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...

Students investigate online websites on German U-boat naval warfare, conditions in the trenches and the effects of poisonous gases. They write three entries in a diary from different perspectives.

The most dangerous line of attack during World War II wasn't the German planes soaring above Britain, but the U-Boats cutting off their supplies of food and equipment. Learners research the Battle of the Atlantic, the German campaign to...

Students investigate the plight of Cuban and Haitian refugees. In this refugee lesson, students discover the history of "boat people" and U.S. policies regarding refugees. Students role play presidential advisers that must recommend new...

Students explore the overall strategies pursued by the Americans and their British allies in the initial months of World War II in Europe. By examining military documents, students examine the decision to invade North Africa instead of...

Students investigate the trip Christopher Columbus took to the new world.  In this U.S. History lesson, students create a fictional ship from cardboard and construction paper simulating the ship Columbus used to get to the New...

Students identify the reasons why the U.S. government decided to focus on the defeat of Germany and Japan and assess the wisdom of this decision. They analyze the magnitude of the U-Boat threat in the Atlantic.

Fifth graders explore slavery conditions by viewing a video clip on the Internet. In this slave ship lesson plan, 5th graders discuss the transportation of black men and women from Africa to the United States in the 1700's and how poor...

Third graders use previous knowledge and research to analyze and solve a scenario relating to the use of simple machines and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They present their findings to the class in oral presentations.

Fourth graders investigate the impact of Brigham Young and Jim Bridger on westward expansion. They conduct research, develop a class information chart, and create a cartoon strip depicting what happened when Jim Bridger and Brigham Young...

Eighth graders identify the major advancements that have been made in transportation throughout U.S. history (waterways, horses, steam power, railroads, automobiles, etc.) They access websites imbedded in this plan and answer questions...

Sixth graders discuss WWII in their classroom. They take a field trip to the National Museum of the Pacific War. Each section of the museum has a comprehension question to go along with it. The Bougainville Campaign Exhibit asks students...

Students research how the capture of a German submarine by the Allies affected the outcome of WWII. In this WWII lesson, students complete a KWL chart. Students research primary source documents online and answer discussion questions.

Students research the sinking of the Lusitania. They work together to develop a position supporting an idea. They discover principles of international law and the rights of non-combatants in wartime.

Students, after brainstorming all the different types of propaganda, explore, analyze and study the nature, origin and purpose of propaganda and how its aims are achieved. They assess how the sinking of the Lusitania was manipulated by...

Young scholars examine visual images about the novel, Jacob Have I Loved. They compare pictures from "America from the Great Depression to World War II" that are described in the book and other studies of the Chesapeake Bay. They present...

Students research the economies of countries in the Group of 8 and present how their economies have changed over the past five years and how the relationships among these countries affect each other in light of world events.

Middle schoolers examine the reason for removal of the Cherokee and other Indian nations. They map the water route of the Trail of Tears from its origination in the east and through the Arkansas River Valley to Indian Territory.

Learners locate the Great Lakes on a US map, then read a news article about a sled being used as a wintertime school bus in Wisconsin. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a map and vocabulary activity,...

Students investigate the differences in Lake Tahoe from the past to the present. For this geography lesson, students read the book Washoe Seasons of Life and identify the descriptions of the land and lake. Students create a Venn diagram...

Students are exposed to the need for federal, state and local governments to tax constituents to provide goods and services for their residents. They identify the different kinds of taxes and give examples of the goods and services taxed.

Third graders become familiar with names of the different parts of a river, define and locate drainage basins, locate six of the continents and explore the major rivers on each one, conduct research on a river of their choice.

Sixth graders examine oral history traditions. They interview family members about their childhoods and compare them to their own. Students use the collected information to make posters, letters, essays, or poems about their research.