Curated OER
The Donner Party
Who is the Donner Party? Find out why this group of pioneers lives in infamy. A lot of information is provided in this resource, but you will have to copy and paste the text to acquire the handouts. Learners will look at primary sources,...
Curated OER
All Aboard
Explore the U.S.S. Nevada. Researchers use primary sources, secondary sources, children's books and websites to study the naval ship. Their study commences with a class alphabet book on the ship. Intended to be part of a instructional...
Curated OER
Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers
Learn about the events that helped shape the United States of America. Elementary schoolers explore the Civil War with six different activities. Each activity has a different focus: literature connections, primary sources, vocabulary,...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
What Brought Settlers to the Midwest?
Drawn by promises of fertile land, thousands of settlers poured West because of the Homestead Act of 1862. By examining images of the ads that drew them westward, learners consider the motivations for movement. They also consider how the...
Curated OER
Letter Writing and Abigail Adams
Third graders learn the importance of letter writing for communication. In this letter writing instructional activity, 3rd graders identify how letter writing was important in the life of Abigail Adams. Students understand what a...
Curated OER
Patriotic Arts: Influencing Canadians At War
Students study how war has shaped Canadian life, patriotism, propaganda, and music. They research primary source documents, novels, videos, and songs before celebrating Remembrance Day.
Curated OER
What Should I Purchase?
Discuss commercials, advertisements and junk mail and how each can influence their audience. Through these materials, kids examine persuasive writing. Which key words indicate that it's an advertisement? Young learners include these...
Curated OER
Diversity of Colors
Students investigate color diversity by experimenting with jelly beans. In this color spectrum lesson, students observe colored jelly beans through different filters and light sources to change the existing look of the bean. Students...
Curated OER
Information Sensation!
Third graders, in groups, choose a research topic and generate questions to narrow their focus. They research the answers to their questions and develop correctly cited source cards that display appropriate bibliographic format.
Curated OER
Seed Swapping
Here is a fabulous, cross-curicular lesson on seeds. Elements of science, writing, math, agricultural practices, and art are all brought into this incredibly thorough plan. Additionally, a fun whole-class game is presented, and there is...
Curated OER
Writing American Diaries
Young scholars examine the concept of historical perspective in writing. They read the diary of Sally Wister, a young Patriot from Philadelphia during the Revolutionary Era. Additionally, they must include different points of view in...
Curated OER
Chinese Landscape Painting
Third graders learn about Chinese poetry and landscape paintings, then create their own. They view several examples and discuss the elements of each, then paint their own landscape inspired by what they saw. They then listen to, read,...
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Cartoons: How Have Society's Views of Women Changed Over Time?
Students explore women's rights by viewing cartoon images. In this women's history lesson plan, students view several images depicting women in a certain way while discussing the meaning of the imagery among their classmates. Students...
Curated OER
Seals: From the National To the Local
Third graders investigate official government symbols by completing a scavenger hunt. In this U.S. Government activity, 3rd graders participate in a scavenger hunt in which they locate seals or logos in their community. Students...
Curated OER
Geometry of Democracy
Students explore the architecture of New England by identifying geometric shapes. For this architectural lesson, students examine photographs of classic building architecture and use a transparency to trace geometric shapes they...
Curated OER
Yankee Doodle... More than Just a Catchy Tune
Learners investigate the history of patriotic music and practice singing the tunes with classmates. In this U.S. History lesson plan, students examine lyrics of the traditional song "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and discuss the differing points...
Curated OER
Cursive Writing Lessons
While cursive writing lessons may seem to be outdated, they are still an important part of the class curriculum.
Curated OER
Inventions Change the World: The Enigma Machine
Third graders explore WWII by analyzing technological advances. In this invention lesson, 3rd graders discuss the use of the Enigma machine which decoded private German messages that communicated with U-boats. Students utilize a timeline...
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
Land, Liberty and the Struggle for the American Dream
Learners investigate equality by reading a historical fiction book in class. In this civil rights lesson, students read the story Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry with their classmates and define the Jim Crow Laws that kept blacks...
Curated OER
Landmarks of the Underground Railroad
Students explore Civil Rights by reading several books in class. In this Underground Railroad lesson, students discuss The Story of Henry Box Brown and identify the location and functionality of the Underground Railroad. Students answer...
Denver Art Museum
My Animal Symbol
Here is an art lesson that combines visual arts and language arts into one very nice package. In it, youngsters study a fascinating painting called Painting of Bear and Sun Dances. They begin to understand the importance of traditional...
Curated OER
What is Suffrage? Understanding the Right to Vote
Students discover one of the restrictions forced on women of the early 1900s. In this civil rights lesson, students investigate suffrage and why women were not allowed to vote in the early twentieth century. Students create a mock...
Curated OER
Women's Votes, Women's Voices
Students investigate Women's Suffrage by analyzing images from the past. In this equal rights lesson, students read biographical work about Emma Smith DeVoe, an activist who fought for women's rights. Students view a comic style...