Middle Tennessee State University
The Invention of the Telephone
All of the people in your class would agree that life would be different without the invention of the telephone! Study Alexander Graham Bell's most famous and influential invention through the primary source document of his...
Curated OER
Learning From Document - Public Laws
Students research primary sources about the Bracero worker program. In this primary source activity, students investigate two public laws along with other documents to determine if the Bracero worker program was implemented properly....
Habits of Mind
Haileybury Habits of Mind Learning Resource Book
Imagine a learning community committed to using Costa and Kallick's Habits of Mind as the basis of curriculum design. The resource book is packed with lessons that are designed for and identify the standards and...
Smithsonian Institution
Mary Henry: Journal/Diary Writing
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...
EngageNY
End of Unit 3 Assessment: Writing a Research Synthesis
Ready, set, write! Scholars work on the end-of-unit assessment by completing a writing prompt. They then look at the model performance task from instructional activity two to create a rubric for scoring the exercise. Using turn and talk,...
Curated OER
Edward R. Murrow: This Reporter
What would Edward R. Murrow think of today’s news broadcasts? Learners examine the work of the first public television newscaster and his commitment to researched, accurate reporting. The eight-day study concludes with investigators...
Library of Congress
Industrial Revolution
Could you live without your phone? What about cars, steel, or clothing? Class groups collaborate to produce presentations that argue that either the telephone, the gramophone, the automobile, the textile industry, or the steel...
Civil War Trust
Civil War Newspaper
One photograph can represent so much more than the images on the film. Eighth graders select a photograph from the Civil War era and conduct additional research based on the subject matter from the picture. Once they complete the...
Houston Independent School District
Creating a Successful Project
Guide your learners step by step through the process of designing an original, independent student project. This resource includes a wealth of worksheets and materials, including student project checklists, timelines, primary and...
Shaker Junior High School Library Media Center
WWII Project Outline
Work together as a class and get to know the ins and outs of World War II with this engaging collaborative project. Class members are broken into groups to research particular war topics, from life on the home front to the Holocaust and...
Curated OER
Lattimer Massacre: What's Beneath the Surface?
Middle schoolers research the growth of unions due to issues related to the Lattimer Massacre. They research primary source documents and create posters, skits and role plays.
iCivics
Drafting Board: Interest Groups
Does the influence of interest groups harm a political system? Your class members will analyze the role of interest groups in American politics, as well as consider the effect of perspective, bias, loyalty, and the...
iCivics
Drafting Board: Military Intervention
Should countries use their militaries to stop humanitarian crises in other countries? Learners make claims, organize their reasoning, and provide evidence for their arguments with this rich resource.
Curated OER
Technoartist
Students explore the Microsoft paint program to examine artwork styles and recognize certain features. In this graphic art instructional activity, students incorporate computer technology with visual arts while acquiring basic computer...
Curated OER
The Gold Rush Experience: Create Your Own Exhibit
Students create a virtual exhibit. In this gold rush lesson, students watch a movie about the California gold rush, view a virtual image of the gold nugget that started the gold rush and examine the sources. Students research and...
Curated OER
Women's Votes, Women's Voices
Students investigate Women's Suffrage by analyzing images from the past. For this equal rights lesson, students read biographical work about Emma Smith DeVoe, an activist who fought for women's rights. Students view a comic...
Curated OER
Talking Storybooks
Middle schoolers create talking storybooks that primary students can read and listen to independently. They create the presentations using multimedia software.
Curated OER
Happy 100th Birthday Airplane
Students research the Wright Brothers and their plane. In this airplane history lesson, students use a hotlist of sites to research and create an airplane. A question is provided for each site.
Curated OER
Japanese Festival Mask Making
Students learn about Japanese culture and make a mask. In this lesson about Japanese mask-making, students use research and art to explore the Japanese culture. Students research Japanese masks. Students design their own Japanese mask....