Curated OER
Historical Locations of The Civil Rights Movement
A geographic perspective helps historians learn about significant eras such as the civil rights movement. Through research and source analysis, learners create a report depicting a significant location of this time. They synthesize their...
Curated OER
Newspapers: A Connection to Our Past
Pupils research the historical context for a currents event. They create an iMovie that explains why it is important to explain the history behind a current event.
Curated OER
Colonial New York Slave Codes: Law and Order
Build a historical perspective from four different points of view. Young historians take on the role of a slave-owning white person, non-slave owning white person, slave, or free African-American person and imagine what life would be...
PBS
1000 Words
A picture really can speak a thousand words—no matter how old! Scholars become history detectives as they learn how to analyze historical photos and evidence to uncover the past. The fun hands-on activity makes history come alive through...
Curated OER
World History Pre-Assessment
What do the members of your class already know about world history? This is a fabulous pre-assessment that will illustrate the varying levels of general world history knowledge among your young historians that you can use to inform your...
PBS
What's In a Name?
What is in a name? Eager historians trace the geographical history of places in the United States with Spanish names. Using a worksheet activity, clues, and web research developed in conjunction with the PBS "Latinos in America" series,...
Curated OER
Ecology Explorers: Historical Air Photo Interpretation
Students identify and analyze land use changes over time with historic aerial photographs, and classify different land use into categories.
Curated OER
Historical Travel Brochure
Fourth graders answer the question, Where in America did history take place? Through investigation as a travel agent, they discover that history is not an isolated event. They use a wide variety of technological resources to create their...
Curated OER
Herbert Hoover: Iowa Farm Boy an World Humanitarian
Students research Herbert Hoover's life and how he became known as a "Great Humanitarian." Students use images and historic places in their research.
Curated OER
Historical Background Leading to the Declaration of Independence
Students examine why, when our Fathers, signed the Declaration of Independence they were placing in jeopardy their freedom, property and lives.
Curated OER
1900 America: Historical Voices, Poetic Visions
Students examine the United States at the turn of the century. Using primary source documents, they interpret them within a specific historical context. Using this information, they write a poem with metaphors and a specific meter They...
Curated OER
1846: Portrait of America in the Time of Don Pasquale: An Historic Look at American Life During the 1840's
Students construct an historical timeline extending from 1840-1850. They discuss various people, places, and events on their timelines.
Middle School Computer Projects
Timeline of Your Life
Pupils can use PowerPoint as a tool to create clear timelines that show their lives in relationship to historical events. Take a trip to the computer lab and share this page with your class. Class members can watch each video and follow...
Curated OER
Colonials & Revolutionaries: Background Historical & Cultural Information
The four major trends of the 18th century (The Enlightenment, the Great Awakening, British global ambitions, and economic disagreements) are the focus of a PowerPoint that places in context such influences as deism, mercantilism,...
Curated OER
Be a Building Detective!
Students participate in an in-depth study of a historic building in their community. They conduct a visual survey of the building, complete a worksheet, take a rubbing of the building, and research the history of the building.
Crafting Freedom
Creating Original Historical Fiction Using Henry "Box" Brown's Narrative and Runaway Slave Ads
Young historians discover the experiences of runaway slaves after reading the brief biography and narrative excerpt of Henry "Box" Brown, who escaped slavery by having himself shipped away in a crate and popularized his flight in a...
Concord Consortium
People and Places
Graph growth in the US. Given population and area data for the United States for a period of 200 years, class members create graphs to interpret the growth over time. Graphs include population, area, population density, and population...
Curated OER
Cemeteries Are Historical, Not Solely Grave
Students reflect on the value of graveyards as places of great historical importance and information. They create an epitaph for and a brief biography of a deceased historical figure whom they admire.
Curated OER
A Sense of Place
Students read "Fish Tale: Falling For a Live One" from The New York Times and discuss the methods and techniques the writer uses to create a strong mental image. Students pick a place in their community they wish to write about and...
Curated OER
Mapping the Past
Students study historical maps to view how the world evolved from medieval times through the Renaissance. They work in groups to examine the maps and present a report on one of the listed maps.
Curated OER
Witnesses to Joan of Arc and The Hundred Years' War
Students trace Joan of Ar's history from early childhood through her death and on to her nullification trial. Joan's place in the history of the Hundred Years' War, what motivated her, enabled her, and brought about her demise is the...
Curated OER
My Secret War: Lesson 1
Fifth graders explore historical fiction. In this genre study activity, 5th graders go on a text feature scavenger hunt to identify the parts of a historical fiction text. Additionally, students read the book, My Secret War and discuss...
Curated OER
The Prince and the Pauper
Mark Twain, the famous American author, is often studied in the school system. Use "The Prince and the Pauper" to analyze the differences between the text and its video version. This lesson includes several culminating project ideas for...
Curated OER
Applying KWL Guides to Sources with Elementary Students
What is a KWL chart? Here is a well thought-out activity that has learners use KWL charts to gain historical perspective. Your class examines primary sources about historical events and identifies what they know, want to know, and,...