Eighth graders consider how immigration impacted the East. In this West Virginia history lesson, 8th graders research the effects of immigration on Wheeling, West Virginia. Students also gather information about immigration on a field...

Students discover the identities of their classmates.  In this tolerance lesson, students create individual posters showcasing their identity, history, and family background.  Students examine the posters to get a better...

Students investigate icons, monuments and places that serve as symbols of American history, assessing how and why the meanings of these historic symbols evolve through time to acquire new or different significance.

Students complete activities to study potential maps of the Underground Railroad. In this Underground Railroad lesson, students watch a video about map collector Anne Zorela's Underground Railroad map. Students complete a graphic...

Learners determine how push/pull factors convinced Milton Hershey to build his chocolate factory in Derry Township. In this geography skills lesson, students complete an anticipation guide, read about push/pull factors, and discuss why...

Eighth graders discuss the importance of the Second Continental Congress. They compare and contrast present-day athletic mascots and their roots in the Revolutionary War. After discussing Loyalists and Patriots, 8th graders write...

Students investigate the causes and characteristics of volcanic eruptions including pyroclastic eruptions. They study the effects of natural disasters.

A great way to connect social studies with language arts, a resource on Mary Henry's historical diary reinforces the concepts of primary and secondary sources. It comes with an easy-to-understand lesson plan, as well as the reference...

Famous quotations by American Presidents are the focus of this Six Trait writing activity, which could be used in a U.S. History class or in language arts. After reading the picture book Theodore by Frank Keating, have your 7th graders...

Have your class engage in critical-thinking activities using this resource. Learners discuss a variety of topics they think get too much, or too little, attention from the press. They analyze why these topics are over or underrated....

This is an excellent resource for introducing and exploring the topic of child soldiers. Ethics, history, or theology classes will benefit from the high-quality information. This includes detailed instructions for an introductory...

Young scholars identify why the Hopi tribe practiced running as it relates to health, delivering messages, defeating other tribes, and for ceremonial events. In this social studies lesson, students use maps to identify latitude and...

Research the history of the Boston Tea Party. Learners read the book The Boston Tea Party and write down important facts. They use the Internet to continue their research and construct an art project of a boat that contains a tea bag.

Eighth graders utilize the SOAP method to analyze a work of art and relate it to what they know about the Progressive Era and the reasons why cities changed and the ways in which cities changed during the end of the 19th century. They...

How free are people in the United States, or in the world for that matter? The class reads and compares two articles that discuss levels of freedom enjoyed by different people around the globe. They discuss why some people have more...

There are three little words every teacher is just dying to hear; investigate, discuss, and play. Kids love those words too, and they'll love finding out what types of things children did for fun long ago. As homework, they interview...

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a couple of fun English language exercises. After first activating students' prior knowledge about Ireland and Irish culture during a class discussion, learners work in pairs or small groups to...

How the Kansas-Nebraska Act created Bleeding Kansas is complicated—until scholars research and examine documents from the time. After completing activities that include mapping, photo, document analysis, and discussion, learners...

Students conduct online research regarding the origins of the city of Timbuktu and discover why it became such an important place. Students write about the city's origins until it became a part of Mali.

Fifth graders get critical and political while they begin thinking about human and animal rights in relation to the US Constitution. This hand out includes answers to several questions regarding Cesar Chavez and his work to secure rights...

Host a fishbowl discussion to help your class recognize and articulate the relationship between words and the character traits they describe. They analyze Holocaust survivor testimonies and apply the character traits they observe. No...

Are you looking for a way to bring writing into your history lesson - or history into your writing lesson? This cross-curricular activity is helpful and fun, no matter what class you're teaching! Using "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy" by the...

Help develop assertive, critical-thinking skills that enhance growth and change while teaching economics. In groups, select a topic from a list and then discuss the pros and cons of each topic. Debate why advertising is necessary to our...

After the events on 9/11 many Muslim-Americans experienced discrimination because of their ethnicity and faith. Help break the cycle of ignorance by educating your students on the history, religion, and beliefs of a different culture....