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...

Often, the real-life experiences of soldiers gets lost back home when the war seems so far away. Scholars investigate the personal side of World War I in the trenches of Europe to complete a collaborative social studies activity. When...

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...

Young scholars 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...

Students examine the events related to the Russian Revolution. In groups, they use the internet to discover the concerns of Woodrow Wilson during this time period and relate them to the origins of the Cold War. To end the lesson, they...

Upper elementary and middle school learners engage in this awesome lesson plan on the Civil War. In it, they watch streamed video, perform Internet research, engage in hands-on activities, and use their geography skills to locate...

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.

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...

Consider the causes and effects that led to the internment and relocation of Japanese Americans during WWII. Learners read the story "Baseball Saved Us" and selected chapters from Farewell to Manzanar. Then, they view a slide-show, and...

Ninth graders explore empires by researching Japan's history. In this Japanese research lesson, 9th graders discuss the history of Japan and the elements of World War II that caused Japan to become an enemy of the United States. Students...

Bring to life the severity of the Espionage and Sedition Acts through a mock trial. Learners have prior knowledge of WWI and the context of these acts. An anticipatory set gets the class discussing the ethics of wartime dissension, and...

The Crusades sounds like a glamorous time period in the Middle Ages full of glory—but was it? Scholars find and review the truth of the Crusades' influence on the world through the resource. The study guides, separated individually by...

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...

In 1941 FDR spoke out on the events at Pearl Harbor. The class will get to analyze word choice,  word meaning, author's craft and structure by analyzing an actual draft of this speech. They will look critically at the words used,...

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 compare the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to the war crimes of WWII. In this lesson on Human Rights, students evaluate the causes of WWII, war crimes, and determine whether the outcome might have been different otherwise.

Eleventh graders review the Progressive Movement and the Women's suffrage movement. They also review the changes from the end of World War I to the Great Depression.

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...

The United States—specifically John F. Kennedy—played a large role during the Cuban Missile Crisis. A history resource poses questions that encourage critical thinking as well as in-depth analysis of images from the time period.

Students read a story about the Pocumtucks' religious beliefs. Using the text, they discover their concept of land ownership and how they migrated within their territory in different seasons. They use primary and secondary sources to...

Young scholars view a video clip about bombings in Saudi Arabia. They discuss the causes and implications of other recent terrorist attacks. They examine the United States - Saudi Arabia relationship as well.

Learners examine communist Russia. In this instructional activity on changes in politics, students work in small groups to compare and contrast soviet communist era citizen rights to those of the US. They participate in discussion of a...

Students examine the background of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Using the foreign policy decision-making process, they simulate and elaborate the processe involved. They identify the causes of the misconceptions that plagued the U.S.-Cuba...

Students discover the peace corps and the culture of Chad. In this cultural awareness lesson, students watch a slide show and examine various primary sources from peace corps volunteers in Africa. This lesson includes web-links,...