Curated OER
The Origins of Heraldry
Students design a personal coat of arms which depicts themselves and explain their shields to the class in an informal presentation.
Curated OER
Celebrating the Day of the Dead
Learners explore the artwork of the Indo-Hispanic holiday of Day of the Dead. They view images, define key vocabulary terms, and plan and create a two- and three-dimensional sculptural figure.
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The Living Constitution
Students investigate why the Constitution is a living document and dissect the document to discover why it has survived while so many other charters have not. Students use James Madison's constitutional admonition concerning checks and...
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Mexico's Culture
Students compare and contrast the culture of Mexico to the United States. They brainstorm what makes up a culture and develop a model of their own culture. Students explore Mexican music and dance. Additional cross curriculum activities...
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Political Cartoons as Part of the Election Process
Students explore the impact of political cartoons on American elections. In this presidential elections lesson, students discuss the election process and then analyze political cartoons that were published during presidential elections....
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Celebrating the Harvest
Students complete a webquest of how people celebrate the harvest around the world. In this harvest lesson plan, students present their research to the class.
National First Ladies' Library
Peace in the Middle East: A Primer
Middle schoolers are introduced to the concept of three Abrahamic religions and complete the Comparative Religion Exercise. They view slides after taking their best guesses and read the article, "The Path to Peace Runs Through a History...
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Minority Report
Students examine race relations in Great Britain. In this current events lesson, students visit selected websites to understand the impact of immigration on the country as well as multiculturalism in the country.
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Patchwork Flag
Students read the story By the Dawn's Early Light, sing the Star Spangled Banner, put the words together in sentence strips, make a list of American qualities, and more. Through learning with music in this American Patriotism lesson...
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Deciphering Morse Code
Students write and decode messages using Morse code, as Civil War soldiers might have done. They use a worksheet imbedded in this lesson to help them experience morse code.
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Greco-Roman Origin Myths
Students explore myths that explain the world, recognize some characters of Greco-Roman mythology and their symbols, and Make personal connections to the theme by writing and drawing a myth of their own.
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True or False? A Quiz About Four December Celebrations
Students take a quiz on brief histories of Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Las Posadas. They, in groups, research four December celebrations and then test their comprehension.
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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.
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Colonial Vacation Planner
Students plan a family vacation to states that were among the original 13 colonies. The groups determine which state they visit, map their route, calculate the mileage, and determine how much money they spend on gasoline.
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International Institute of Archaeology an Anthropology
Middle schoolers research early humans and their cultures. They conduct Internet research, discuss their findings with their group, evaluate the information provided by artifacts, and create a report to present to a simulated archaeology...
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Japanese Bookbinding Kit
Students are introduced to Japanese bookbinding techniques. In groups, they compare and contrast the western style against the Japanese style. As a class, they make their own book binding to present the material in a more interesting way.
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Second Star To the Left and Straight On 'Till Morning" - Spreadsheet Driven Exploration of Pacific Asian Geography
Students explore the geography of Pacific Asia. The class is divided into two groups to participate in a role-play activity where they act as European explorers. Students utilize mathematics, spreadsheet and internet technology to make...
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Artifacts: Bringing the Past Back to Life -- the Mexican Case
Students examine and discuss the meanings of the various symbols in Tenochtitlan. In groups, they complete a part of the model of the city and discuss the importance of finding artifacts. Individually, they choose an a two-dimensional...
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Celebrating the Individuals in Our Community
Learners research, write and publish a biography on a community member. They interview the community member, collect and scan photos, produce and edit text and use software to puslish an online book.
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Media Literacy
Students watch a video a pre-taped TV commercials. They define propaganda and re-watch the video. Students choose a poster from Posters American Style and journal about their observations. Students use the computer lab to develop tape...
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Family: The Circle of Life
Learners brainstorm family meal traditions and the meaning of "The Circle of Life" while viewing artifacts. They plan a traditional family Thanksgiving meal and write/discuss their own Thanksgiving family meal traditions. Students listen...
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Memory Game
Students interact with different explorers and their motivations for exploration. They make a deck of memory cards. Students use 20 specific motivational factors in making their cards. They then play their game.
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The Nile
Students recognize the Nile River played an important role in the lives of ancient Egyptians and still does today. They prepare a newspaper written in English and produced with advanced technology centered around researched information.