Students explore the issues of urban and suburban sprawl. They work in small groups to create their own planned communities.

Students investigate immigration and migration patterns near Pittsburgh, and distinguish between voluntary and involuntary migrants. They evaluate the importance of urban villages in relation to the immigrant experience.

Students consider the role of women in the food industry. In this gender exploitation lesson, students work in groups to examine unfair labor practices. Students watch a video and write a fictional letter from a female laborer. This...

A carefully crafted three-day lesson integrates poetry and visual art. By analyzing and comparing Langston Hughes' poem "Mother and Son" and Romare Bearden's collage "The Dove," readers explore the theme of hope. The lesson activates...

Primary learners will embrace diversity and celebrate multiculturalism through these engaging activities. Which include reading the story Martin Luther King and singing the song "A Man Named King." They will also explore the...

Students explore Andrew Young and his role alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the Civil Rights Movement.

Sixth graders examine the life, travels, and cultural experiences of Margaret Mead. They participate in group work and inquiry activities about the qualities that Margaret Mead possessed and the places she traveled to. They distinguish...

Eighth graders, after assuming identities of prominent figures from the 1920's and looking at slides and data from the era, relate, in diary form, the cultural, economic and political changes that happened in America between 1920 and 1939.

Eleventh graders explore the influence of religion on U.S. History. Using an internet database website, they research the religious affiliation of governors, Presidents and Vice-Presidents. Students write a paragraph explaining how...

Students study the time period after the Revolutionary War when people were striving to move away from the coastal areas and look for pathways to the west. Westerward expansion is a central theme and students use a variety of resources...

Learners, in groups, gather information about the sculptor Gutzon Borglum and the four presidents he carved in the South Dakota mountain, Mt. Rushmore. Groups create a Rock 'n' Roll President brochure.

Learners explore the geographic theme of movement. In this migration lesson, students discuss push-pull factors that motivate immigrants and interpret illegal immigration data. Learners also discuss the difficulties that illegals face.

Students analyze potential challenges that immigrant women have in the workforce.  In this history lesson, students identify specific problems immigrant women face, then brainstorm possible solutions in their group.  The final...

Students consider the plight of immigrant workers. In this undocumented immigrant lesson, students compare the worker of the Industrialization era to the undocumented immigrant workers of today. Students read and discuss literature about...

Young scholars explore poetry through jazz, rap, and hip hop music. They discover the common threads that run through the poetry and music. Students design their own lyrics to a jazz, rap, or hip hop selection and share their songs...

Students research Catherine Blaine by navigating websites to investigate her ideas on reforms for women and the challenges of western settlement.  In this Catherine Blaine lesson, students view grade appropriate materials and...

Students determine what lures immigrants to the Pittsburgh area. They conduct interviews to compare the experiences of new immigrants to the area to those of previous immigrants.

Students investigate immigration in Massachusetts during the 1990's. They research a series of questions pertaining to immigration, including their experiences, obstacles, and countries of origin. They graph the five most prevalent...

Young scholars work collaboratively with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to preserve a local historical and environmentally fragile site. They conduct a survey of the plant and animal life at the site, and create an...

Tenth graders study the poetry of the US Civil Rights movement and the Black Arts movement over a 12 day period. They author a website showing works of poetry that students have chosen to analyze and relate to these movements.

Students examine the Russian Communist Revolution of 1917. They watch and discuss a video, take notes and answer video discussion questions, and read and evaluate newspaper articles about how Lenin and Stalin are viewed today in the...

Fourth graders investigate the historical context for the founding of The Oregon Trail. They conduct research to put together the events that led to the geographical route that was taken. The lesson also strengthens geography skills with...

Students discuss the countries and cultures that are part of their family history. They research the country their family "came from" and write a report.

Students access information and data about US immigration using the Internet and other sources. They identify from research data the countries from which the largest number of immigrants to the US come from and create a database of these...