Explore connections within and between informational texts with this lesson about encyclopedia articles. Middle schoolers write encyclopedia articles focusing on topics in American history. They discuss how to determine credibility...

What do you know about American Indians? Upper graders compose an informational essay based on the research they conduct. They choose a Native American group to study and, using the provided list of web links, gather information and...

Students visit web sites for each of the composersand listen to selections of each composer's music and place important dates of the composers into a pre-printed time line.

Eleventh graders ponder about what it means to be an "American." They discuss the impact of an author's word choice and sentence structure on text. They identify some major themes and development of the Letters... Compose paragraphs and...

Let your learners find out firsthand what hunting and gathering was really like, with a role-play activity they will remember for years. The class researches how indigenous people used plants and animals to survive while respecting...

Determine how African-Americans have broken barriers in this history instructional activity. Middle schoolers discuss the 15th Amendment and the American civil rights movement prior to analyzing Barack Obama's speech "A More Perfect...

Learners examine the contributions of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson to American Independence. In small groups, they conduct Internet research, read and discuss primary source documents, and complete a chart.

Students delve into the life and music of Duke Ellington as a major American musician and composer. The elements that made the sound of his orchestra unique and the talents of his band members are explored in this instructional activity.

Students examine social justice issues regarding American Indians. In this civil rights lesson, students investigate the Red Power Movement of the 1960's and 1970's. Students then roleplay interviewing Native American protesters.

Students research three African-American musicians and compose a report based upon their research in this Music Appreciation lesson for the middle level classroom. The lesson could be adapted for various student levels and abilities.

Students research and describe the contributions of African-American men and women. They write their notes in a Microsoft Word document. They present their information to the class.

What was life like for Irish immigrants settling in America during the late 1800's? Learners examine primary source documents, such as lyrics, poems, and letters, to understand the immigrant experience. They then use those primary source...

A lesson looks at the Pilgrims and Wampanoag tribe during the first Thanksgiving. Scholars compare and contrast information presented by an online activity then discuss their findings. Learners examine the two group's daily routines and...

Groups research participatory democracies and compare the role and rights of citizens in ancient history with those in recent U.S. history. Guided by a series of questions, individuals compose a persuasive essay in which they discuss the...

Students are provided an opportunity for self-expression. They collaborate with a partner and compose a list poem. Students practice reading and writing skills. They explore lists and catalogues--both elements of poetry and practical...

Use a Visual Thesaurus to compose word association poems. Discuss poetry and word association, create word maps, then practice creating poems based on playful word associations. A perfect way to celebrate "Poem in Your Pocket Day" (April...

Students explore poetry using American Life Histories: Manuscripts from the Federal Writers' Project. They compose their own unque "found poetry" based on the stories found in the collection.

Students compare and contrast tools used in colonial America to modern ones. They create a bootjack, coat rack, or candleholder based on actually using the tools. The students also compose a description of a colonial woodworker based...

Students research and write about three African American composers from Arkansas: Scott Joplin, Florence Price and William Grant Still.

Students comprehend that people who who direct and fight wars are real people who make observations and have feelings. They comprehend the conditions under which the American Revolution was fought during the period 1777 until July 1778...

Students discover the responsibilities of the presidency. In this U.S. government lesson, students watch "Portraits Of Power: American Presidents," and then compose essays regarding the citizens' relationship to the presidency.

Carl Sandburg composed poetry that conveyed a time and place in American Literature and history. Learners identify the literary techniques he uses to describe the historical and cultural context of living in Chicago. They define the...

Seventh graders visit the Smithsonian and are shown different exhibits. They are to make their own drawing about one of the exhibits and write about the experience.

Students take a closer look at a memory play. In this American drama lesson, students read Tennessee Williams's The Glass Menagerie and analyze it as a memory play. Students discuss the linear and non-linear aspects of the play prior to...