—either making...
Lesson Plan
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Creative Writing

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders participate in an observation hike in this lesson. They orally share observations from their hike, and develop a paragraph in a shared writing exercise. Finally, the write their paragraph about process writing in their...
Lesson Plan
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Using Guess, Check and Revise

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students answer coin related math questions using the guess, check and revise process for problem solving.
Lesson Plan
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Process This

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students chart the steps, including the problem-solving tangent, and discuss the idea of procedures serving to give us a "road map" or guide to help tackle tasks with preparation and forethought.
Lesson Plan
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Respiration in Sammy's Cells

For Teachers 11th - Higher Ed
Students practice translating biological ideas into graphical representations and explore respiration in the context of an exercise session in this 50 minute lesson on aerobic and anaerobic respiration. The lesson includes a question...
Lesson Plan
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Message in a Bottle

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders write a short story about being stranded on a deserted island. After a brief geography review of locations at various latitudes and longitudes, 6th graders draft their story about being stranded. They use sensory and...
Lesson Plan
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Summertime Travel

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders write about a summer event they participated in. For this paragraph writing lesson, the teacher models how to write about a place they have visited. Students then write their own paragraphs.  Students will point out on...
Lesson Plan
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Persuasive Letters and The Tell Tale Heart

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Learners write persuasive letters based on "The Tell Tale Heart." They brainstorm topic sentences, main ideas, and details. They analyze the character and determine if he is innocent or guilty. They create a map listing their reasons to...
Lesson Plan
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The Importance of Plants to Native Cultures in the Past and Present

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate the founding and history of Sluice Boxes State Park. They use both primary and secondary resources to collect data. The focus is upon the use of native plants to make medicines. They write reports about several...
Lesson Plan
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The Brooklyn Museum of Art Newspaper

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students create newspapers. In this technology skills lesson, students create a newspaper layout using a word processor program. The newspaper features stories regarding the Brooklyn Museum of Art.
Worksheet
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Making the Most of Primary Sources: The Successful Interview

For Students 8th - 12th
In this interviewing skills worksheet, students read a 2-page outline of tips for conducting interviews as part of the research process and then use the tips to interview someone.
Worksheet
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Writing an Information Paragraph on a Villain

For Students 3rd - 6th
In this villain activity, students fill out facts sheets, information planning sheets, and more to write an information paragraph on a villain. Students complete 5 activities.
Lesson Plan
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Writing Original Adventures About Imaginary Sidekicks

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Students explore storytelling by conceptualizing a story with classmates. In this publishing lesson, students identify the idea development process and discuss word choice when writing a story. Students utilize a graphic organizer to...
Lesson Plan
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Design a New Dollar Coin

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Students create a design for a new coin after researching people who have impacted history. Students must write a persuasive essay about why this person should be memorialized on the dollar coin and present their person to the class.
Lesson Plan
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Changes in Latitudes, Changes in Attitudes

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders discuss how people, society, and technology change over time through a unit of integrated lessons. In these changes in society lessons, 6th graders discuss the answers to many questions about how changes effect the...
Lesson Plan
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Egg-ceptional Poetry Writing

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students recognize that eggs have nutritional value. In this eggs lesson, students create poetry for a shape book on eggs. Students participate in additional games and activities about the egg.
Lesson Plan
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Judges in the Classroom Lesson Plan Juvenile Justice- Disposition

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students investigate what a disposition is in juvenile court in Washington state. They analyze the penalties that can be imposed on a juvenile offender.
Lesson Plan
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Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Pirate's Map for Me: An Original Story

For Teachers K - 3rd
Students read Blackbeard and brainstorm their knowledge of maps. In this language arts and geography instructional activity, students use landmarks on their playground to review north, south, east and west and discuss the compass rose....
Lesson Plan
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Finding the Good Stuff in What We Read

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students work to develop comprehension strategies. They focus on three rules for summarizing: getting rid of extra information, organizing, and finding the main idea. Through modeling and then guided practice, they apply these rules ...
Lesson Plan
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Order, Order

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders practice creative writing by making a book.  In this book publishing lesson, 3rd graders investigate the steps needed to publish anything by researching the Internet.  Students collaborate on a list of 5 steps to...
Lesson Plan
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The Art of Persuasion

For Teachers K - 1st
Students write a persuasive letter. In this persuasion lesson, students listen to the story Dear Mrs. LaRue: Letters from Obedience School and discuss the vocabulary and parts of a persuasive letter. They write their own letter to...
Lesson Plan
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Citing Sources

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders demonstrate how to cite sources when writing a research paper. In this research writing lesson, 5th graders view a demonstration on how to cite sources using an included graphic organizer. Students practice citing sources...
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A Picture Says a Thousand Words

For Teachers 5th - 6th
Students create a writing selection with a well-developed plot. They use a personal photograph in which they are visible to base their autobiographical writing. They write a description of the events surrounding the photograph in the...
Lesson Plan
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Our Illuminated Alphabet

For Teachers K - 2nd
Students examine artwork and create their own.  In this writing and illustrating lesson, students view illuminated letters from the Getty Museum's collection and discuss art vocabulary.  Students examine the visual elements in...