Students research and create an aspect of a war. They practice on writing a bibliography and essays.

Young scholars read articles, conduct Internet research and participate in a mock debate to explore the pros and cons of withdrawing from Iraq or remaining in conflict with the insurgency. They consider the difficulties of consensus...

After viewing the documentary The Last Roundup, a documentary about the transitioning of Santa Rosa from a privately own island to a National Park, class members debate the takings clause of the Fifth Amendment that permits the...

The PBS film, Bronx Princess, launches a study of complex parent-child relationships. Using the provided reading guide, viewers respond to clips from the film and compare Rocky and Yaa’s relationship to other parent-child relationships....

Everybody's a critic—even your pupils! Using the included resources as a guide, screen films related to social justice and ask film enthusiasts to critique them. Publish the reviews for your school community or develop a film festival...

Learning to craft quality questions is a skill that can be taught. Class members use the Question Formulation Technique to learn how to create and refine both closed-ended and open-ended questions. They then view West of the West's...

Young scholars review research skills and determine an aspect of war to research. They research an aspect of a war experience and bring history to life through iMovie.

High schoolers conduct research and collect data about a local watershed area. They create an iMovie showing the human and natural impacts on the creek and watershed areas.

Learners respond to multiple choice, short answer, and essay questions to demonstrate their understanding of global history and geography.

Young historians examine a memorial sculpture of the first African American regiment in the Civil War, and then compare how the experiences of the regiment are portrayed in letters and poetry, as well as in the motion...

Scholars explore U.S. Foreign Policy and Cold War ideologies adopted after WWII. They conduct Internet research on a topic or issue related to the Cold War Era, watch two films, and compose a time line and a multimedia presentation to...

Students work with primary documents and latter-day photographs to recapture the experience of traveling on the Oregon Trail. Working in groups, they write a scene for the movie that is historically accurate and based on the kinds of...

Here’s the overview for a series of lessons about the Japanese American internment introduced by the resource entitled “A Fence Away From Freedom.” Included are the link to the Smithsonian website on which the lessons are based, a list...

Five segements from Ken Burns' documentary series Prohibition, easily accessed on the PBS website, are at the center of a terrific short unit on the roots of America's ambivalent relationship with alcohol. Engage your secondary...

High schoolers watch the movie The Tuskegee Airmen. Write a one page typed paper that describes the obstacles the African-American servicemen, particularly these aviators, had to over come to defend their country. They use specific...

While he may not be as well known as civil rights activists such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, or Malcolm X, Ralph Bunche's contributions certainly made him a leader in the struggle for civil rights in the United States and...

Students explain how tzedakah is performed and what it's purpose is in the Jewish tradition. In this tzedakah lesson plan, students learn about the Jewish traditions and how they are carried out through the commandments. Students write a...

What are the factors that limit growth and expansion? As part of their study of Catalina Island, class members view the West of the West's documentary Magic Isle and research William Wrigley and the Santa Catalina Island Company. After...

Pupils begin the lesson by writing what they know about Fairfax County in their journals. Using primary source documents, they identify ten interesting facts about the area and watch a video. They complete a Venn Diagram comparing and...

Eleventh graders research the daily life of Japanese-Americans in internment camps during World War II and write radio documentaries using what they learn.

Eighth graders read Across Five Aprils and correlate it to a unit on the Civil War. They culminate the unit by writing a a piece of historical fiction in the first person entitled "Brother Against Brother."

Third graders discover racism in our country by investigating the Internet.  In this abolitionist movement instructional activity, 3rd graders define the Underground Railroad and participate in an activity by logging on to an...

Learners investigate the Chinese-American immigration experience. In this assimilation activity, students watch "Becoming American: The Chinese Experience" and then participate in classroom activities regarding the topic. The activities...

Students examine and analyze visual media and its messages critically. They determine whether specific media messages inform, entertain, or persuade and what factors influence the media. Using primary sources, they participate in peer...