Curated OER
Navajo Pottery: Beautiful Objects
Young potters make their very own version of the classic Navajo Pottery. With helpful worksheets and applicable cross-curricular activities, the lesson is an enriching way to mold both your clay and the multicultural...
Curated OER
Exploring Native Americans
Students, as a group, read "Sees Behind Trees" about a Native American boy. They discuss how the Native American culture is different from theirs. They also draw Native American scenes and read poetry.
Curated OER
Introduction to Native Americans Thematic Unit
Students consider different cultural viewpoints. For this Native American history lesson, students examine artifacts and then conduct research on selected Native American tribes.
Curated OER
The American West: Images of Its People
Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. In this American West activity, students examine photographs that reveal the cultural components of the West and then write narratives regarding the photographs.
Curated OER
Different Tribes, Different Times
Second graders study the different types of Native American culture groups. They, in groups, visit four different work stations to examine various culture groups and complete a Corn Cycle worksheet.
Curated OER
Jazz it Up!
Students research the history and contributions of Jazz in their local environments. They then design and create a wide variety of presentations to share with the class using as many mediums as possible.
Curated OER
Harlem Renaissance
Learners investigate the African American culture in the 1920's and the Harlem Renaissance. They read and analyze poems written by poets of the Harlem Renaissance, listen to jazz music and identify the characteristics of the music, and...
Curated OER
The Technological Impact on 1950's Culture
Students examine the impact of technological advancements on Cold War America. For this 1950's America lesson, students research politics, Cold War society, suburbia, and consumerism during the decade in order to better understand...
Curated OER
Cartoons for the Classroom: Cartoons and Culture
In this current events worksheet, students analyze a political cartoon with anti-American symbolism and respond to 5 short answer questions.
Curated OER
What's Behind that Mask?
Students use a "spider web" graphic organizer to record information about different types of masks they are familiar with. They write a paragraph about masks. Students read about Native American cultures and compare/contrast the...
Curated OER
Cultural Discovery and Identity Project Generation Journey
Students create a genealogy book tracing their heritage many generations back. They examine their own ethnicity, attitudes, and self-awareness. They examine new American trends regarding family structure and ethnicity.
Curated OER
Kwanzaa: Invitations and Menus
It's time to celebrate Kwanzaa in the classroom! After studying the traditions of the holiday, learners design a menu decorated in the colors and symbols associated with Kwanzaa.
Curated OER
American Minority Groups
Explore the contributions individuals have made in the lives of American minority groups. Twelfth graders write a five-page expository piece providing a social history, examples of discrimination, and patterns of assimilation for an...
Annenberg Foundation
Egalitarian America
What does a true American represent? Scholars investigate the equal rights era of the 1960s and 1970s in the 20th installment of a 22-part series on American history. Using photographic, magazine, written, and video evidence, groups...
Smithsonian Institution
Barn Again! Celebrating an American Icon
How do barns serve as a window to a community's past? Here are a series of lessons on the symbolism and historical context of barns throughout American history. Topics include community-building, in-depth primary and secondary...
Curated OER
What Are the Social Studies?
Identify core social studies subjects with adult learners. They will discuss key issues from twentieth century American history and identify key social studies concepts taught at elementary grade levels. They then modify this activity to...
Curated OER
The South, the North and the Great Migration: Blues and Literature
Here is a complex lesson plan that interweaves the history of the Jim Crow South and the Great Migration with the study of poetry, art, and blues music from the Harlem Renaissance. The plan helps young historians develop a deep...
Curated OER
American Federal Style
Explore American Federal design as it pertains to furniture, architecture, and influences on modern style. By the end of this activity, learners should be able to recognize Federal design, its place in history, and how it has influenced...
PBS
Stories of Arrival
While every family's immigration story is unique, patterns emerge when looking at individual narratives. Using clips from the PBS video series, "Latino Americans," learners look at commonalities among immigrant experiences. A chart helps...
San Francisco Symphony
Ballads for Americans
"Ballad for Americans" was a song written for performers participating in the Federal Arts Project, during The Depression. Learners will analyze the lyrics of the song and then create informational posters about other Federal Works...
Curated OER
Central American Immigrants to the United States: Refugees from Unrest
Students identify the major aspects of Olmec and Mayan civilzations, including economic, political, and religious. They list contributions of these civilizations. Students identify the Central American countries where the United States...
Curated OER
American Heritage Themes
Pupils define freedom, unity, progress, and responsibility in relation to American Heritage. They explore the origin of how American Heritage was developed and ways in which they can continue it today. They also determine ways they...
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...
Curriculum Corner
Australian Christmas
Where is Australia? How is an Australian Christmas from other Christmases around the world? Learners participate in a mini-research project where they discover what an Australian Christmas is like.