National Endowment for the Humanities
Revolution '67, Lesson 1: Protest: Why and How
To some people, protesting is as American as apple pie, but the factors that lead to protests can be as confusing to veteran activists as to today's youth. Revolution '67 explores the riots in Newark, New Jersey as a case study. Using...
Curated OER
Hic-Hic-Hooray!
What is really the best way to get rid of hiccups? Investigate some old wives' tales and folk remedies related to health. Middle schoolers explore the science behind why people might believe these myths to be true and find the real...
Polar Trec
Why Can’t I Eat This Fish?
Can turning on the television lead to toxins in the food supply? The lesson offers an opportunity for young scientists to complete guided research. A worksheet lists each question as well as the web page necessary to answer the question....
Curated OER
Why Can’t I Have Sugar? All About Diabetes
Begin the lesson by having your class write what they know about diabetes. They learn through a skit how the body metabolizes glucose. A visual representation of the two types of diabetes is displayed, and then learners participate in...
US Institute of Peace
Organizations Working for Peace
We're all in this together! Show young scholars that peace is a process and having the support of like-minded people can make it happen. 13th in a series of 15 peace building activities, groups conduct research on a peace organization,...
TCI
Picking Rusty Gold: Why Do People Buy and Sell Antiques?
Your historical sleuths will work to research the in-depth history of chosen artifacts and will use their research to design a fictional advertisement for an early 20th century item.
The New York Times
Literary Pilgrimages: Exploring the Role of Place in Writers’ Lives and Work
Do the places you have lived influence what you write? Class members research the lives of writers and look for how places these writers have lived might have influenced their writings.
Curated OER
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Taking Action
Students create a human rights project based on their lesson plan with Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this human rights lesson plan, students participate in a humanitarian gesture as volunteers by creating a human...
Curated OER
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Human Rights
Students use Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings as analysis on human rights. In this human rights lesson, students develop an awareness of human rights issues and explore the Universal Declaration of Human Rights using the...
Curated OER
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Students identify the use of characterization in Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this characterization lesson, students define characterization and write descriptive paragraphs about Maya Angelou's grandmother....
Curated OER
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings: Chapters 20, 21, 22, 23
Learners complete chapter analysis activities for the Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In this novel analysis lesson, students read and discuss chapters 20, 21, and 22 from the novel. Learners then read and listen to the...
Curated OER
Mission System of Texas
Students create a storybook about Texas missions including the history of why they were built. They research and create pictures depicting how and why the missions were built. They write and illustrate the primary groups of people found...
NOAA
Communicate!: Create a Unique Message About Climate Change
Scholars use their communication skills to express their take on climate change in the ninth installment of the 10-part Discover Your Changing World series. They create ways to deliver their messages on a specific aspect of climate by...
Curated OER
Working for a Living: Child Labor Laws
Pupils research the working conditions in the late 1800's and the evolution of child labor laws. They discuss how the laws affect them today and if they are fair. They write a paper summarizing the laws and the view of the laws.
Teaching Ideas
Victorian Fashion Detectives
The distinctive attire of royalty, working class, and peasants of the Victorian era conveys much about the conditions of the time. Learn more about why people dressed as they did, and how their fashion changed during the 64-year reign of...
Curated OER
Natives of Indiana
Fourth graders participate in discussions about the Native Peoples who inhabited what is now Indiana. In this Native American lesson, 4th graders discuss the social and cultural structures of these Native Americans. They locate the...
Heritage Foundation
The Amendment Process and the Bill of Rights
Did you know that lawmakers have proposed more than 5,000 bills to amend the US Constitution in Congress? Your class learns intriguing facts about the process of choosing amendments. A variety of activities including before and after...
Media Education Lab
Understanding Viral Messages
Imagine advertising for a product but not being paid to do so. Welcome to the world of Viral Messaging. Class members first view a T-Mobile flash mob video that went viral and has been seen by over 14 million viewers. After analyzing the...
Curated OER
Jobs
Students review newspaper want ads and note information about wages and salaries. They identify the jobs, wages, salaries and fringe benefits from the ads. Students explain why people work for others and the importance of wages,...
Curated OER
Famous People
Learners discuss character and character traits that people admire and do not admire. They research people who have made significant contributions to society using the Internet, encyclopedia and library to determine characteristics...
Curated OER
Working for the Common Good
Students discuss the concept of the common good. Using primary source documents, they read accounts from volunteers in the Dominican Republic and discuss how they work for the common good. They reflect on the topic in their journals to...
Curated OER
Mind Over Matter: How Does the Brain Work
High schoolers research previous attempts by scientists to discover the ways in which the brain works, design and conduct an experiment to illustrate current research and present their findings to the class.
Curated OER
People in History- Anne Frank
Students examine discrimination and what it was like during WWII and today. In this writing and analyzing lesson plan, students read pasages from Anne Frank's diary and find connections between Anne's life and the life of people in our...