National First Ladies' Library
The Power of Images in Shaping Ideas
Learners examine the role of photography in recording and sharing history. They view online photos that Life magazine has identified as changing the world, then conduct research on one of the photos. Students create and present an oral...
American Museum of Natural History
Dress Up a Horse
Walk, trot, gallop! Young equestrians have an opportunity to learn all about horses with an engaging resource that lets them select tack to dress up a horse, create flip books that illustrate the various gates, have questions answered by...
Curated OER
Art as Social Commentary
Students view artworks that make a statement about social conditions. They discuss the artworks, write about them and present their ideas to the class. They create socially conscious art pieces of their own.
Curated OER
Through the Lens of Robert Capa
Students use Guided Reading techniques to learn about Capa's style and to discover the techniques that made him a great photographer. Students examine the basics of telling compelling stories through photos and each student creates a...
Curated OER
Looking at Photographs
Students evaluate photographs as historical documents and photographs as propaganda.
Curated OER
Looking at Photographs
Sixth graders evaluate photographs as historical documents. In this social studies lesson, 6th graders analyze photographs as propaganda.
Curated OER
Thanks for Your Service
Students thank their freedom fighters. In this Veteran's Day lesson, students honor members of the U.S. Armed Forces by designing a program to pay tribute to them. Students use technology tools to conduct interviews, take pictures, and...
Curated OER
Windows of Wisconsin (History)
Fourth graders research the history of Wisconsin. They explore Wisconsin's culture, sovereignty and environment. Using multiple computer technology resources (computer, scanner, camera, internet), 4th graders develop a book on the...
Curated OER
The Civil War
Eleventh graders study selected prints and/or photos and consider how Americans of the 19th century chose to present themselves to other Americans and the world by means of visual images. They share their observations and opinions.
Curated OER
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry : Art Activity
In this reading response worksheet, students create a word of art depicting a scene in Lois Lowry's novel Number the Stars. Students use lead pencils or charcoal to make a picture in black and white because color photography was not...
Curated OER
America in Film and Fiction
High schoolers begin the instructional activity by reading a book on film study. After watching the movie "Citizen Kane", they work together to identify the issues concerning the United States before World War II. As a class, they...
Curated OER
W. Eugene Smith: Photojournalism and Compassion
Young scholars examine the work of the photojournalist W. Eugene Smith. They analyze photo-essays by Smith, construct a pinhole camera, and create their own photo-essay.
Curated OER
Student Photographs and Suburbia
Third graders read photographs for information and discuss reactions. They take pictures of several sites or topics that depict change, tension, historic sites or community icons. They choose one to describe, mount and label.
Curated OER
Public Interventions
Students analyze the work of two artists who made interventions in public spaces. In this art analysis instructional activity, students investigate ephemeral and site specific art. Students complete image based discussion and related...
Curated OER
Read All About It! Events and People of the 1930s and 1940s That Shaped California and the Nation.
Students look carefully at four photographs by Dorothea Lange and discuss them in terms of what is depicted and what she may have wanted to communicate. They review what they learned about the Dust Bowl, the Depression, the war era, and...
Curated OER
Read All About It! California History of the 30s and 40s
Explore the Great Depression! Discover the challenges people experienced during the time period. Learners investigate photographs from the Dust Bowl and WWII era and create a story line about the photographs, writing a newspaper article...
Curated OER
Teaching the Holocaust Through Poetry
W.H. Auden’s poem “Refugee Blues” launches a study of the problems of refugees. Background information about the poem and general information about Jewish refugees from Germany and Austria are provided, as are discussion questions and...
Curated OER
Putting a Face on History with Photographs
Use the Library of Congress to draw your students into history through photographs.
Curated OER
Lesson: Looking Closer: The Artwork of Martha Rosler
Have a class discussion to better understand the art of Martha Rosler. Young art critics consider Martha's art as it is used to express issues of political unrest and social awareness. They look at each of the five images and use the...
Curated OER
Scarcity and Choice: Mercantilism - the relationships between England, Africa, and the Americas
Students trace the meaning and importance of mercantilism; past and present.
Museum of the Moving Image
Developing Critical Analysis
To gain an understanding of how images and sounds are used to influence viewers, class members analyze these features in Presidential campaign commercials from 1952-2012.
Curated OER
ESL: Punctuating Titles
When are titles underlined, italicized, or placed in quotation marks? Take your class to the computer lab to give them some independent practice. Here they read through the information, examples, and explanations provided. They then...
Curated OER
Understanding James Madison The Father of the Constitution
Students research James Madison and create a table of his strengths and weaknesses. In this James Madison lesson, students read Jean Fritz's, The Great Little Madison, while developing their research skills, vocabulary strategies, and...
Curated OER
A Peaceful World
Students recognize the rights of children, what they mean, how the rights are violated, and how students can uphold those rights. Students express their knowledge and feelings about a right of their choosing.