PBS
Hidden Messages in Spirituals
Slaves laboring in the cotton fields of the old South singing joyously may have convinced overseers that their workforce was happy and content, but in truth, these spirituals contained secret codes. After viewing a short video about...
Museum of the American Revolution
Historical Analysis: Objects Tell Stories
Dig this! Young archeologists discover what objects teach us about the past. The activity uses an image of a Revolutionary War artifact to help historians practice analyzing the past. Scholars study the object and complete a worksheet to...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper’s “Learning to Read”
Frances Ellen Watkins Harper's poem "Learning to Read" is the focus of a instructional activity that teaches middle schoolers how to do a close reading of a text. The instructional activity introduces them to a brief biography of the...
K20 LEARN
The Conflict at the Washita River: The Indian Wars in Indian Territory
"Battle" or "Massacre"? Words matter, especially when labeling historical events. That's the big idea in a lesson about the 1868 conflict at the Washita River. After examining two images of the event, groups read and discuss articles...
PBS
Stereotypes vs. Statistics (Grades 9-12)
What is a common stereotype people may think about you; is it true? Using a thought-provoking activity, high schoolers analyze common stereotypes of the Latino-American population versus statistical data. Scholars review data...
Smithsonian Institution
A Dream Deferred: DACA
"Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses" has even more meaning for some children. The resource explores the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Scholars analyze primary sources and participate in...
Curated OER
Children's Literature and African American Culture
Third graders examine various stories and poems and identify characteristics that make each individual unique. After analyzing the readings, they create their own personality poems to accompany self-portrait drawings. The poems and...
Curated OER
The Roots of the Afro-American Culture: The Artistic Approach
Pupils study the geographical structure of the continent of Africa. They discuss how and why there are so many tribes and kingdoms of Africa and dsicuss customs and traditions to determine how they come about in any ethnic group.
Curated OER
The Importance of Plants to Native Cultures in the Past and Present
Eighth graders investigate the founding and history of Sluice Boxes State Park. They use both primary and secondary resources to collect data. The focus is upon the use of native plants to make medicines. They write reports about several...
Curated OER
The Effect of Television in the 1960’s
Learners consider the impact of television on 1960's America. In this American culture lesson, students research selected Internet websites regarding the Nixon/Kennedy debate, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Vietnam War, and the moon walk....
Curated OER
Nomadic and Sedentary Tribes in Kansas
Seventh graders compare and contrast sedentary and nomadic tribe life. In this Native American culture lesson plan, 7th graders research primary documents about the Osage and Kiowa tribes. Students create a series of illustrations to be...
Curated OER
Culture Clash
Students watch the movie, Mr. Baseball, and discuss the difference between Japanese and American cultures.
Curated OER
Voices of Our People: A Patchwork of Cultures
Students view a gallery of photographs online and list objective and subject observations of the photos. They develop questions about the photos and write first person narratives about them.
Curated OER
Name That Place: Cultural Place Names in the United States
Students examine the origin of the people that settled in the United States. In this United States History lesson, students work in small groups to complete several activities that explore early settlement, such as a worksheet, a...
Curated OER
Ceremonies
Second graders describe Aboriginal ceremonies. In this ceremonies lesson, 2nd graders interview elders from local Aboriginal tribes. Students view ceremonies performed by the elders and research local ceremonies.
Curated OER
Food Choices: A Socio-Cultural Decision
Students discuss their food preferences. Using a flannel board and food models students describe what they would like to eat for dinner. Students compare their selections with their classmates. Students identify the nationality of ethnic...
Curated OER
Parts of Art
Young scholars define and use new vocabulary associated with the elements of art. As a class, they brainstorm different ways in which we communicate with one another. In groups, they view different pieces of art from the Native American...
Curated OER
Jazz In America - Lesson Plan 6
Fifth graders explore cool jazz and how it reflected American culture in the 1940's and 1950's.
Curated OER
Lewis and Clark and Native Americans, Part III
Student will identify and describe the values and practices of Native American tribes with which the Corps of Discovery interacted, Highlight the contributions these tribes made to the Corps of Discovery's efforts, and examine the...
Curated OER
Cultural Logo Design
Students create a logo design to express their own identity. In this logo design lesson plan, students list ten words to describe who they are and choose two of them to use in a logo. Students draw images and choose various forms of...
Curated OER
Cultural Connections
Students explore the concept of philanthropy. In this service learning lesson plan, students examine the impact of the works of Cesar Chavez, George Washington Carver, Sunderlal Buhuguna, and Abdul Sattar Edhi.
Curated OER
Deep like Rivers: Four African American Poets of the 1920s and 1930s
Students examine work by outstanding African American poets from the time period of the 1920s and 1930s. They study aspects of American and African American social, cultural and artistic history that influenced the content of some of the...
Curated OER
Creation Stories
Students read and research American Indian creation stories as a way to understand the origins of American Literature. They conduct Internet research utilizing Internet search engines. They create an online report page as well as write...
Curated OER
Celebrate A People!
Students explore African-American students literature as an integral building block in empowering all students to a better awareness when reading and writing. They use as a productive Social Studies tool for overall understanding of the...