The power of a picture. During the events surrounding World War I, propaganda posters were widely distributed in American society to sway the emotions of its citizens. By analyzing World War I propaganda posters in the first installment...

Get artsy with this WWII group activity, starting with a whole-class assignment. Create a map of Europe, Northern Africa, and the Pacific using geometric shapes cut from construction paper and placed on the floor. Consider splitting the...

Students examine propaganda from the World War I era. Using the examples, they identify how they were able to change the opinions of those viewing it. They discuss whether the United States entered the war to find new markets and further...

The ripple effect from one small event can impact many others. Young historians research the ripple effect World War II had on decolonization in the second installment of an eight-part series. Through primary and secondary documents as...

Students examine the nations, battlefields, troop movement of the Germans through Belgium and the location of both fronts during World War I by creating a map. They visualize the strength of the Germans early in the war.

Tenth graders explore the novel, A Separate Peace by John Knowles. They discuss the events surrounding World War II and the events that were vital to progress during the war. Students locate New Hampshire on a map. They discuss the main...

Students examine the preparations for the invasion of France on June 6, 1944. After viewing a clip from "The War", they identify the demands and concerns of all military leaders for this invasion. They use maps to examine the...

Students view a video about the effects of World War II on the map of Europe. They discuss the video and answer questions. They work together to identify accomplishments that best represent American culture.

Students read letters written by soldiers during World War II in order to analyze the soldier's feelings about the war. They explain how these primary sources teach appreciation for the World War II soldier's experiences.

Learners describe the purposes of the Treaty of Versailles. In groups, they analyze the causes and effects of the treaty and discuss why the Americans were so against it. They note ideas for and against its ratification and they make...

Help young historians personally engage in the stories of African Americans during the Great Migration! Assessing a migration route map, learners create a migrant character's experience, adding details while studying primary sources. A...

Fourth graders locate and label major sites related to the Revolutionary War in the Hudson River Valley. They examine topographical features of each site and list a few of these features and list two advantages of each military site.

Fifth graders examine the events leading up to the beginning of the Revolutionary War. In groups, they put the events into chronological order and create a timeline. As a class, they discuss the reprecussions of the Stamp Act,...

What can maps tell us about the past? Find out with a Spanish lesson that incorporates geography. After examining maps individually, comparing two old maps of Spanish Florida and writing notes in the provided Venn diagram, pupils pair up...

Third graders explore WWII by analyzing technological advances. In this invention lesson, 3rd graders discuss the use of the Enigma machine which decoded private German messages that communicated with U-boats. Students utilize a timeline...

Win the war of the worlds! Scholars solve a variety of problems related to an alien invasion. They determine where spaceships have landed on a coordinate map, devise a plan to avoid the aliens, observe the aliens, and break a code to...

Provide a historical context for the political unrest between Russia and Ukraine that began in late 2013. Learners review their prior knowledge and chronicle new understandings with a KWL chart, watch a video explaining the Ukrainian...

Seventh graders are introduced to the history of Korea. Using maps, they identify the reasons why Korea is important geographically. They also research the reasons for the Korean War and how actions of the United States and Korea led...

Students examine the relationship between innovations in geography and world events. Using maps, they report different information from a spatial perspective. They develop hypothesis about how man's quest for knowledge has impacted the...

Using maps, images, websites, and handouts, learners work to understand the nature of human migrations. They compare and contrast human migration from the past to the present, identify causes for migration, and trace migration routes on...

Learners review the concept of courage and relate it to their daily life. As a class, they are introduced to the events of December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor. Using a map, they locate Hawai'i and label the islands. They use the internet to...

Learners view a video clip from Frontline. They discover the characteristics of three postwar reconstruction plans. They identify the goals and actions of each plan and compare and contrast them. They discuss the effectiveness of each...

Fourth graders examine the experiences of four immigrant groups. Class members brainstorm a list of misconceptions of those groups and discuss if these perceptions are still present today. Using maps, groups locate the countries of...

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...