First graders create a KWL chart on Native Americans and listen to a speaker from a local Indian Reservation. As a class, they are read part of a Native American story in which they pick their own Native American name and identify their...

Students explore power and the symbols of power in West African music. They discuss the music of West Africa and compare it to African American music of today. In addition, they investigate musical instruments of Africa, identify the...

Students explain why carnivals and Mardi Gras became a famous celebration. They reproduce some of the traditions and customs related to Mardi Gras. They write a persuasive paper on why or why not we should continue to celebrate Mardi Gras.

Learners are taught the differences between totalitarianism and democracy. They discuss the historical roots of the democratic tradition. Students are introduced to the term totalitarianism and are told that it is a form of government...

Looking to engage scholars in poetry with hands-on activities? What better way than making masks? Readers analyze literary devices in poetry, examine Native American masks, create their own masks, and then write poems to tell its story!

Students examine how weather masks were used and design their own. In this weather mask lesson, students look at examples of weather masks before planning one of their own. They sketch the mask on the associated template and build it...

Students canvass the Mexican geography, culture, dress, language, crafts, and traditions in this unit of eight lessons. The Mexican Independance Day is compared to our own and the contributions of the Mayan, Azetec, and Spanish are...

Students participate in a nature hike and record the natural resources observed. They compare traditional and modern versions of everyday use items, and create graphic organizers that demonstrate the interconnectedness of resources.

Twelfth graders deduce the motivation behind and meaning of certain behaviors, conversations and poetry. Students analyze culture's value system. Students compare and contrast Anglo Saxon court culture, Medieval court culture, Medieval...

Fourth graders investigate how weather influences shelter choices. They explore the concept of insulation and discuss some traditional Native American shelters. They discuss the shelters used by the Okanogan people during the various...

Third graders explore farfeche and how the Nez Perce people use natural materials to derive colors for their artwork. They explore traditional paints and dyes used by the Nez Perce and create their own parfleche 'isaptakay.

Students explain how artwork can inform about a culture and its traditions. They pretend to be archaeologists who have just opened a tomb. They interpret the past based on what they discover.

Third graders describe the American Indian nation in their local region long ago and in the recent past in terms of national identities, religious beliefs, customs, and various folklore traditions. They synthesize their findings into a...

Students research the traditional Lakota tipi (teepee) and compare types of homes used in the past with those used today. They design and construct an accurate model of a tipi.

In this differentiated instructional activity, students incorporate different subjects using the Ghandi and Montessori methods instead of the traditional method used in regular schools. In math they investigate shapes, colors and sizes....

Learners make art based on the ribbon work of the Woodland Indians. Background information on the art form and procedure are laid out in an easy to follow step-by-step format. 

Students investigate how quilt making was a family and community activity. They read and discuss books, complete various handouts, and create a paper quilt celebrating philanthropic activities.

Debunk advertising myths by creating an opposing image. First, find an ad with a persuasive and emotional pull. Once you have identified the message, create a counter-advertisement that shows the opposite message. For example, if an ad...

Your class members will each explore a European country of their choice and report back to the class using a creative PowerPoint or Prezi. They will not only include a basic introduction to the country, but also what they discovered...

Like finger painting, this project is very tactile. Kids tear tissue paper into small pieces, add water, and mix up a pulp that can be pressed onto a canvas to create a colorful, textured painting.

Have your class analyze the narrative art in quilts. They identify elements in this domestic art and the stories they tell. They define a story quilt, view an example, and analyze the work of Harriet Power. This is a great lesson to...

A passage about the changing role of home economists provides the text for a reading comprehension strategies worksheet. Learners must summarize, draw inferences, identify the main idea, and use context clues to determine the meaning of...

As a reading comprehension exercise, kids read an article about indentured servants and then respond to a series of questions citing evidence from the article to support their responses.

Kick-start a discussion of the importance of biodiversity with a colorful resource that touts the benefits of maintaining healthy ecosystems. The images stress the interdependence of all the elements of an ecosystem.