Gain information about Clara Barton, a Civil War hero, and enhance reading comprehension skills with a activity that challenges scholars to read an informational passage and answer five short answer questions.  

While she was forgotten for much of the twentieth century, historians rediscovered Milunka Savic's exploits for the Serbian army during World War I. Although command was unsure of what to do with a female solider, Savic went on to prove...

Is Luke Skywalker the archetype of a literary hero? Follow the path of the Hero's Journey with an engaging lesson that details the plot structure, applies it to Star Wars: A New Hope, and invites class members to choose their own example...

Learners create mock interviews with revolutionary heroes. In this U.S. history activity, students select a U.S. revolutionary war hero or British general, research their biographical information and the battles they participated in,...

John Green provides a fantastic summary of the presidency of George HW Bush, reviewing the president's background experience in the United Nations and the CIA, the presidential election of 1988, foreign policy implications after the end...

To gain an understanding of the treatment of African American soldiers during World War I, class members watch an excerpt from the History Detectives film, Our Colored Heroes, and then examine three recruitment posters from that time...

Sure, Harry Potter was sorted into the Gryffindor house, but is he really a hero? Middle and high schoolers examine the plot and character development in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series before creating a presentation to argue whether...

New ReviewWhat is a hero? What is character? Using biographies of figures during the Civil War, both famous and lesser known, scholars consider these questions. After brainstorming what they think makes a hero, they examine the lives of those who...

Learners research the impact Paul von Hindenburg had on the German front, military, and nation in the 28th installment of a 32-part series on the Great War. They use a short video clip on Hindenburg's rise to glory to spur discussion on...

Was King Constantine I the savior of Greece? A soldier before a king? A German sympathizer? A supporter of neutrality? King Constantine I—twice installed upon Greece's throne—reflects his small country's struggles during the Great War....

A good addition to a unit on the War of 1812, this slideshow details causes, specific battles, political contexts, and several campaigns of the war. Maps and pictures with broad topics allow teachers to bring their own discussion topics...

Ever wonder how to memorialize World War I heroes in the classroom? Activities in a high-quality social studies resource prompt middle schoolers to research Internet sources, complete a graphic organizer, and write an editorial feature...

Students explore heroism by reading a book in class. In this story analysis lesson, student read a book called Heroes and discuss the concept of heroism and identify the characters and plot of the story. Students define vocabulary terms...

Some war heroes have four legs. War Horse tells of a courageous foal taken from his farm and sent into war. Joey, the foal, loves and touches the lives of many soldiers. However, his heart is still with his boy back on the farm. Scholars...

Students are be able to analyze primary sources (Civil War images) for examples of how soldiers are portrayed historically. They discuss what a hero is and why some individuals are heroes to certain groups while others are not.

He's often remembered as the man who died and left Hitler in power, but Paul von Hindenburg's military career before becoming president of Germany sheds light on his meteoric rise. Part of the Who did What in WW1? series, the engaging...

Pay tribute to the sixteenth president of the United States with this fun song and activity. From his birth in a Kentucky log cabin and childhood in Indiana, to the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and his eventual assassination,...

Young historians work in groups and take the simple concept of an alphabet book to design a detailed compilation of terms and images related to the Civil War. 

New ReviewWhile Joshua Chamberlain's name is not as iconic as Abraham Lincoln or Robert E. Lee, he still played a pivotal role in the military engagements of the Civil War. Using two secondary sources—including one that draws heavily from his...

The major figures in the victorious Union are pictured in this presentation, which makes up in photographs what it lacks in information. The slides would best accompany a lesson on the Civil War within in the context of a more detailed...

Class members have an opportunity to compare how a film and a play handle the same source material by viewing the opening chapters of George Lucas's Star Wars: A New Hope and acts I and II of Ian Doescher's play, William Shakespeare's...

He may have had a suspicious past, and his pot belly certainly didn't reflect the image of a brave soldier but today, however, General Arthur Currie is considered a national hero in Canada. Currie made Canadian troops the pride of the...

While African colonial holdings were supposed to be neutral during the Great War, German military leader Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck used them as a pawn in World War I. Initially seen as a German hero, historians are reconsidering von...