Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History Close to Home: Creating Your Own Special Museum

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Young scholars create their own museum exhibit. In this museum creation lesson plan, students research their local history so they can decide on a theme for their exhibit and what objects they will use in order to design a museum...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Learning from Letters and Other Mail

For Teachers Pre-K - 3rd
Pupils explore the history of our mail system. In this postal lesson plan, students evaluate mail as a means of communication, create a mail system in their classroom where they can send and receive mail. Once the pupils receive their...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Playing Historical Detective: Great Grandmother's Dress and Other Clues to the Life and Times of Annie Steel

For Teachers Pre-K - 8th
Students draw conclusions about an mystery person based on documents and artifacts provided. In this drawing conclusions lesson, students become detectives by reading and analyzing evidence provided. This lesson includes information on...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lewis and Clark: The Language of Discovery

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students replicate some of the trailblazing methods of Lewis and Clark on a fifteen-minute "writing journey" through the school or neighborhood.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Animal Encounters

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students use their visualizing and interpreting skills to produce original writings and artwork.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Things Fly

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students observe photographs of selected twentieth-century aircraft at the National Air and Space Museum and note differences in the design of aircraft wings, fuselages, and engines.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

How Things Fly

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students, by drawing on their own experiences, discuss and examine the basic physics of flight. They participate in a variety of activities regarding flight.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stories of the Wrights' Flight

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students examine and compare primary and secondary source accounts of the Wright brothers' first flights on December 17, 1903.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Rocky Shore

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students compare a realistic landscape painting with a photograph of the same place.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Spy on a Spider

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students view slides or live specimens to name and describe the distinguishing features of groups of arthropods, especially spiders and insects. They complete worksheets, observe webs and then search for and record where spiders can be...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creatures from Planet X: Spiders

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students are given a description of some fascinating animals from "Planet X". They follow the descriptions given to illustrate one of these animals paying careful attention to introduced vocabulary such as 'appendages', 'receptors', and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Facts, Feats and Folklore: Spiders

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
Students review and discuss a variety of sayings, folklore and superstitions about spiders. They discuss this information and choose either an interesting fact or appealing foklore tradition to illustrate.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Australian Travel Adventure

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders are introduced to the states and territories within Australia. Using the internet, they bookmark sites and take notes on what they want to share with their classmates. They also complete a map study on the country to...
Activity
University of California

Princeton University: The Faces of Science: African Americans

For Students 9th - 10th
This resource explores the role of African Americans in science. Past contributions, present activity and future possibilities are all discussed.
Handout
Other

Ohio Trek: African Americans in Cleveland 1809 1925

For Students 9th - 10th
Cleveland's famous African Americans - Garrett Morgan, George Peake, Charles Chestnutt, and others - are discussed here in the context of general information about African American history in Ohio.
Lesson Plan
Other

African American Inventors Who've Changed Your Life (Pdf) [Pdf]

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Integrated lesson plan focusing on the contributions that African American inventors have made to modern society. Includes rationale, day by day plan, links, and other information.
Handout
Other

African American Inventors and Their Inventions: Granville T. Woods

For Students 9th - 10th
Here is a thorough biography of inventor Granville T. Woods, who is credited with improving railway safety for bot the trains and trainmen. Find out what concepts in railroad safety are still being used today.
Website
Other

African American Inventors and Inventions: Elijah Mc Coy the Real Mc Coy

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief biography of Elijah McCoy and a description of one of his inventions that made factory machinery run smoothly.
Handout
Other

Black Inventor Online Museum: Lewis Latimer

For Students 9th - 10th
The biography of the fascinating African-American inventor, Lewis Latimer. In addition to finding out about his development of the carbon filament for the incandescent lamp, you can read about his expertise in patent law, his association...
Handout
Other

Black Inventor Online Museum: Jan Matzeliger

For Students 9th - 10th
A very complete biography of African-American inventor, Jan Matzeliger, who developed the shoe-lasting machine. Read about the development of his invention, and see pictures of the machine and the patent drawing.
Lesson Plan
Alabama Learning Exchange

Alex: African American Scientists and Inventors

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Besides George Washington Carver, what other African-Americans made contributions to American life? The class will explore the careers of famous and not-so-famous African-American scientists and inventors. Also, they will plan and...
Handout
Library of Congress

Loc: African American Odyssey: The Booker T. Washington Era

For Students 9th - 10th
One section of this "Booker T. Washington Era" page of the LOC's African American Odyssey site is devoted to a very brief biography of Booker T. Washington. Other sections of the page summarize the history of African Americans between...
Website
Great Idea Finder

Great Idea Finder: Lewis Howard Latimer

For Students 9th - 10th
An extensive biography of the life of African-American inventor, Lewis Latimer. Find out about his primary claim to fame in the development of an incandescent light bulb, but be sure to read about his many patents, and his importance to...
Handout
Other

Black History From a to Z

For Students 3rd - 5th
Students will enjoy exploring this colorful site during Black History Month, or any other month! Follow the timeline of famous African American women and inventors, or just click on a letter of the alphabet to find brief pieces of...