Facing History and Ourselves
How Do Communities Define We and They?
Learners consider the categorization of people. For this community identity instructional activity, 6th graders examine community membership definitions and consider how those outside of the group view themselves. Learners analyze The...
Curated OER
Stamps and Cemeteries as Storytellers
Students discern the difference between commemorative and regular issue stamps while drawing conclusions about the time period. In this Stamps as Storytellers lesson, students design stamps using symbolism and historical data. In...
Curated OER
Dot-Commerce
Students analyze the impact that e-commerce has in their community, as well as in small traditional communities that one might not expect to be part of the dot-com marketplace. They develop business plans for imagined businesses.
Curated OER
Nunavut, Our Communities
Students locate the communities of Nanavut on a territorial map and identify community characteristics. They research the online Atlas of Canada
Curated OER
Giving Human Rights a Human Face
Young scholars produce a creative expression of an article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They may also create posters to serve as reminders for creating a human rights environment or community.
Curated OER
Land Plan Challenge
Students use maps to plan towns, being conscious of water resources. For this geography and land planning lesson, students create collaboratively in small groups towns using maps. At the conclusion of the activity, students build their...
Curated OER
Gather the Stones!
Review how gristmills affected the lives of the Pennsylvania community. The class uses documents and pictures to explore the purpose of the gristmill. They simulate members of the community and write a paper about colonial forces...
Curated OER
THE GREAT DEPRESSION THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHS
Students, investigating and analyzing the period known as the Great Depression, view and critique photographs of the agricultural Acadian community in the St. John Valley. They assess the photographs to make conclusions about the...
Curated OER
The Race to Learn
Students explore the history of education and race in the United States. By researching Supreme Court cases dealing with race and education, students examine the ways in which these cases have reflected changing social and cultural norms.
Curated OER
Do You Dread the Spread?
Students explore the increased reports of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in China. They hold a mock emergency health summit to address concerns and possible solutions on behalf of the affected countries and international health...
Curated OER
Know The Code
Students explore how codes of conduct guide our daily lives. After learning about specific codes of conduct, students write articles exploring aspects of different codes and how they affect people in their community.
Curated OER
A Maya Masterpiece
Students analyze the symbols presented in a Maya artifact. They create collages that depict a theme related to contemporary life in their community, and write brief analyses explaining the symbolism of the images they chose.
Curated OER
Causes and Effects
Students investigate one family's volunteer tourism experience and the international volunteer organizations to create a community guide to helping those in need around the world.
Curated OER
Civil Rights Webquest
Students, working individually and in teams, research life in their community during the civil rights era. They take part in a role-playing discussion about civil rights issues based on their research, and create individual and group...
Curated OER
Creating a Map
Students create a map of their community. In this mapping lesson, students identify various geographical features and the cardinal directions on maps displayed in the classroom. Students are divided into three groups to create a large...
Curated OER
Religion in Public Schools
Students examine the presence of religion in public institutions. In this ethics lesson, students focus on one aspect of the presence of religion in public institutions, and the controversy surrounding religion in the public schools....
Curated OER
Exit to the Left
Students share their own thoughts about the United States' involvement in Iraq. They read an article about what the Democrats would do if they were in charge. They develop a poll for members of their community to take and analyze the...
Curated OER
Immigration: Our Changing Voices
Students identify how immigration affects the family and or community. In this Immigration lesson, students examine traditional migration and how immigration has changed over time. Students will consider their own families and history...
Curated OER
Murals
Students investigate how murals portray cultural expression. They study the history of mural making, explore its symbolism and design a mural of their own.
Curated OER
Architecture
Students study tessellations and the work of M.C. Escher. They discuss the terminology of architecture, the historical significance of architecture in different parts of the world, and create their own piece of architecture out of...
Curated OER
Now and Then
Students record transformations and their effects within and across cultures. Students study the life of specific people in a former time period and then in the present time period. This teacher focused on the Winnebago tribe, using her...
Curated OER
The Struggles Between "Something Old" and "Something New"
Young scholars explore traditional life in Africa and assess how modern society may be impacting the values of the continent's traditional peoples. Students work in small groups to research various aspects of the infrastructures of...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King Jr.: From Civil Rights to Human Rights
Learners read essays and participate in a discussion that examines Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s stance on both civil rights and the broader issue of human rights. They conduct research about King's life and work, analyze quotes from his...
Curated OER
Raton Pass and Glorieta Battlefield
Learners complete a variety of activities that go along with the study of and possible fieldtrip to Raton Pass and Glorieta Battlefield on the Sante Fe Trail in New Mexico.