Curated OER
To Go West or Not to Go West, That is the Question
Students answer the question,"To go West or not to go West?". In this nonfiction lesson students read a piece of nonfiction about going West during the 18th century. Students use a graphic organizer to compare and contrast the pros and...
Polk County Public Schools
The French and Indian War
Sharpen those pencils and get to writing with a series of document-based questions about the French and Indian War. High schoolers focus on maps, letters, and other primary documents from the 18th century before answering writing prompts...
American Evolution
Virginia Runaway Slave Ads
What does an ad reveal about a culture, or about the values of its intended audience? Class members examine a series of runaway slave ads—one of which was written by Thomas Jefferson—and consider what these primary source documents...
Curated OER
Put the NEW in NEWBERY
Students read Newbery award books. In this Newbery book lesson, students look online to find all the books that have received this award and look through online reviews to find one they would like to read. After finishing the book, they...
Curated OER
Art and Influence of Theatre
Young scholars examine an 18th century drawing and produce a skit based on the drawing. In this art analysis lesson, students analyze the story depicted in a drawing and create a skit inspired the scene. Young scholars research the 18th...
Curated OER
"What is an American?"
Eleventh graders ponder about what it means to be an "American." They discuss the impact of an author's word choice and sentence structure on text. They identify some major themes and development of the Letters... Compose paragraphs and...
Curated OER
Breaking the Chains, Rising Out of Circumstances
Learners investigate a sculpture from the 17th century. In this art history instructional activity, students examine Bust of a Man by Francis Hardwood and discover the meaning behind it. Learners create their own portrait bust of...
National Library of Medicine
Electricity, Frankenstein, and the Spark of Life
Shocking! After viewing a short clip from the 1931 movie, Frankenstein and reviewing electricity references in Mary Shelley's novel, class members examine Luigi Galvani's and Alessandro Volta's observations on electricity and muscle...
Louisiana Department of Education
Gulliver’s Travels
Gulliver's Travels tells the story of a man who goes on voyages and encounters strange people. A unit plan introduces readers to the classic text, as well as excerpts from other examples of sarcasm and satire, such as "A Modest Proposal"...
Curated OER
The Poetry of Chinoiserie
High schoolers study Asian works of art and Japanese haiku. They then take this knowledge and create an original haiku in response to other works of art.
Curated OER
Sacred Places: California Missions from Different Perspectives
Young scholars create a project poster displaying photos, drawings, and journal writings that incorporate the major themes of California's missions, and use perspective and point of view both visually and in writing.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Tales of the Supernatural
Scary stuff! Whether approached as the first horror story or a "serious imaginative exploration of the human condition," Frankenstein continues to engage readers. Here's a packet of activities that uses Mary Shelley's gothic novel to...
Curated OER
The History of Furniture
Students investigate historic furniture. In this art history lesson, students compare and contrast two chairs from different periods. Students create a collage from images of the past.
Curated OER
Chairs, Rooms, and Time Travel
Students compare and contrast two chairs that were made in different time periods. In this compare and contrast lesson students will compare two chairs They will then create a collage that takes place in a historic scene inspired by...
Curated OER
The Poetry Of Chinoiserie
Students examine works of art that incorporate Asian export objects, and then respond to them using Japanese haiku poems. discuss the subject and meaning in a work of art. They explain the basic ideas behind Japanese haiku poetry.
Curated OER
The American Revolution: Causes
Middle schoolers investigate taxation of the American colonist by the British which led to the revolution. In this American Revolution lesson, students analyze a poem called Revolution Tea, and then work in small groups to present an...
Curated OER
Looking at French Decorative Arts
Students compare the role of a marchand-mercier to that of a modern-day business counterpart and write a persuasive letter. In this French art lesson, students discuss the role of the marchand-mercier in French design and role-play his...
Curated OER
Looking at French Decorative Arts: Makers of Nothing, Sellers of Everything
Students imagine they are a 'marchand-mercier' (or salesman) and write a persuasive letter to sell French items. In this art analysis lesson, students identify the role of a 'marchand-mercier' and write a three-paragraph letter to sell...
Curated OER
Test Your Research Skills: Spotlight on Derby, UK 1
In this research skills worksheet, students search the Internet to find answers to questions about derby, UK.
Curated OER
Washington Irving in Context
Students examine the various roles Washington Irving had in his lifetime. Examining the situation in Europe and the United States, they are encouraged to relate Irving's experiences to different events. They examine themselves in many...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.11-12.5: Structure of an Argument
Imagine a cross-curricular project that not only rewards learners for examining the textbooks used in their other classes but builds literacy skills as well! Groups compare the formats and writing style in their various textbooks. Teams...