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...

The Industrial Revolution: long hours, low pay, and unsafe conditions. An eye-opening activity explores the darker side of industry and exposes the realities of child labor with photos. Scholars view four photos from the famous...

The Vietnam War and World War I were two very important—and different—wars. To understand the differences, and similarities, class members watch videos, examine primary source documents, and then create a newscast that examines the...

Students read to understand the process of lawmaking.  In this lawmaking instructional activity, students define vocabulary and create an organizer showing the law making process.  Students role play the various people involved...

Have you ever seen a movie about the romance of the American West with its buffalo, horses, cowboys, and endless frontier? The 13th installment of a 22-part series on American history presents the myths associated with the American West....

Eleventh graders study the diversity of current working practices.  In this World History lesson, 11th graders analyze the role of employment law in improving employee rights.

Students determine how to find North using a watch and their shadow. In this finding North lesson, students go outside on a sunny day and work with their shadow and a wrist watch to find out which direction that North is. They examine...

Students gather a general understanding of terms related to international rules of warfare and human rights, then discuss hypothetical applications of those rules. They write letters expressing their opinion on the current application of...

The Golden Years? Upper graders may think retirement is a long way off, but in life everything is just around the corner. They consider what it means to retire and the current trend of parents working for their Students. They research...

What is considered news vs. propaganda? Learners will discuss objectivity and press responsibility while exploring these two concepts. They work in small groups to explore the article in-depth, guided by reading comprehension and...

Learners work in small groups to investigate a variety of art and architecture forms common during the Old Kingdom epoch in Ancient Egypt. Learners then evaluate how these art forms reflect a culture's beliefs and values. And, finally,...

Learn about the concept of specialization of labor with your class. In this specialization of labor lesson plan, 3rd graders work in teams to produce a product. They work in either a division of labor or independent production method....

Introduce your middle schoolers to the lives of past Native Americans. First, learners work together to put photographs in a sequence. Then, using their sequence, they create stories to share with the whole class. No matter how old your...

Imagine an eight year old spindle boy working barefoot in a factory in the late 1800s. Scholars research the industrial period in American history in the 14th lesson of a 22-part series that explores the country's background. Groups...

Help middle schoolers conduct Internet research and develop a working definition for the discipline of social studies. From a list of websites, they develop classification skills and differentiate between primary and secondary sources....

Film is a wonderful way to communicate any concept or idea. Fifth graders will use IMovie and GarageBand software to create a IMovie about one of eight European explorers. They will chose an explorer, research his travels and life, then...

The distinctive attire of royalty, working class, and peasants of the Victorian era conveys much about the conditions of the time. Learn more about why people dressed as they did, and how their fashion changed during the 64-year reign of...

Especially critical following a series of shootings in schools, theaters, and religious buildings, it's safe to say that we need to evaluate the current laws on gun control. Eighth graders read a New York Times article in order to better...

Students complete vocabulary work related to the Native Americans of the past. In this Native American lesson plan, students read and answer questions about Native Americans and how they created their own resources.

Students complete various activities after reading about flooding in Pakistan. In this lesson on humanitarian efforts, students read about flooding that occurred in Pakistan, discuss what they have read, and synthesize the information...

Young scholars gain an understanding as to how the development of different institutions can differ and evolve with time. This instructional activity focuses on the development of Gary, Indiana's schools in the early 1900's.

Investigate the future of the presidency in the wake of the House of Representatives' vote to impeach President Clinton. The class brainstorms both sides of the argument, reads and discusses an article, then analyzes and writes a journal...

Sixth graders identify the major obstacles in farming in Mesopotamia. They work together to design and build a model that solves these problems. They write a short essay that describes the problems and their possible solutions.

Become familiar with the structure and functions of the European Union. As they conduct internet research, young historians use an attached worksheet to categorize the five main institutions of the EU. A flowchart worksheet also gives...