Crafting Freedom
The Self-Empowerment of Harriet Jacobs
In a hands-on learning activity, pupils read about and recreate the experience of Harriet Jacobs, author of one of the most famous slave narratives of all time in which she describes her years of hiding from her master in a confined...
Curated OER
Class and Health: You Are What You Eat
Learners determine a working definition of class in order to determine how social class can affect personal health. They research their own nutritional needs and work to encourage healthy change in their communities.
Curated OER
Thanksgiving Day
What state consumes the most turkey per person? Who sponsors the annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City? Use the Thanksgiving holiday as an opportunity for learners to develop their research skills with this fun Internet...
Brooklyn Museum
"Workt by Hand": Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts
Just like a painting or the symbols on a flag, quilts can express ideas that reflect a cultural context, space, and time. The class discusses the history of quilt making throughout US history and what different types of quilts mean. They...
Curated OER
Paper Architecture - Designing Human Spaces
Students design, then construct an architectural structural model of a two-person dwelling. Then, Students, in groups, plan a city layout.
Curated OER
Pioneers In Space
Students discover the meaning of the word pioneer by using a variety of different activities. They are introduced to some of the pioneers of aviation in Ohio. They use coins and conduct research about some of the persons who accomplished...
Curated OER
Current Event Project
One of the best ways to make history relevant and engaging is to analyze current events before they become history! Check out these project guidelines for a current event research paper, outlining the major required sections of the...
Curated OER
Creative Can Sculptures Help Feed the Hungry
Students look at pictures of Canstruction sculptures, then read a news article about the construction of these canned food sculptures. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with pictures of winning sculptures...
Curated OER
Group Initiatives
Students explore the names and qualities about members in the group. They each say their name and something about themselves. Students gather around in a circle. They listen to the teacher as he or she says the name of someone and throws...
Curated OER
Latin American Colonial Diary
Students examine the class systems of New Spain. In small groups, they create a five-day diary about the family life, food, occupation, and government involvement of an assigned personality from the time of Colonial Latin America.
Curated OER
Finding Your Spot in the World
Students practice locating places on a Thomas Brothers map. For this map skills lesson, students locate places on the map of where their ancestors are from and then practice finding various community places on a map. Students graph the...
Curated OER
What is American Culture
Students create what they feel is American Culture using a video camera and capturing 5 frames. They are animating parts of a poem in small groups. They decide the set up, create movable figures, and have a music section. Each person...
Curated OER
Maskmaking
Students examine masks from various cultures focusing on the Native Americans. Using the internet, they research the purpose of the masks and various designs. They create their own mask showing their own culture and personality and...
Curated OER
Why Does Delaware Have Such A StrangeShape?
Learners examine the events and history surrounding the boundaries of Delaware. They participate in a class discussion and analyze a map, then create a floor map using masking tape. Students also participate in a play about the...
Curated OER
Perseverance: Keep Going
Kids evaluate world history events that show perseverance by creating artistic images. They investigate historic photographs and images which conjure up the feelings of perseverance, then utilize acrylic paints to capture the essence of...
Curated OER
Social Studies: Your Family Does What?
Sixth graders compare and contrast their own personal culture with that of Japan. They fill out questionnaires, compile the results, and match them with Japanese answers to the same forms. Students create a Venn diagram of the...
Curated OER
Undercover-ed
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....
Curated OER
Reliving History through Slave Narratives
Helpful for an American literature or history unit, this lesson prompts middle schoolers to examine slavery in the United States. They read slave narratives that were part of the Federal Writers' Project and then conduct their own...
Curated OER
2.0 "Water Is Life" Global Water Awareness Mini-Unit (Grades3-5)
Students study the amount of potable water on the Earth. In this water lesson plan, students examine the amount of potable water as compared to all the water on the Earth. They discuss why many parts of the world do not have access to...
BBC
Conflict
Middle schoolers take a close look at the different forms that bullying can take, and share their ideas of ways to stop bullying in schools. Learners get together in groups of three and come up with a scenario that depicts a conflict....
Curated OER
Who's in the News Bulletin Board
Students are introduced to current events through the use of a class bulletin board. They choose a person from current events to study and follow an outline to produce one or two notecards of information. They present their information...
Curated OER
Relay Race
Learners program RCX cars to relay information to one another via Mail when triggered by light sensors. The light sensors are appropriately spaced to allow for timed triggers.
Curated OER
Reliving History Through Slave Narratives
Students read slave narratives and retell the stories to the class, identifying sensory details. In this slavery lesson, students discuss the importance of sensory details, then read the slave narratives looking for specific examples. ...
The Imagination Factory
Design a Postage Stamp for Black History Month
Learners create a postage stamp for Black History Month. In this U.S. History lesson, young scholars discuss the contributions of African-Americans and design a postage stamp to celebrate their impact.