Students explore the life of Friar Margil de Jesus as well as other Spanish friars. They research Friar Margil and write a paragraph explaining why Spanish friars came to Texas. In groups, students create a PowerPoint presentation...

Students examine the concepts of diversity and assimilation. They identify the validity of sources and recognize bias, and create original illustrations from the students' point of view which show the impact of the Spanish friars on the...

Fifth graders sequence events of European exploration and colonization by creating timelines. They define the differences between primary and secondary sources. They discuss claims to Texas land in the 17th Century.

Students analyze a photo essay of the Spanish-Speaking People of Texas by the photojournalist Russell Lee. They identify the goals of the photo essay, explore a website, and complete a worksheet.

Fourth graders investigate the life of Friar Margil. In this research lesson plan, 4th graders analyze an illustration of Friar Margil, then create their own illustration of Friar Margil's life. A list of 5 materials is included.

U.S. immigration is the focus of a unit on social justice. Over the course of a school year, young historians read a variety of texts to learn about four waves of immigration that have occurred over time in the U.S. An emphasis on...

Seventh graders investigate the meaning and impact of "yellow journalism." They determine how it affects people and how it played out in the USS Maine incident during the Spanish American War by reading articles and watching a PowerPoint...

Seventh graders review their prior knowledge on the Spanish mission system in Texas. Using the internet, they examine the motives of the Spanish to establish missions in Texas, specifically the Mission San Saba. They research the reasons...

Students in the grades kindergarten and 2nd grade interact with each other. They (2nd graders) faciliate one on one tutoring in the areas of reading and writing with the kindergartens. Students in the 2nd grade promote mentoring skills.

High schoolers analyze the different ways that photography helps historians understand the lives of people who lived in the past. They examine images from Russell Lee's photo essay and discuss how Texas' has changed from an agrarian to...

Seventh graders explain Spanish motives for establishing Mission San Sab?? and the reasons for the mission's failure. This lesson should be used when students already have an understanding of the Spanish mission-presidio system in Texas.

Students revise Spanish mystery stories. They sequence the events from a group's mystery story and suggest revisions for the setting. They revise their stories using the suggestions from classmates and describe characters in folktales....

Welcome to Jamestown! Third and fourth graders read and analyze primary source documents about Jamestown or Fort James. They read and analyze descriptions of Fort James from primary sources. They access a website to explore more...

Upper elementary learners identify the Aztecs as the builders of a great city and rich civilization in what is now Mexico. They locate the Aztec Empire and its capital on a map and place the Aztecs in the chronology of American history....

Seventh graders discover who the Tejanas were and how they contributed to World War II. In this World War II instructional activity, 7th graders listen to their instructor discuss who the Tejanas were prior to researching the...

Students explore language arts by creating their own stories in class. In this book making lesson, students read the story City Pig in class and create storyboard illustrations in order to analyze the story. Students utilize these...

Students will identify and locate Central and South America and their countries and features, as well as Meso-American civilizations. Students will compare civilizations and discuss voyages of relevant explorers.

Learners embark on a journey through colonial times.  In this early settlement lesson plan, students come to understand what life was like for the settlers in the early colonies. Learners research and create projects illustrating...

Fifth graders engage in a literature study that uses a variety of texts in order to maximize their exposure to different reading situations. They examine each book in order to practice skills of reading comprehension. They recognize the...

Students explore foreign cultures by reading a story in class. In this Hispanic history lesson, students read the story Radio Man by Arthur Dorros and identify the times discrimination is used in the story. Students discuss labor...

Students explore the development of England from 1500 to 1689 in this eight lessons unit. The various parts of history affected by both political and religious factors are synthesized in this unit.

Students read and interpret primary source documents regarding historic Jamestown. In small groups, they read the primary documents, answer questions, and view online maps of Jamestown Island and Virginia.

Students use the Internet to gather historical facts about the county in which they live. Using the information, they discover how to check it for accuracy and present their findings to the class. They write an essay about the history of...