Academy of American Poets
We Sing America
Pair the famous poems "I Hear America Singing," by Walt Whitman, and "I, Too, Sing America," by Langston Hughes, with a more recent poem by Elizabeth Alexander called "Praise Song for the Day" to demonstrate a theme and introduce your...
Curated OER
Idea-Noun Definition: Source Searching
A great idea for showing language arts pupils the universality of themes, even in the real world! Have class members choose an idea-noun (peace, justice, war, love, etc.) at the beginning of the year or semester. They complete weekly...
Curated OER
Into the Twenty-First Century Chapter Review
In this United States into the 21st century worksheet, students review a chapter as they write 10 vocabulary words that match 10 descriptions, correct 1 false statement, and identify 2 themes from the new era of opportunity and challenge...
Curated OER
Putin: 'No way back' from democracy
Imagine a meeting between President Bush and Putin. Get your class thinking about global awareness, democracy, and totalitarian modes of government. They examine how two leaders approach major governmental issues and run their countries...
NPR
Suffrage Lesson Plan
Has life changed for American women in the last century, or are there common themes between the lives of 21st century women and the struggle of suffragettes from the 1910s? Explore the ways media reflects the position of women in the...
Curated OER
M.C. Bard: Hip-Hop and Shakespeare
What is poetry? Does hip-hop qualify as poetry? Do Shakespeare's monologues qualify as poetry? Class members grapple with these questions as they examine the poetic elements and themes presented in different texts. Groups of four study...
Curated OER
Pride and Prejudice
Help your class recognize classic literature with universal themes. They will demonstrate their familiarity with Pride and Prejudice by updating a selected scene from it to the 21st century. Tip: Bring in a modern movie clip that shows...
Prestwick House
The Poetry of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's selection as the 2016 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, the first songwriter ever to receive the honor, has focused the attention of a new generation on the work of the legendary artist. Class members analyze the...
Curated OER
Fires of the 21st Century
Students explore historical perspectives. In this contemporary history lesson, students listen to Billy Joel's "We Didn't Start the Fire," discuss they lyrics, and add a new verse to the song for the years 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005.
Curated OER
Springfield Digital Storytelling Project: Landform Riddle
Creative projects and collaborative learning are hallmarks of 21st Century learning skills. Using an iphone, 6th graders create an iMovie which shows a student composed riddle. The riddle needs to be about one of the landforms they have...
Curated OER
Education Academy
Students identify the key issues and critical concerns associated with environmental ethics for the 21st century. They articulate their role and personal responsibility with respect to the earth and its systems. Students explore and...
Curated OER
Andrea Zittel
Students examine the themes of isolation and simplicity in Andrea Zittel's art. They discuss what is necessary and sufficient on a month-long island stay and design functional and artistic items with Zittel's philosophy in mind.
Curated OER
Track the Path of Coffee From Farm to Store Shelf
Students investigate the cultivation and marketing of coffee. In this global studies lesson, students consider the connections of the 21st century world as they explore how coffee makes it from farms to their homes. Students consider the...
Syracuse University
Ancient World Writing System
Most twenty-first century pupils don't know how to interpret cuneiform. Examining images of cuneiform and papyrus writing and using a chart and Venn diagram, young historians extrapolate what life may have been like for people who lived...
Syracuse University
Women's Suffrage Movement
Women gained the right to vote in the twentieth century, but the fight for equality dates back centuries. Using an invitation to an 1874 suffrage convention, eager historians consider the motivations behind supporters of the suffrage...
Syracuse University
American Industrial Revolution
While the Industrial Revolution may have fueled America's rise to the top of world markets, the child laborers often faced dangerous conditions. Using primary source images and other information, scholars consider what these children...
Curated OER
Lesson: Unmonumental: Fragmentation, Fragility, and Consumer Culture
Looking at art is the first step to analyzing it. And, if you can analyze art, you can analyze anything. Kids examine several pop art pieces that represent consumerism in modern culture. They discuss multiple facets of each piece and...
Curated OER
Using the Analects to Solve Modern American Problems
Sixth graders read modern American political questions and discuss how Confucius' analects might be applicable to the U.S. in the 21st century and in addressing these questions.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Charles Baudelaire: Poète Maudit (The Cursed Poet)
After learning the main ideas of the Decadent movement, learners work in small groups to read and translate poems by the French poet Charles Baudelaire using basic etymology skills. They then read the accurate English translations to see...
New Museum of Contemporary Art
Lesson: Unmonumental: Fallen and Disappearing Monuments
Due to vandalism, war, and urban decay, many of the world's great monuments have fallen to ruin. Here is an interesting instructional activity that increases understanding of the dichotomy between what are intended as lasting tributes,...
New York State Education Department
TASC Transition Curriculum: Workshop 1
Work out your core, Common Core State Standards, through the first workshop in a series of 15 designed for educators. Inquiry-based activities designed for all content areas and grade levels explore the shifts to new standards,...
Syracuse University
World War I
World War I was known for its gruesome battlefields and horrific injuries. Using photographs from a battlefield surgeon's scrapbook, scholars see first-hand what life was like in the trenches. After creating a timeline of the war using...
Syracuse University
World War II
During World War II propaganda was as important to the war effort as the soldiers in the field. Scholars consider how the government communicated messages of patriotism with propaganda by examining pieces from World War II. Then, they...
Curated OER
Create your own Parfleche!
What is a parfleche? It is a box used by the Plains Indians to carry goods as they traveled. First, the class will discuss the uses of these highly ornate boxes and the nature of the Plains Indians' nomadic lifestyle. Then, the class...