Curated OER
An Enthusiastic Age: A History of Minoan Pottery
Students explore and gather relevant facts from a website about Minoan pottery. They present their information to the rest of the group in different ways: PowerPoint, handouts, timeline.
Curated OER
Balanced Literacy: Presidents
Students participate in a unit (all lessons on the same page) to explore the Presidents of the United States. They choose one President to write a mini-book about, create a puppet and an original puppet show to perform about their chosen...
Curated OER
President Wilson and the League of Nations
Students examine Wilson's ideals of world peace and world order and the conflict between these ideals and the U.S. Senate's policy of isolationism. Wilson's visionary stance and its significance in forming the policies of our government...
Curated OER
Writing a Play about Immigrant Life in America
Young scholars research why immigrants came to America and the processes involved in the settlement. They write a script for a short play explaining the causes for immigration and situations that immigrants found themselves in.
Curated OER
The Chemistry of Black Pottery
Sixth graders create pottery out of black clay using traditional methods. They demonstrate appropriate Native American cultural traditions related to the making of black pottery, including prayers to Mother Earth and Clay Woman.
Curated OER
Tribute to the Summer Olympics
Students participate in an afternoon of games and festivities intended to mirror the actual summer games. They create flags from various countries, and participate in field day like games. They have an opening ceremony, flag parage,...
Curated OER
Inventor's Project
Learners conduct research about different inventors and their inventions. They use various types of resources to obtain information. Students use the information to create a class museum that contains artifacts, written reports, or models.
Curated OER
More Rules and Procedures
Students investigate classroom rules, procedures and expectations given by the teacher. They discuss the analogy of needing ingredients and supplies to bake a pie and needing ingredients and supplies to do their school work. Throughout...
National First Ladies' Library
Colonial America: The Original 13
Middle schoolers work in small groups to research the initial history of two colonies and answering a list of questions. They then prepare a PowerPoint presentation or poster that includes all the findings of the questions and share...
National First Ladies' Library
Ragtime: The First "American" Music?
Learners investigate the concept of ragtime music and the times associated with it in American history. They conduct research using a variety of resources and listen to a sample before writing down some of the results of the information...
National First Ladies' Library
Let's Make a World Series Almanac
Middle schoolers discuss the meaning of the word, almanac and then decide which statistics about the World Series they think should be included in the almanac, browsing some websites to get some idea of what statistics are available....
Curated OER
Holding Out for a Hero: Roberto Clemente
Learners brainstorm lists of heroes, heroic qualities, and ways to pay tribute to heroes. In this Holding Out for a Hero lesson, students record Clemente's heroic attributes as athlete ad humanitarian. After visiting the Beyond Baseball...
Curated OER
The Transcontinental Railroad
Learners investigate the impact of the Transcontinental Railroad. In this Transcontinental Railroad lesson, students research Internet and print sources regarding the effect of the railroad on Chinese immigrants and American...
Curated OER
The Great Lighthouse at Alexandria
Students read and research about Alexandria's Great Lighthouse. In this Greek architecture lesson, students create a timeline of events in Alexandria, and design a lighthouse. Students research lighthouses online and write a report.
Curated OER
Dance Around the World
Students gather information about traditional dances. In this folk dance lesson, students work in small groups to research a type of folk dance, then present information and perform the dance for the class.
Curated OER
Time Capsule
Learners consider the plight of Jewish children caught up in the Holocaust. In this Holocaust lesson, students create time capsules that include items that learners print or download during their research.
Curated OER
Enduring Influence: Rome, Greece, and Byzantium
Students explore ancient cultures. For this ancient history lesson, students view programs that depict the ancient Roman, Greek, and Byzantine cultures. Students consider how archaeologists, geologists, and scientists have uncovered the...
Curated OER
Exodus: History Writ Large
Students examine the history of the Exodus and life of Moses. In this Exodus lesson, students watch "Exodus: History Writ Large", research the life of Moses, and author books that depict scenes from Mose's life.
Curated OER
The Declaration of Independence: From Rough Draft to Proclamation
Students examine and analyze an unknown document (Jefferson's original rough draught of The Declaration). In this document analysis lesson, students compare the rough draught with the first printed version and work in pairs to analyze...
Curated OER
Deeper Differences Between Cultures
Students learn about major differences between cultures. In this cultural sensitivity lesson, students learn about time-focused, event-focused, verbal, non-verbal, achievement-based, status-based, individual, and collective cultures.
Curated OER
Photo Analysis of American Inventions
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this inventions activity, students analyze photographs of American inventions and and discuss the needs the inventions met...
Curated OER
Prayers for Paankhenamun
Students use the internet to research one of six Egyptian gods and goddesses of the afterlife. They focus on physical attributes, symbols associated with and the role played by that deity into the afterlife. They write a letter to their...
Curated OER
A Graveyard Scavenger Hunt
Students engage in the lesson that covers local community history by taking a field trip to a local graveyard. They do various activities prepared by the teacher that includes finding local important people who once lived in the community.
Curated OER
What is Philanthropy?
Students define common good. For this philanthropy lesson, students review the meaning of philanthropy and define common good. Students share with a partner a time when they did an act of kindness for another person. Students read about...