Polk County Public Schools
The French and Indian War
Sharpen those pencils and get to writing with a series of document-based questions about the French and Indian War. High schoolers focus on maps, letters, and other primary documents from the 18th century before answering writing prompts...
K12 Reader
Civil Rights Biography: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Introduce your class to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his many accomplishments through a one-page biography. Class members read the text and respond to three questions included at the end.
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
The Battle of Trenton
The Continental Army's victory at the Battle of Trenton marked a turning point in the American Revolution. Young historians examine maps, read primary source materials, and create a timeline of events to understand why the victory was so...
Curated OER
Site and Situation: Right Place at the Right Time
Students put their geography skills to work. In this geography skills instructional activity, students research maps and other primary and secondary sources to simulate the site selection process for the Pennsylvania Railroad Shops post...
Curated OER
New Jersey
In this reading comprehension activity, learners read a passage about the early history of the state of New Jersey and answer true and false questions. Students write 10 answers.
Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary
B. Franklin, Printer and the Public Eye
Students explore U.S. history by researching famous Americans. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students read portions of a biography about Franklin and identify his position within U.S. politics and as a leader in the battle for...
Curated OER
Energy Generating a Culture: Early American Coal Miners and Coal Mining Culture
Students calculate how much coal they use based on their electric power usage. In this environmental science lesson, students trace the history of coal mining in US. They write a letter to USPS to encourage them to create coal mining...
Curated OER
Symmetrical Design: Pennsylvania Barn Signs
Second graders explain and apply the visual arts elements and the design principle of symmetry and apply media, techniques, and processes. In addition, they describe how different materials, techniques, and processes cause different...
Curated OER
Use of the Forest in the Economic Evolution of Oakville, Pennsylvania
Students explore forest usage and the ways which it affected the development of Oakville. They identify the technological advances that shaped forest based industries, and the current challenges facing the community of Oakville.
Curated OER
Freedom Fighters Throughout American History
Students use the internet to research people who have contributed to the cause of freedom. They identify examples of freedom which are important to them and categorize them. In groups, they create a timeline of the Freedom Fighters and...
Curated OER
Lesson: Skin Fruit: Propaganda of the Deed
Art can express acts of injustice and move society to action. Upper graders analyze contemporary art relating to specific moments in history. They discuss propaganda, anarchy, sociology, and violence as activism. After researching and...
Curated OER
Thirteen Original Colonies
An outstanding instructional activity on the Thirteen Original Colonies, and the settling of Pennsylvania by William Penn is here for your learners. Valuable discussion takes place regarding how the colonies were settled, and some...
Curated OER
Vanished Occupations: Life on an Iron Plantation
Learners analyze photographs to understand life on a plantation. In this vanished occupations instructional activity, students examine why iron plantations were created and what natural resources were needed to make iron. Learners...
Curated OER
W. Atlee Burpee and the "Seeds" of Becoming an Entrepreneur
Students research the components of W. Atlee Burpee's mail-order business. For this Pennsylvanian history lesson plan, students analyze three business components for Burpee's mail-order business. Students create a plan implementing the...
Curated OER
Men of Steel
Learners explore early 20th century steel making. In this U.S. history steel making lesson, students view and describe a postcard and a picture depicting exaggerated aspects of the steel industry. Learners listen to a poem about Joe...
Scholastic
Groundhog Day
A simple activity for a simple, but special, holiday. Young learners read a brief history of Groundhog Day, practice reading aloud, and then discuss how shadows are formed.
Teachers.net
Columbus - Thanksgiving lesson plan
Students learn the history of Thanksgiving and Columbus Day, and they also create a "New World" mural in small groups.
Curated OER
Coal Camps and Mining Towns
Young scholars should gain a better understanding of the processes involved in extracting coal from the Earth as a result of this lesson. They reearch the history of coal mining, look into coal mining towns, and create a short story...
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
King of Prussia Inn: Exploring Historic Places
Learners of any age examine the significance of historic sites, how we understand those sites, and what they mean in terms of history and the culture of the past. They look at maps, artifacts, and data taken from archaeological sites to...
Curated OER
THE BACKWARD DESIGN PROCESS
Students explain the practical uses of robots. They interpret possible careers in robotics, apply the safety guidelines of robots, and develop a perspective of the use of robots. They empathize with the cultural issues of robots in work...
Read Works
The United States Constitution
The US Constitution is the beginning of Americans' rights. Use a five-paragraph passage to give a brief history of the US Constitution. A great last minute addition to a lesson on Constitution Day.
ProCon
Minimum Wage
The first ever minimum wage in America was set at 25 cents per hour in 1938 and has been steadily, if slowly, increasing ever since. Using the provided website, pupils decide if the United States should further increase the federal...
ProCon
Penny
Twenty-nine percent of Americans want to abolish the one-cent coin, which begs the question: Is a penny saved really a penny earned? Scholars read fascinating facts about the history of the penny in preparation for a class debate or...
Curated OER
Leaf Collection
Students examine the tree species in Pennsylvania. In this Pennsylvania tree lesson plan students use field guides to assist them in identifying tree species.