ProCon
Obamacare
Former President Barack Obama reformed the United States' health care system with Obamacare, but is the new legislation good for America? Scholars read a historical timeline about the passage of health care reform laws and compare United...
Curated OER
Claims in "The Crisis, No. 1"
"The Crisis, No. 1" is the focus of a series of exercises that ask learners to read closely and annotate Thomas Paine's text. Groups identify claims and evidence in the essay and present their arguments to the class. Teacher background...
Curated OER
The Language of the Civil Rights Movement:
Tenth graders study the poetry of the US Civil Rights movement and the Black Arts movement over a 12 day period. They author a website showing works of poetry that students have chosen to analyze and relate to these movements.
Curated OER
The Empire State Building
For this US history worksheet, students read a selection about the Empire State Building and answer 10 true and false questions.
Curated OER
Elements 'R' Us
Sixth graders participate in a Web Quest in order to examine the periodic table of elements. After collecting information about an element of their choice, they share with group members what they have learned. Groups create class...
Curated OER
Historic N. Ireland Deal Reached
Four questions about conflict in Northern Ireland make up this activity, which prompts students to go to Wikipedia for more background on the situation. The questions are good and can prompt strong discussions in your class. But,...
Curated OER
The Scarlet Letter
Designed as a visual outline for a lecture on the historical and literary background of The Scarlet Letter, the slides in this presentation pinpoint the themes and literary elements in the novel, the basic tenets of Puritanism, and the...
Curated OER
The Last Great Race
Third graders identify and discover why the Iditarod race is done each year. They explore the historical significance of the Iditarod. Students also use web sites to research related topics, i.e. diseases (diptheria), geography of...
Curated OER
Civil War Battlefields
Eighth graders research a specific battle of the U.S. Civil War. Using the Internet and the Encarta Encyclopedia they conduct research, and create and publish a travel brochure that incorporates historical and visual information about...
Curated OER
Extra! Extra! Lewis and Clark Explore America
Sixth graders, in groups, produce a Special Edition Newspaper highlighting the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Paper must be historically accurate newspaper from the point of view of different roles.
Curated OER
Around the World Calendar
Students examine world landmarks and monuments. They create a 12 month calendar featuring a significant site for 12 different countries.
Curated OER
Extra! Extra! Lewis and Clark Explore America
Fifth graders, in groups, produce a historically accurate Special Edition Newspaper, including articles, editorials, and pictures, highlighting the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Curated OER
We the People
Students create a map illustrating the three branches of goverment. They identify the branches of government and the shared or exclusive powers of each. Students use mapping as a prewriting stategy. They discuss our national...
Curated OER
Romeo and Juliet: Insight into Ourselves
Students research the historical background of Romeo and Juliet as well as Shakespeare's time to better understand the play. Students work in teams to make plans and products targeting their chosen issues to positively impact their...
Curated OER
A Yuccy Situation
Students examine the concept of nuclear waste storage. For this interdisciplinary lesson, students research Yucca Mountain in order to compare and contrast opposing views regarding the nuclear waste site there. Students compose a letter...
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Take Only Photos and Leave Only Bubbles: Learn About American History from a Sunken Spanish Galleon
Young scholars simulate the research process of investigating a shipwreck. In small groups, they conduct Internet research, and develop and write a proposal for excavation of the archaeological site.
Curated OER
Fill-In - October Event in History
A lot has happened in the month of October in the past 100 years or so. Kids fill in the blank for 31 events, each of which occurred on a day in October. Each event can be found in a New York Times article from the past 100+ years....
Smithsonian Institution
Borders within the United States: Indian Boarding Schools and Assimilation
Native American Nations ... sovereign entities or removable tribes? A thought-provoking lesson explores the relationship between Native American tribes and the United States, including forced assimilation and removal from their ancestral...
Smithsonian Institution
A New America: The Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965
Many dream of coming to America, but few may enter. The lesson explores the Hart-Celler Immigration Act of 1965 and how it changed immigration policies in the United States. Academics learn how immigration quotas impacted Western Europe...
Smithsonian Institution
Separate is Not Equal: Fight for Desegregation
Separate is not equal! An eye-opening lesson delves into the past to understand the fight for desegregation and how it impacted African American communities. Academics complete two one-hour lessons using documents, photographs, and...
Smithsonian Institution
Strength in Solidarity: Coalition of Immokalee Workers and the Campaign for Fair Food
Not all food is created equal. The lesson dives into the world of migrant farm workers to show their struggles to earn livable wages and better working conditions. Academics learn why the Coalition of Immokalee Workers was created and...
Smithsonian Institution
Re-Segregation of American Schools: Re-Segregation
Examine the re-segregation of public schools in a thought-provoking resource. Young scholars read articles and primary sources, complete worksheets, and watch a video to explore the idea that desegregation made schools more segregated....
Smithsonian Institution
Resistance to School Desegregation: The Boston Busing Crisis
Despite how it sounds, Boston's busing crisis wasn't a transportation problem. Academics address the problems faced by African Americans following school desegregation and the struggle to receive equal educational opportunities. Scholars...
Curated OER
Nov. 17, 1973 | Nixon Declares 'I Am Not a Crook'
Connect events of the past to events of today. Budding historians read an eight paragraph passage describing the Watergate scandal. They then connect the Nixon scandal to sex scandals of recent times. There are six critical thinking...