Curated OER
Mayan History
Students examine Mayan contributions to the world. In this Mesoamerican culture lesson, students view a slideshow about the Maya and then peruse books about the accomplishments of the culture. Students create charts that highlight Mayan...
Curated OER
Medieval Coat of Arms/Heraldry
Students examine the history of Heraldry from medieval times in preparation for reading the novel "Freak the Mighty." They view and discuss examples of shields and discuss the color system and how shields were divided. As a culminating...
Curated OER
A Series of Intolerable Events
Eighth graders investigate the events that led to World War II. In this Holocaust lesson, 8th graders research primary and secondary sources about the events that led to the war. Students create PowerPoint presentations that provide...
California Polytechnic State University
Australian Geography Unit
At the heart of this resource is a beautifully detailed PowerPoint presentation (provided in PDF form) on the overall physical geography of Australia, basic facts about the country, Aboriginal history, and Australia culture and lifestyle.
Civil War Trust
Genealogy
The Civil War is undoubtedly a part of America's history, but could it be part of your pupils' history as well? Middle schoolers conduct research to discover a connection between their ancestors and the American Civil War. Whether they...
Curated OER
Living The Life of a Scribe
Learners write a descriptive letter about life in ancient Mesopotamia. Through video streaming, students discover the history of Mesopotamia. They assume the role of a scribe and compose a three paragraph essay using main ideas and...
Curated OER
Resources and Economic Development
Identify natural resources in the world and how they translate into economic development. In this global economy lesson, your class will utilize the Internet to view an Oregon Time Web which they research to examine the history of...
Curated OER
War Poetry, Journals and Letters: Viet Nam
Examine letters written during war-time. In this cross curricular history and English lesson plan, middle and high school scholars read letters and poems written by soldiers in the Vietnam war. They will examine the perspective and...
Curated OER
Scripting The Great Train Robbery
Take writing prompts to another level in this activity, which allows pupils to create scenes of dialogue based on the 1903 silent film, The Great Train Robbery. Useful for a language arts/history cross-curricular activity, the...
Curated OER
Celebrate Oktoberfest with the Polka
Here's a pretty comprehensive instructional activity on the polka. There is information on the origins of the polka and the history of Oktoberfest. There is even a list of how to count to ten in Polish, Czech, and German. Include or skip...
Civil War Trust
Civil War Photography: Photography as a Primary Source
Can we learn a thing or two about history by looking at pictures from the past? As young historians view 2-D and 3-D primary source photographs, they respond to a series of worksheets that guides them toward unveiling clues about the past.
Civil War Trust
The Gathering Storm: The Coming of the Civil War
Take a longer look at a formative time in history with a lesson that explores the causes of the American Civil War. After viewing a series of images and explanations for various forces at play, middle schoolers choose the images that...
Curated OER
Understanding JFK's Presidency through his Speeches
Students reflect and discuss the major events that happened in the United States in the 1950's and 1960's. In this U.S. History lesson, students read and analyze the famous speeches during this time frame, then complete a worksheet that...
Curated OER
Underground Railroad/Quilts
Students explore the Underground Railroad communication system. In this cross curriculum fine arts and United States history Civil War lesson, students view several websites that feature quilts constructed by slaves during the...
Curated OER
Philanthropy in History
Learners understand the importance of books in past and present societies. In this philanthropic lesson, students compare Andrew Carnegie and Benjamin Franklin's perspective on the importance of everyone being able to read. Learners...
Curated OER
Project Whistlestop
Young scholars conduct research and present a part of Kansas City history to the class. They develop questions and ideas to initiate and refine research. They use technological tools and other resources to locate, select and organize...
Curated OER
God's People Enter the Promised Land
Learners discover the role of God in Israel's government and create a timeline of the significant events during a given biblical era. In this Israel's history instructional activity, students research seven major events of a given era...
Curated OER
Shapes and Shelters
Students are be able to analyze primary sources (photographs) for evidence of Ancient Egyptian culture and design meaningful objects. They are grouped in pairs and instructed to choose someone that they admire, either living or...
Curated OER
Rebus Treasure
Students explore the history of rebus puzzles. In this ancient history lesson, students discuss the history of rebus puzzles and collaborate to solve rebus puzzles.
Curated OER
Hindsight is 20-20Presidential First 100 DaysPresentation
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. For this American history lesson, students research the first 100 days of several American Presidents. Students use their research findings...
Curated OER
The Teachings of His Holiness: The Dalai Lama - Day 1 of 6
Sixth graders explore philosophy by analyzing the teachings of the Dalai Lama. In this Buddhist history lesson, 6th graders analyze a quote from the Dalai Lama and discuss their opinions on his philosophical teachings. Students identify...
Curated OER
The Underground Railroad and The Fugitive Slave Law of 1850
Students discover racism and slavery by completing a role playing activity. In this U.S. history lesson, students analyze documents from the Civil War era and describe the Fugitive Slave Law. Students view a video on YouTube about the...
Speak Truth to Power
Harry Wu: Forced Labor
Over the course of two class periods, young historians explore human rights issues; specifically, forced labor in China. This resource provides everything you need, including relevant vocabulary, an anticipatory activity, and a...
Curated OER
Philanthropy in History Lesson 3: Self-sufficiency And the Community
Students study the characteristic of self-sufficiency in people that lived during Colonial times. They investigate the contemporary movement of Habitat for Humanity. They listen to the story of Donald Hall's, The Oxcart Man and write a...