Sixth graders explore the processes developed by the Ancient Greeks, particularly olives and olive oil.  In this Greek culture and inventions lesson, 6th graders read an article and design a flap book. Students collect the olive oil...

Where did our beloved Summer Games originate? Kids look for the origins of the Summer Olympics in our ancient past. They research how the Games came to be and how they have changed. They'll complete Venn diagrams to compare and contrast...

Sixth graders investigate and determine the origins of the ancient Anasazi who inhabited present-day Utah and the Four-Corners-Region, after receiving direct instruction and carrying out activities in cooperative group settings. They...

Students explore the Roman Empire. In this ancient Rome lesson, students watch "The Legacy of the Roman Empire," and discover details about Vindolanda, the Roman fort. Students compose letters from Roman soldiers at the fort that reveal...

Students plan an itinerary for an educational trip to Rome. In this research skills lesson, students use Google Earth to conduct research for their project in their travel teams. Students also set up blogs to share their progress through...

While ancient Mesopotamia didn't have the TV show "Shark Tank," it was a time of entrepreneurship as workers began to specialize. Both individual workers and the societal structure encouraged individuals to consider how they could...

Students, in groups, produce a classroom documentary about important historical figures from the Roman Empire. They create posters to be part of a classroom timeline showing when each of these people lived and their impact on the empire.

Students examine critical role that slaves, freemen, and plebeians played in the Roman Empire. They complete creative writing that addresses how the Roman class system and the use of slavery contributed to the downfall of the Roman Empire.

Young scholars explore ancient cultures. In this ancient religions lesson plan, students study the civilizations of ancient Mesopotamia they watch "Garden of Eden" and discuss their impressions. Young scholars then research...

The Poverty Point Culture of Louisiana is described in detail within four slides of this six-slide PowerPoint. Four detailed paragraphs help describe the economic legacy that existed in Louisiana. A table, map, and photo are included to...

Students create a fictitious newspaper article to document the travels of an ancient Greek coin. They evaluate the economic conditions that existed in ancient Greece and analyze the impact Alexander the Great had on the ancient world.

Students explore the ancient city of Petra. In this Middle East lesson plan, students watch "The Royal Tour of Jordan," and then discuss the history of Petra. Students conduct research on selected sites in the city and use their findings...

Students explore how the Romans engineered and built aqueducts. They read a manual, explore the Construct a Roman Aqueduct online activity, and construct an aqueduct that will transport two liters of water across a short distance in the...

Learners simulate an Independent Counsel to represent the Spanish and the Aztecs to formulate a policy for the Roman Catholic Church in 1527. They conduct research, graph the similarities and differences, create a poster, and write a...

In this World History instructional activity, students complete an activity by filling in various categories that refer to the ancient Greeks. They identify their government, religion, and education. Finally, student identify various...

Heredity rule? Absolute power? Class members access Internet sites, view videos, and engage in a educational game to examine the achievements and leadership style of nine Roman emperors. Individuals then select one of these figures, and...

After presenting the "Early People of Louisiana and a Meeting of Different Worlds" PowerPoint, also found on LessonPlanet.com, you can use the attached two-slide PowerPoint to quickly assess your students. They are prompted to answer...

The ancient Mayans had a complex calendar and number system with a rich history. In fact, the date 12/21/2012 was the center of much controversy as to whether or not it was the end of time. It wasn't the end of time, but...

Three wonderful questions will help your middle schoolers better understand the Byzantine Empire. They construct short essay responses to each of the three prompts, discuss the schism between the Greek and Roman Catholic church, the...

Almost every ancient culture observed the stars and saw pictures in the patterns. Studying stars allowed them to guide travelers, determine when to plant crops, when to harvest food, and the stories surrounding the images include some of...

What do we know about the ancient Mayan civilization? In this world history instructional activity, students utilize a word bank of 10 terms or phrases pertaining to the Mayan and Olmec to answer 10 fill-in-the-blank questions about the...

Sixth graders examine the trade routes in the Mediterranean of the Ancient world. In groups, they view slides of artifacts while answering questions on a worksheet. After watching a video, they discuss how each object was found and...

Students explore the 7 Ancient Wonders of the World. For this ancient civilizations lesson, students use interactive whiteboards to complete activities based on the 7 wonders.