Curated OER
Courtship and Marriage
Students research the concept of courtship and marriage as it pertains to early New England and explore the values and culture that shaped our history. In this courtship and marriage lesson, students examine primary source documents that...
Center for History and New Media
Slavery and Free Negroes, 1800 to 1860
What was life like for enslaved and free black people before the American Civil War? Explore the building tension between states and the freedom of individuals with a thorough social studies instructional activity. Learners of all ages...
Curated OER
Secrets of the Mummies
How did the ancient people of Egypt preserve their dead so well that their bodies are still recognizable today? Learn the painstakingly complex process they used for preservation. Young scholars read and summarize a narrative detailing...
Echoes & Reflections
The "Final Solution"
Nazi policies shifted from deportation and imprisonment to extermination of the Jewish people in death camps in the "Final Solution." Learners examine photos of artifacts, read poetry written by survivors, analyze testimony from...
Curated OER
Map Analysis Worksheet
In this map analysis worksheet, students decipher what type of map they are using based on a complete list of criteria. Students then answer multiple questions based on their discoveries.
Curated OER
Marine Archaeology
Students examine marine archaeology. In this archaeological data lesson plan, students see how archaeologists use data to make inferences about shipwrecks. Students read data and make their own inferences, write about marine life and...
PBS
Predicting/Making a Hypothesis
Students analyze information from a variety of sources in order to create a hypothesis about the origin of an interesting family artifact.They create alternative hypotheses based upon available information to demonstrate that some...
Curated OER
Ancient Civilizations
Sixth graders, in groups, research the culture of an ancient civilization. They use the Internet to locate artifacts that illustrate different elements of culture, write a description and analysis of each piece and present their work to...
Curated OER
What did I find?
Students excavate an artifact. In this archaeology lesson, students get a bucket filled with dirt and a broken up artifact. They work in groups to take it out and to find what its purpose was.
Curated OER
A Siouan Village
Fourth graders examine the artifacts obtained from an excavated Siouan village site. They make inferences about the people who once lived there based on the artifacts and complete a Research Team Report.
Curated OER
Ancient Tablets, Ancient Graves: Accessing Women's Lives in Mesopotamia
Students explore the role of women in ancient Mesopotamia. Several excerpts from the Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets and artifacts are analyzed to determine the treatment, rights, and powers of women in this era.
Curated OER
The Treaty Trail: U.S. - Clothing That Talks: Meaning and Material Culture
Students investigate the cultures of Native Americans and Euro-Americans through their clothing. In this photograph analysis lesson, students observe historic photographs and analyze the style of clothes people wore and how it signifies...
Curated OER
Lewis and Clark in Columbia River Country
High schoolers interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this research skills lesson plan, students research the death of Meriwether Lewis using forensic evidence presented in...
Annenberg Foundation
America's History in the Making: Classroom Applications One
Someone finds a time capsule 100 years from now, and it includes your family photo album. What would the photos tell that person about you and your place in history? Scholars investigate how artifacts tell stories. Using photos, maps,...
Center for History and New Media
The Daily Experience of the Laurel Grove School, 1925
What was daily life like for those attending segregated schools in 1925? Modern learners fill out a KWHL chart as they explore historical background and primary source documents about the Laurel Grove School in Fairfax County, Virginia....
Annenberg Foundation
America's History in the Making: Classroom Applications Two
Reading between the lines helps discover important information! The 11th lesson of a 22-part series on American history has scholars use historical thinking skills to uncover the deeper meaning behind the words on a page. Using backward...
Newseum
Media Mix-Ups Through History: Analyzing Historical Sources
Scholars use the E.S.C.A.P.E. (Evidence Source, Context, Audience, Purpose, Execution) strategy to analyze a historical source to determine why mistakes happen in news stories. They then apply the same strategies to contemporary flawed...
Curated OER
Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Landscape Long Ago and Today
Combine a fantastic review of primary source analysis with a study of Captain John Smith's influence on the Chesapeake Bay region in the seventeenth century. Your young historians will use images, a primary source excerpt, and maps...
National Society Daughters of the American Revolution
Lesson 3: What Makes Attitudes Towards Education Change over Time?
The struggle for women's rights is not unique to this generation, or even to the 20th century. Class members explore the conflicting opinions of Alexander Graham Bell and his wife, Mabel Hubbard Bell, regarding women's pursuits of higher...
Curated OER
Artifact Classification
In this artifact classification instructional activity, students are given a list of key terms and two activity sheets about classifying artifacts of the Pee Dee culture. Students analyze artifacts and group them to answer questions on...
Curated OER
Egypt's golden Empire
Young scholars explore many of the key scientific and technological contributions made by the ancient Egyptians. Researched data is presented to the entire group.
Curated OER
Photo Analysis of American Inventions
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this inventions lesson, students analyze photographs of American inventions and and discuss the needs the inventions met...
Curated OER
Cityscapes: Architecture as Artifact
Students research an architecture artifact in their community and journal about the experience.
Curated OER
Investigating Sources-Artifacts
Students discuss artifacts. In this social science instructional activity, students realize that artifacts can help one in determining about the person the artifacts belonged to. Students will be put into small groups and will look at...