Smithsonian Institution
Art to Zoo: Life in the Promised Land: African-American Migrants in Northern Cities, 1916-1940
This is a fantastic resource designed for learners to envision what it was like for the three million African-Americans who migrated to urban industrial centers of the northern United States between 1910 and 1940. After reading a...
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Immigration
This 3-day immigration study draws on historical trends and current events. A worksheet accompanies initial research on one group's U.S. immigration history, giving opportunity for collaborative learning through sharing findings. Groups...
University of Richmond
Mapping Inequality: Redlining in New Deal America 1935-1940
Redlining—or the practice of racial discrimination in housing loans—directly led to today's segregated living patterns in America. Using data from the federal Home Owners' Loan Corporation, classmates visualize the impact of policy on...
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Energy Alternatives
Students brainstorm a list of all of the ways they use energy in a day. In groups, they research the energy situation today and discuss what is being done to solve the problem. They also examine the issues related to this in politics...
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Urbanization and Native Hawaiian Plants
Fourth graders research plants native to the Hawaiian Islands. Using the plants, they identify its purpose in the watershed and ways to help protect them from extinction. They survey a area of land and discover ways in which to bring...
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Washington Irving in Context
High schoolers examine the various roles Washington Irving had in his lifetime. Examining the situation in Europe and the United States, they are encouraged to relate Irving's experiences to different events. They examine themselves in...
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Tribal Termination & Urbanization
Students are introduced to new vocabulary words associated with tribes and relocation. As a class, they listen to their teacher read an excerpt on tribal termination and urbanization. To end the instructional activity, they identify...
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Trying to Make Sense of the World
Learners view video clips of September 11 and the assassination of John Kennedy. They discuss why these events hold such an importance to the United States. They also examine the role of coincidence and conspiracy in these types of...
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P.O.V.'s Borders Picture Project: Lesson 1 - Air
Take photos of human activities that impact air quality. Collaborative groups present one of the photographs, identifying how the activity contributes to air quality and what can be done to minimize the impact. As one in a series of...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Revolution '67, Lesson 1: Protest: Why and How
To some people, protesting is as American as apple pie, but the factors that lead to protests can be as confusing to veteran activists as to today's youth. Revolution '67 explores the riots in Newark, New Jersey as a case study. Using...
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Land of Plenty, Land of Want
Students view a video about the state of the environment. They discover the topic of sustainable agriculture. They identify problems and how to solve them.
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World Cities and the Olympics
Young scholars examine the various cities in which Olympics have been held. Using a map, they describe the reasons why those cities were chosen and choose their own city for the Olympics and state the reasons why. They examine...
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City Bound
Fifth graders identify the reasons for people migrating to cities after the Civil War. Using population data, they discover why populations in cities rose while rural populations fell during 1860 to 1900. They discuss the impact a...
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Helping the Adolescent Cope with Family Life
Students are introduced to the proper ways to deal with conflict at home. In groups, they define family based on what it means to them and identify factors that lead to a breakdown in communications. They participate in role-playing...
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Making Connections: Exploring Our Brains through the Five Senses
Students record observations and create drawings and models of anatomy using their five senses. They describe the structures of a neuron and analyze each of their functions. They compare and contrast the typical structural features of a...
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The Greening of Mars: The Changes Necessary to Sustain Life on Mars
Fifth graders discuss the currents conditions on the planet of Mars. In groups, they work together to develop a mechanism that allows for a balanced ecosystem to survive on the planet. After presenting their ideas to the class, they...
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Making Connections: Exploring Our Brains through the Five Senses
Students identify structures of the brain, and neurons and analyze their functions. In this nervous system instructional activity students create drawings and models of anatomy.
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Solid Waste and Recycling
Students demonstrate effects of waste on environment and ways of reducing it, observe how much packaging goes into bag lunches each day, and survey their families to assess awareness levels and household recycling practices. Lessons all...
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Cultural Ideas of Fashion
Students examine the role of fashion and adornment in society. They discover the factors that influence different types of clothing. They also discuss how clothing reveals cultural clues about a society.
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Food for Thought
Fifth graders explore the brain and what is needs. In this biology lesson plan, 5th graders will work on a series of activities that will allow them to learn about the brain, its parts, and the best foods to eat for their brain.
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HIV/AIDS in Our Spanish-Speaking Community and the World
Students study the HIV virus and how it has impacted the hispanic community. In this infectious disease lesson students discover how HIV/Aids is found all over the world, what misconceptions are out there and what kinds of treatments...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Revolution '67, Lesson 2: What Happened in July 1967? How Do We Know?
Even in a world in which dozens of participants and curious onlookers record every controversial event, the basic facts of what happened are often in dispute. Revolution '67, Lesson 2 explores 1967 Newark, New Jersey using an examination...
Curated OER
Television and Teens
Learners discuss the relationship teenagers have with the television. In groups, they watch different excerpts from various television shows and note every instance of violence including children. They also discuss the instances of...
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History of the American West
Ninth graders research early mining in California. They study the "placer method" for mining gold, which is surface mining that does not involve tunneling. They examine what it was like for the early miners to pan for gold with...