Contemporary Europe Lesson Plans

Students read and analyze three major documents in European history related to articulation of human rights, noting key principles, identify significant similarities and new concepts, and discuss application to contemporary issues in role play of authors of documents.

Students watch a movie on religious violence in 16th century Europe and then write a background about a picture they are given on violence. In this religious violence lesson plan, students create the background by making inferences about the picture.

Students examine a variety of ceramic pieces and trace their route through China into Europe. As a class, they discuss how ideas and patterns were carried along with the art itself. To end the instructional activity, they write a report on the information they gathered.

Students examine classic demographic transition (DT) model, explain assumptions and limitations of model, construct graphs of contemporary demographic change, and explain contemporary demographic patterns in the context of the classic DT model.

Pupils research the many contemporaries of McLuhan.

Students create a contemporary coat of arms and illuminated page. They study contemporary artists who combine text, symbols and images in altered books and create an altered book page of their own.

Students recognize that some communities evolve slowly. They research several contemporary planned communities and then design their own modern planned community. In addition, they generate a written report based on their research.

Students compare foods available for the Pilgrim's Thanksgiving with contemporary Thanksgiving. They create a menu and compute the cost of a turkey dinner, using grocery ads. They write an essay entitled "How to Cook a Turkey."

Students are able to show on a map how the Black Death moved through Europe. They summarize the direct effects of the Black Death in Europe. Students cite evidence from firsthand accounts in developing an argument that connections can, or cannot, be drawn between the plague and changes adopted by the ruling class.

Students take virtual trip back in time to 1924 when a Dada manifesto sparked the Surrealist movement in Europe and the United States. They explore about the history of Surrealism and visit online galleries of notable artists of the past and present, immersing themselves in the dream-like qualities of Surrealism and discussing its influence on contemporary art, design, and entertainment.