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General Intro Social Studies Unit
Eighth graders participate in a lesson that should be used at the beginning of the school year or after there has been no school. The lesson is composed of teaching students how to behave appropriately and how to follow rules or procedures.
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Hoover Responds to the Great Depression
Eleventh graders investigate the historical period of the Great Depression. The fall of the United States economy is defined by students and they describe the growing discontent by the year of 1931.
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Old Mayan Mural
Students read a story called Scientists Discover Oldest Mayan Mural and answer vocabulary and comprehension questions about it. In this current events Mayan mural lesson plan, students respond to literature by answering questions,...
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Vessels: Then and Now
Learners determine the role of vessels in ancient Greek life and identify their modern-day equivalents. They describe the role of resources in ancient Greek everyday life and identify modern-day equivalents to ancient Greek tableware.
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Portrait Propaganda
Learners design an installation for a portrait of Hadrian in an ancient Roman town to illustrate and comprehend its propaganda role in daily life.
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China: Dim Sum: Sand Painting: Mandalas Lesson
Students discover the art form of mandalas and create their own sand paintings. In the process, students explore the history of this art form in Tibetan culture.
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Ancient Greece: The Olympics and the Gods
Research Ancient Greece, the Olympic games, and Greek mythology. Young historians will research Ancient Greece and complete multiple activities about the history and culture. This is a unit of lessons.
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Household Decoration
Students compare two ancient artworks to determine how they originally functioned in private Roman homes. They compare and contrast the Fallen Warrior fragment and the Mosaic Floor to determine how each functioned in a private Roman...
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Nevada Trilogy
Students simulate and plan a trip from St. Louis to the Sacramento Valley as early emigrant parties would have. They list necessary provisions for the amount of time they would spend traveling.
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Underwater Excavation
Students calculate artifact size and ship capacity based on the excavation of an ancient Roman shipwreck.
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Japanese music
Students explain music in relation to history and culture. They explore "Tanko Bushi."
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Japanese Music
Students experience the components of Japanese dance and music through the songs, "Soran-bushi nd Hanagasa Odon." The music is presented in relation to the country's history and culture.
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Chuuk Introduction (Middle School)
Students pretend they are visiting a relative in the Chuuk nation of Micronesia. Using their knowledge of the 4th of July, they compare and contrast the holiday to the Chuuk's independence day. They create travelogues that outline...
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A Dynamic Duo
Students engage in the research of history that surrounded the actions of the federal government during the years from 1907-1937. The focus of the instructional activity is upon the regulations imposed on business during the time and how...
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Childhood Lost: Child Labor in the United States, 1830-1930
Working in groups, middle and high schoolers describe and discuss photographs depicting working conditions experienced by child laborers in the 19th century. They then write a persuasive paragraph supporting an amendment to regulate the...
John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum
Analyzing the Inaugural Address
Get high school historians to step outside their own shoes by responding to JFK's inaugural address from the perspective of a civil rights activist, a soviet diplomat, or a Cuban exile. After a class discussion about the address,...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
If Men Were Angels: Teaching the Constitution With the Federalist Papers
Much like the methods of group work, the writers of the Federalist Papers worked together to advocate for their viewpoints against the anti-federalists. The resource enables learners to break into small groups and conduct research before...
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Corporate Governance
Examine the role of the Securities Exchange Commission. Upper graders watch a short Bill Moyers video, analyze a political cartoon, complete a graphic organizer on the SEC, and develop SEC reform strategies to rebuild investor confidence.
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Ka'ianaa'ahu'ulu: A Leader of Hawai'i
Students evaluate leadership traits in 18th century Hawai'i and modern times. In this leadership skills instructional activity, students identify leadership traits and read the story of Ka’iana. Students monitor the leadership activities...
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Determining Author's Point of View: The Sneeches
Determine the author's point of view in a text. Young readers read Dr. Seuss' The Sneeches and identify the author's purpose in the story. They identify persuasive techniques in writing, asking and answering questions to better...
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning
Bring the historical relevance of baseball into the classroom, as pupils discover the lessons learned from the breaking of baseball's color barrier by Jackie Robinson. Learners view video and analyze Robinson’s character, as well as his...
PBS
Making Change: Revolutionary Tactics of the Civil Rights Movement
The film American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs introduces viewers to the differing philosophies of and strategies employed by 1960s civil rights leaders such as Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. and the debate over...
PBS
Baseball: The Tenth Inning - Bases Divided
Baseball is a relatively high-interest topic through which social studies classes can explore racial prejudice in the US. Video clips provide much of the background information that groups record on their handout and then share with the...
Tolerance
A Time for Justice
The Academy Award-winning documentary A Time for Justice launches a unit that examines America's civil rights movement. Class members examine key events and participants in the movement and consider how the civil rights movement...