Curated OER
Places Where Women Made History
Using places can help students identify with the history-making women associated with them.
Rice University
U.S. History
How did the discovery of the Americas change the world? A US history textbook covers topics such as the Americas, changes in European society, and the trans-Atlantic slave trade. Young academics also complete the assessment included in...
Curated OER
Undercover-ed
Have your class engage in critical-thinking activities using this resource. Learners discuss a variety of topics they think get too much, or too little, attention from the press. They analyze why these topics are over or underrated....
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: “Making History” by Marilyn Nelson
What makes an event newsworthy, worth a reference in a news magazine or textbook? Who decides? These are questions Marilyn Nelson asks readers of her poem "Making History" to consider. To begin, class members list details they notice in...
Stanford University
Expansion of the Inca Empire
If you could write your own history textbook, what would you include? Learners play the role of textbook writers by examining evidence of the Inca Empire. With primary sources from Spanish and indigenous perspectives, as well as images,...
University of North Carolina
Oral History
There's no better way to learn something than to hear it straight from the horse's mouth. A handout on oral history, part of a larger series on specific writing assignments, explains how to conduct interviews and use the information...
Curated OER
History Review: Colonial America
Explore key moments in American history with the click of a mouse! Learners read 50 questions from different eras in early America, and watch the rest of the presentation to find more questions to answer.
Curated OER
John and Mary Jones and the Importance of Oral History
Students examine the role of John and Mary Jones in the abolitionist movement. Using primary source documents, they discover the importance of an oral history and take notes on the Jones' role. They write a summary of the data to...
Curated OER
Putting History in its Place
Examine ways in which historic places and landmarks represent significant themes and events in American history. Then create theme-based travel guides for related historic locations. This lesson plan requires informational reference...
Curated OER
American Flag History
Young historians explore US culture by investigating the US flag. They will use their textbooks, prior knowledge, and sources provided by the teacher to research the history of the American flag. They will design and create a trading...
National Woman's History Museum
Congresswoman Jeannette Rankin
Political activist, suffragette, pacifist, and the first woman elected to Congress, Jeannette Rankin has been largely ignored in history and history textbooks. Young historians set out to rectify that situation by examining primary...
Independence Hall Association
American History: From Pre-Columbian to the New Millennium
Need an online resource to supplement the paper textbook in your classroom? An all-encompassing website covers historical events throughout the last half of the second millenium, leading right up to the third. From the pre-Columbian...
Columbus City Schools
The Mystery of Earth’s History
Every living creature can leave a fossil record, yet most fossils belong to extinct organisms rather than ones currently living. Scholars learn about dating rock layers, fossils, and the environment of the past. Pupils understand that...
Curated OER
Textbook Changes in Japan
Students recognize that the Japanese government has made attempts to alter history textbooks to make it look like the military did not play a major role in the mass suicides during the American invasion in 1945. They review vocabulary,...
Curated OER
European Tour: History and Tradition
Learners explore the Sistine Chapel. In this European history lesson, students watch "Sistine Chapel Frescoes: Scenes from Genesis." Learners then discuss the Vatican and the role of the Pope. Students then visit a website to take a...
Curated OER
The Original's Sins
Are history textbooks plagiarized? The New York Times article, “Schoolbooks Are Given F’s in Originality,” looks at this question and forms the basis for a lesson on textbooks and plagiarism. The very detailed plan includes resource...
Alpha Omega
History and Geography—Two World Wars
Here's a combination textbook/workbook that examines the conditions in Europe that lead to World War I. Ideal for homeschoolers as well as classroom use.
NPR
This Isn't Right: Women Reform Leaders
The 20th century saw many new possibilities open up to women in America, thanks to many well-known female historical figures — and some women who are not as famous but who are equally accomplished. Learn about the women who contributed...
Curated OER
Major Religions in Ancient India
Sixth graders compare and contrast Hinduism and Buddhism. For this ancient India lesson, 6th graders use Inspiration software to create graphic organizers that show the similarities and differences between Hinduism and Buddhism.
Curated OER
History of the Atom
This is a tremendous overview of the tiny atom. Journey through the history of human understanding of this basic building block of matter. Examine each of the sub-atomic particles in detail: neutrons, protons, electrons, quarks. Peruse...
Curated OER
U.S History I Review for History Il
Learners review all the information they gathered in their first United States History class. They identify the major contributors to early American history and how they have affected America today. In groups, they create a newspaper on...
ProCon
Tablets vs. Textbooks
Learners decide if tablets should replace textbooks in K-12 schools. They watch four pro and con videos and discover the history of the tablets-versus-textbooks debate. As a bonus, the resource allows them to submit their own comments...
National Woman's History Museum
Helen Keller--Citizen and Socialist
Do history books tell the full story of Helen Keller? The sanitized version of Helen Keller found in most textbooks leaves out her most provocative ideas. She was a socialist, fought for workers' rights, and advocated for the use of...
K20 LEARN
Plantation Life And Slavery: Antebellum Era
Learners evaluate primary sources from the antebellum era to determine the accuracy of textbooks. They examine narratives from enslaved people, then compare them to their own text. Extension activities include the opportunity to write a...