Music and poetry are vehicles that can tell many stories. Learners read the poem "The Song of the Murdered Jewish People" by Itzhak Katzenelson, then listen to the requiem it inspired; composed by Zlata Razdolina. Excellent...

W.H. Auden’s poem “Refugee Blues” launches a study of the problems of refugees. Background information about the poem and general information about Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria are provided, as are discussion questions and...

A 20-clue crossword puzzle tests reader's recall of events in J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.

Scholars participate in a gallery walk to examine photographs related to WWII and record thoughts about the pictures in note catchers. At the end of the gallery walk, pupils share their observations before participating in a discussion...

Imagine dumping out a milk can and finding letters from one of the darkest moments in history! Scholars use Holocaust Reading Passages and research to discover how people recorded and hid history during the events of World War II. They...

Imagine being forced against your will behind barbed wire for doing nothing but being yourself. Scholars investigate the impact Japanese-American internment camps had during World War II. Through video and archival evidence, they create...

This is just the beginning. Learners take the first step toward their end-of-unit assessments of Unbroken. They use their tools and knowledge gained from the unit to create first drafts of their informational essays. Writers then respond...

Though the scientists who developed the atom bomb did not believe it should be used to end World War II, American President Harry S. Truman and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill were of like mind in their decision to drop the bomb...

Introduce eyewitness accounts of World War II with this presentation. It provides a very brief summary of the life of Anne Frank, along with several descriptive excerpts from her diary. While the resource appears to have been made by a...

Fifth graders explore U.S. history by reading an award winning book about World War II. In this Japanese internment camp lesson, 5th graders read the book Under the Blood-Red Sun and discuss the entrapment of Japanese-Americans on our...

Third graders explore WWII by analyzing technological advances. In this invention lesson plan, 3rd graders discuss the use of the Enigma machine which decoded private German messages that communicated with U-boats. Students utilize a...

What do the homecoming experiences of soldiers who fought in WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan reveal about the politics and culture of the US during the time period of each war? Young historians view The Way We Get By, which tells...

High schoolers read the information about the movie "Song of the South" and watch some of the clips. They write their reaction to the proposal to re-release the movie. Students consider whether it would matter if the studio adds an...

Ninth graders examine the results of the Yalta Conference on Europe after the war. They develop a PowerPoint presentation that compare the effects of World War I and World War II. They write a journal entry taking the point of view of...

Twelfth graders read and discuss the short story, "The Birds." They watch the movie and compare its ending to the ending written in the story they read. They an essay from a list of essay topics.

Students are exposed to a variety of readings about the Nazi Party and concentration camps. Using the readings as a guide, they identify moral issues that we all face studing the Holocaust. They decide to work together to end bigotry...

Learners read and complete activities about the Aleut tribe and Russian impact on the people. In this Aleut and Russian history lesson, students read a passage about the history between the Russians and the Aleut tribe. Learners write a...

Here is a nice set of activities and discussion questions to accompany your class reading of No Pretty Pictures, a memoir of a young girl's experiences and struggle for survival during the Holocaust.

Tenth graders read and analyze the story, "A Sound of Hammering," by Dazai Osamu. They answer discussion questions, conduct Internet research on the Japanese surrender at the end of WWII, develop a character web, analyze the major themes...

Ninth graders play the Alliance simulation game, which allows them to explain how alliances made before WWI influenced the makeup of the war and its outcome.

Students read accounts of children during the Holocaust and read Elie Wiesel's "Night". Using the internet, they share ideas and discuss topics with peers across the nation. They examine the role of the individual in the Holocaust and...

Learners create a timeline of the major events of the Cold War and explain their effect on Canada. They utilize a worksheet and a website imbedded in this plan which guide their research and presentations.

Tenth graders study "A Sound of Hammering," which is a letter written by a former soldier after the Japanese surrender at the end of World War II.

Students read "The Upstairs Room" and participate in literature analysis regarding justice. In this Holocaust Literature lesson, students read a short story and discuss critical thinking questions. Students write journal entries and...