Curated OER
Compare and Contrast Timelines of the World
Seventh graders create a classroom timeline of important world events. This lesson is meant to be used during the entire school year. As the school year goes along, events are added to the timeline as chosen by the class. The events are...
The New York Times
Reader Idea | Thinking Like a Historian About Current World Events
Check out this fantastic research project where learners work to see the modern world through the eyes of a historian and analyze a contemporary event of their choice. An in-depth reflection on the project is given by the project...
Curated OER
Artists Teach Us to See the World through Visual Symbols
Tenth graders analyze a biographical piece of art by Raymond Saunders. They identify shapes, symbols, and lines that are used, and how the piece relates to the artist's life and modern society. They design and create an original piece of...
iCivics
Step Six: Real World Policies
Sometimes it takes real-world examples to get concepts to click. Use the resource to instruct middle schoolers on the relevancy of public policy in today's world. Exercises include a 5W + H graphic organizer, class discussion, and...
Curated OER
Advertising in the Contemporary World: An Introduction to Persuasive Texts
Beginning a persuasive writing unit with your middle schoolers? Approach it through something that persuades us all: advertising! Through studying video and print advertisement, your class will practice Common Core skills for reading...
Echoes & Reflections
Survivors and Liberators
The end was just the beginning. The period immediately after the end of World War II and the Holocaust is often called "The Return to Life" as survivors looked to reunite and recreate broken families and shattered lives. A two-lesson...
Echoes & Reflections
Nazi Germany
The Holocaust was an evolution of anti-Semitism, scapegoating, and targeted violence against Jews with Nazi policies. A resource unpacks the escalation in violence, along with the erosion of democratic institutions, during the 1930s....
PBS
An Attack on Syria- What Would You Do?
Has United States military intervention in the conflicts of other countries always been warranted? After reviewing a brief background on contemporary US conflicts and reading articles describing the civil war in Syria, your learners...
University of Southern California
Persecution of the German-Jews: The Early Years - 1933-1939
Young historians learn about the dehumanization process of stripping German Jews of basic, fundamental rights prior to the genocide of European Jews in the 1940s. Learners watch video clips of survivors who recount such events as the...
Curated OER
Prisoner in One's Own Home
Examine the internment of Japanese-Americans during World War II. After reading an article from the New York Times and exploring the author's word choice, young readers find the central idea in the text and work on researching additional...
Curated OER
The Road to World War II
Students research the orgins and early events of World War II using online and off line resources. They conduct an interview with a local World War II veteral and present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
Propaganda During World War I
Eighth graders consider how propaganda was used during World War I. In this World War I lesson plan, 8th graders analyze posters that were used to garner support for World War I. Students use the provided worksheet to analyze the posters.
Curated OER
The Consequences of World War II
Ninth graders explore the aftermath of World War II. In this World War II lesson, 9th graders investigate the consequences of the war as they complete a post-assessment project that requires them to compose essays on the topic.
Curated OER
Lesson: Storyboarding Revolution
Kids consider revolution as a basis for creativity, art, and storytelling. After reading an excerpt from the book, Persepolis, learners choose one event from any world revolution to write about. They storyboard the event focusing on...
Smithsonian Institution
New American Roles
America has dealt with its fair share of hardships in contemporary history. The resource discusses the events of the Gulf War, September 11th, the Afghanistan War, and The Iraq War. Scholars click on artifacts to learn more information,...
Prestwick House
The Book Thief
Review main characters, story events, and important quotes from Marcus Zusak's The Book Thief. A crossword puzzle with 29 clues gives high schoolers the opportunity to check their understanding and revist Zusak's haunting work.
Curated OER
Middle East Related
Eighth graders find a current event related to the Middle East. In this current event lesson students write a brief summary of a new story related to the Middle East. They give their opinion and tell how it affects their life or who it...
Curated OER
Lesson: Nikhil Chopra: Performing Memory
Film imitates life; that's what they say. Using performance theory to tie the lesson plan together, learners attempt to understand memory and daily rituals as seen in art, film, and life. They read two chapters from the book, watch the...
Curated OER
World War II: Bombs and Peace
Students explore the final events and end of World War II. They examine the community impact of such events as the dropping of the dropping of atomic bombs, and President Roosevelt's death. Students prepare a presentation.
Curated OER
Conflict Resolution in the World Today: Introduction to Current World conflicts, their Antecendents, the Progression, and their Potential Conclusions
Students write a paragraph describing a conflict they had with a friend or a family member and a paragraph explaining how it was resolved. In this social science lesson plan, students share their paragraphs with a partner and then will...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
History of Immigration From the 1850s to the Present
The Statue of Liberty may embrace the huddled masses of the world, but has American society always joined in? After young historians read a passage about the history of American immigration in the 19th and 20th centuries, focusing on...
Curated OER
A World of Money
Students explore the traditions related to the creation of national currencies. The role currency plays in shaping a national or regional identity and the influences that the designers of world currency exert are examined in this lesson.
Curated OER
Causes of World War I
Ninth graders identify and explain the six major causes of World War I. They explore the events leading up to WWI, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and why they were the culmination of everything. Students discuss the...
Curated OER
World War II: America on the Home Front
Eleventh graders gain a sense of historical time and historical perspective as they study the massive campaign that the U.S. government launched to convince Americans to conserve, participate, and sacrifice. They study cencorship, and...