Curated OER
Mesopotamia
Sixth graders describe the geography of Mesopotamia, explain the characteristics of Sumerian city-states, and identify the cultural practices of the ancient Sumerians. They then explain how empires formed in Mesopotamia.
Asian Art Museum
Create Your Own Samurai (Breastplate) Armor
Your class is going to love this activity. They get out their rulers, cardboard, and paints as they make Samurai breastplates. The simple art lesson lends itself to many different subjects such as, math/measurement, world history, and...
Curated OER
Sarcophagus
Here is another in a series of fantastic art lessons from this source. This one has young artists create a sarcophagus-style clay box! This instructional activity would be ideal to utilzie during a study of the ancient Egyptians. One...
Brooklyn Museum
"Workt by Hand": Hidden Labor and Historical Quilts
Just like a painting or the symbols on a flag, quilts can express ideas that reflect a cultural context, space, and time. The class discusses the history of quilt making throughout US history and what different types of quilts mean. They...
San Francisco Symphony
Ballads for Americans
"Ballad for Americans" was a song written for performers participating in the Federal Arts Project, during The Depression. Learners will analyze the lyrics of the song and then create informational posters about other Federal Works...
Learning to Give
The Beginning of the Storm
Introduce readers to Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry with a instructional activity that sets the context for the novel. Class members research the bigotry in Mississippi during the Great Depression and identify examples in...
Learning to Give
What Are Your Thoughts?
The varying responses of the characters in Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry to the discrimination they experience or perpetrate provides readers with an opportunity to not only examine the feelings of the characters but...
Teaching Ideas
The Aztecs
Did you know the Aztecs had two different calendars? Or that Aztec men could have more than one wife? Find out more about this ancient civilization including how they lived, what they ate, and their cultures and beliefs with a set of 20...
US Institute of Peace
Responding to Conflict: Negotiation—Identifying Wants and Needs
Let's make a deal! Are real negotiations as simple as they are in the game show? Scholars learn the art of negotiation during the 8th instructional activity in a series of 15. The activity kicks off with a fun group negotiation, then...
Curated OER
Celebrating Diversity
Students gain a better understanding about cultures. They find similarities and differences between cultures. Various resources ranging from web sites to trade books to email addresses of people are provided. This lesson incorporates...
Curated OER
Dilettante Artists
Students investigate their personal heritage. They research and record iand organize nformation in journal notes. Students create folk art using a variety of techniques and media.
Curated OER
Myth of the Western Man
Students identify ways in which history and culture influence identity. They make a time-line and research dates to identify their significance, as well as, create a self portrait pictorially or verbally, that explores the complexity of...
Curated OER
Human Expression
Students compare figurative works of art to determine what they say about the cultures that created them.
Curated OER
Brushstrokes From West to East
Students meld their ideas about art with the philosophy of the Chinese. They discuss each art project, discover the history and culture of each project in China. They create a tea ceremony and various Chinese art projects.
Curated OER
Traditions and Transformations
Students examine how traditions change over time. In this lesson on Jewish culture, students interview persons of the Jewish faith, write poems, and create murals that exemplify Jewish culture.
Curated OER
Historical Perspectives Through the Eyes of Young People
Students gather knowledge about various roles of students in different cultures and eras. Students research their choice of eras and create a personal artwork to express the tone of the selected era.
Curated OER
History and Artistry
Learners explore the ways masks are used in various occupations and cultural ceremonies through readings, a play performance and guest speakers. They create a clay mask and a found art mask using principles of symmetry. After creating...
Curated OER
Hindu Festival - Let's Celebrate Diwali
Students explore characteristics, roles and cultural expressions of Indian community in New Zealand. They describe traditional practices of Diwali Festival, collect and record information, design open-ended questionnaire, create Diwali...
Curated OER
Finding My Hat
Sixth graders explore the Korean culture through the book, Finding My Hat. They read and discuss the book in literature circles and write in response journals after each chapter. Comparing the main character to themselves, they note the...
Curated OER
African Safari
Sixth graders gain an appreciation for the different cultures that inhabit the Earth by focusing on the people of Africa
Curated OER
Native Americans - Searching for Knowledge and Understanding
Students examine lives of Native Americans in order to become familiar with contributions to and influences on American society particularly, but not exclusively, in the Western region of the United States. Students focus on cultural...
Curated OER
Houses and the People They Shelter
Students examine different homes and shelters across cultures and time periods. In this Houses and the People They Shelter lesson, students draw conclusions about society and culture according to the features of their dwellings. Students...
Curated OER
Relief Sculpture in Two Parts
Students discuss relief sculptures and examine many examples of Roman urns with relief sculptures. They consider the information these urns give us about Roman culture and then use drywall to design and create their own relief sculpture...