Social issues of gender and media stereotypes, begins with a multi-sensory experience. Learners view the painting Backlash Blues and make critical comments based on what they see. They then read the Langston Hughes poem and listen to the...

Fifth graders connect reasons for coming to the New World with identity. The create identities and place them in one of three settled regions. They refer to prior study notes in their Colonial Notebooks to establish their identities.

Students complete Dossier handouts that define qualities of fictional journal characters, and then write journal entries with specific grammar requirements, while assuming identity of fictional adults.

Fifth graders examine excerpts from a diary of a Confederate soldier and his experiences in a Union prison camp. After receiving character cards, they write diary entries from the perspectives of their Civil War identity. As an...

Students discuss themes and issues of culture, identity and self-esteem. They construct responses to those themes. Students profile themselves and try to answer questions about themselves tied to the themes of this lesson.

Students learn the idea of drama in their own lives; and then transfer that idea to the works of others in this series of lessons. They discuss the question of identity.

Students explore African american culture of the late 1950's and 60's through various primary sources including literature, music, art and others. They then prepare and conduct a mock interview and present with the class.

Scholars imagine themselves as citizens of Pompeii in 79 AD. First they are assigned a job (or place in society like a child or slave). Then they record their daily activities for the weeks leading up to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in...

In this presidential election worksheet, students research the 2008 presidential candidates and create a booklet of candidate profiles that clearly differentiate each one. They also assume the identity of one of the candidates and hold a...

Students explore art history. They play a game inspired by the old game show "To Tell The Truth".

Disguises and role playing are the focus of a resource that uses Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Twelfth Night, and Henry IV, Part I, to demonstrate how we all play many parts in our lives; how we all are “merely players.” The many...

Ninth graders assume the identity of a character from the novel, To Kill A Mockingbird. They bring a southern-style dish (soul food) for social hour and wear an article of clothing that suits the character. They interact with other...

Students study the atrocities of slavery. They examine the issues raised by the legacy of slavery in Brazil by reading and discussing "Brazil's Former Slave Havens Slowly Pressing for Rights." They create a slave identity based on...

Students play "To Tell The Truth" Art History style in this fun and interactive game for the upper-elementary Art classroom. Included in the lesson is a detailed set of rules and suggestions for successful classroom implementation.

Students, after playing a game of animal 'identity', review and practice key vocabulary words orally and written into their notebooks for this lesson. They read a story about a new arrival at the zoo and answer text questions together or...

Examine Erikson's chart on the various stages one goes through growing up. Individually, they write a paper on whether or not they fit into those categories and how they are different today. In groups, for each stage they role play the...

Students write a descriptive letter about life in ancient Mesopotamia. Through video streaming, students discover the history of Mesopotamia. They assume the role of a scribe and compose a three paragraph essay using main ideas and...

Seventh graders discover how to make the best decisions given the information at hand. In groups, they role-play different roles in scenerios to help them deal with peer pressure. To end the lesson, they discuss why it is so hard for...

In pairs learners perform a silent skit portraying relationships between two known characters from a popular book or a play for their classmates. Next, the class will read and discuss a NYTimes article about a film school in the Bronx...

Students explore self analysis by investigating other cultures. In this personal characteristics instructional activity, students utilize the Internet to read about a child from Niger, and many other students around the globe. Students...

Fifth graders discuss how a positive self-image can improve their school community. In groups, they are given a set of card in which they examine the role of each. After being given the presenter card, they create a collage about their...

Students investigate various lobbying groups, then practice lobbying tactics by writing and presenting speeches advocating important local issues.

Students explore African American history by researching the Jim Crow laws. In this Civil Rights lesson, students define the Jim Crow laws, the reasons they were put into place, and how they were ultimately defeated. Students write a...

High schoolers review several articles on same current event, and then cover news issues themselves while assuming secret identities of various individuals who have vested interests in issue. Students write newspaper articles from these...