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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Wagons Ho! Hard Times! Hard Choices!

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
You have just hit the lesson plan jackpot! This isn't just a lesson, it's a ten-day unit covering westward expansion, pioneer life, and the Oregon Trail. Activities include baking, model building, role-play, newspaper writing, science...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Achievements and Challenges of Egypt

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Awesome, that is all I have to say! This set of lessons provides learners with an understanding of ancient Egyptian laws, lifestyle, religion, and culture. It engages them in a critical analysis activity regarding the film, "The Prince...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Achievements and Challenges of Zimbabwe

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Here is an excellent set of five short lessons and activities intended to help learners not only gain an understand of current issues in Africa, but build critical thinking, synthesis, analysis, expository writing, research, and...
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Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

Getting it Straight with Latitude and Longitude Skills

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Teachers can help students learn latitude and longitude skills using games and other motivating activities.
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Diversity in Media: Looking Critically at What We See

For Teachers 8th - Higher Ed
This learning experience fosters awareness of representations we see, and don't see, in the media. Learners list TV programs, games, and films they enjoy, identify characters' ethnic, religious, (dis)ability, and sexual orientation...
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Lesson Plan
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Media Smarts

You Be the Editor

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Look at different case studies to discuss the ethics of journalism. Twelve real-life events are written up and your learners get to be the editors. Encourage your class to think about the implications of publishing decisions. After each...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Integrated Lesson Plan

For Teachers 4th - 5th
An ambitious and engaging lesson on the Westward Movement for your students to enjoy! Groups of learners rotate between learning tasks such as learning about the Chislom Trail, Lewis and Clark, and the Gold Rush. A WebQuest is also...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Colonial New York Slave Codes: Law and Order

For Teachers 9th - 11th
Build a historical perspective from four different points of view. Young historians take on the role of a slave-owning white person, non-slave owning white person, slave, or free African-American person and imagine what life would be...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Finding Promise in Compromise

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Examine how the 'safe passage' for Palestinians between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank affects those living in Israel and reflects both conflict and cooperation between the Israelis and Palestinians. The class compares the perspective...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Setting Up Camp

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Draw on what learners know about conflict resolution and the situation in the Middle East to build understanding of the Camp David summit meeting beginning on July 11, 2000. They develop an understanding of the functions of summit...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A New Era for Palestinians

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Get a global perspective and examine the challenges facing Mahmoud Abbas, the newly elected president of the Palestinian Authority. Thoughtful classroom citizens write letters to Mr. Abbas, asking him questions and suggesting advice....
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Oil Crisis: What Would You Do?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The dynamics between the economies and politics of the United States and the Middle East are here to study. Upper graders read and discuss scenarios relating to OPEC and the current oil crisis, then in small groups role-play members of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Miscast and Seldom Seen

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Consider how well students' favorite TV shows, movies and video games reflect the diversity of society. The lesson introduces your class to several media literacy concepts, such as how media conveys values and messages, as well as the...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Who Freed the Slaves During the Civil War?

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Pose the question to your historians: who really freed the slaves? They critically assess various arguments, using primary sources as evidence. In small groups, scholars jigsaw 5 primary source documents (linked), and fill out an...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Active Viewing: Abraham and Mary Lincoln: A House Divided

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Young historians consider the cause and effects of the Emancipation Proclamation. They use handouts, response sheets, and class discussion to build an opinion about the subject after viewing the PBS documentary Abraham and Mary Lincoln:...
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PPT
Curated OER

Restructuring the Post War World: 1945-Present

For Teachers 10th - 12th
You have just entered the Cold War Zone, with 96 slides at your disposal. From changes in government in China, The Marshall Plan, and the Iron Curtain, to the Vietnam War and Ronald Regan, this presentation will help you cover it all. A...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Qualifying to Vote Under Jim Crow

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Literacy tests, poll taxes, grandfather laws? Scholars study the systematic ways African-Americans were kept from voting even after it was made a law. They analyze a series of primary source documents, complete a worksheet, and engaged...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Reformers versus Residents in Five Points: A Role Play

For Teachers 8th - 10th
Social Studies and role-playing can go hand in hand. Learners use supporting evidence found in primary and secondary source material to develop a character from the Five Points neighborhood in the 1850s. Each student takes on the role of...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Will You Pick My Cotton?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Use this cross-curricular history lesson to work on your students' informational writing skills. After listening to songs and stories related to Sultana, they engage in a several activities to boost their understanding of slavery and...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Journalism: Underage Drinking

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Learners research underage drinking and read a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association about the issue. They interview experts on substance abuse and liquor store owners about their policies. Students publish their...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Neighborhood or Slum? Snapshots of Five Points: 1827-1867

For Teachers 9th - 11th
How has your local neighborhood changed throughout recent history? Young researchers evaluate census data, images, and primary source descriptions describing the living situation in the antebellum Five Points neighborhood. They consider...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Southeast Anatolia Project

For Teachers 7th - 9th
This resource is amazing. It is a full project including teacher notes, handouts, procedure, and worksheets. It introduces learners to the GAP project, a social environmental group working to bring irrigation, assistance, and increased...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

College or Bust?

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Based on a New York Times article, "The College Drop-Out Boom," participants in a fishbowl discussion formulate and express opinions about the correlation between level of education, career options, and economic mobility. Ample...
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Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Traveling Through Literature

For Teachers 7th - 8th
Integrate geography with literature in this interdisciplinary instructional activity. Begin by reading a poem such as The Time We Climbed Snake Mountain by Leslie Marmon Silko. On a large map, place push pins in the cities or states...