Young scholars explore the history of flags and design banners for their communities. their designs reflect sentiments shaped by the events of 9/11. In addition, they write phrases beginning with, "being an American means..." Students...

Second graders study about being a citizen in a democracy. They also study about the important American symbols and the process for electing the President. Students develop a creative writing story and create a drawing of a room....

Fourth graders complete a multi-faceted project about the people, places, and government of Wisconsin. Working with traditional and technological resources, they research various topics related to the history of Wisconsin and create a...

Students research an aspect of Michigan's involvement in the Civil War and prepare a two page research paper. They present their research findings in a news style presentation while role playing parts of a news team.

Young scholars explore the concept of human tragedy. In this September 11 terrorist attacks lesson, students write condolence letters, discuss the qualities of heroes, and investigate volunteer opportunities.

Seventh graders study the thirteen colonies.  In this American History instructional activity, 7th graders analyze the historical origins and economic development of each colony.  Students create an original flag for a colony...

Second graders discuss Ireland including its politics, education system, agriculture, etc . . . They locate Ireland on a map, and list facts about the country. They compare Irish money to American money.

Students explore how Americans reacted to communism. In this Red Scare lesson, students listen to their instructor present a lecture regarding the details of the Palmer "Red Raids" and its implications. Students respond to...

Young scholars study the roles that women have played in science throughout history. They work in small groups while visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.

Students research the names and locations of Spanish speaking countries throughout the world. They use a world map to become familiar with the locations of these countries and use the Internet to conduct further research. They sing...

Students share their countries and languages, flags, cultural identity, and pride in home culture.

Students examine the intent  Bill of Rights. In this American government instructional activity, students watch segments of the Discovery video "The Bill of Rights."  Students discuss and debate the 4 Supreme Court cases...

Ninth graders examine various Supreme Court Cases.  For this American Government lesson, 9th graders research a specific Supreme Court Case.  Students create a multiple choice assignment based on their assigned case. 

Eighth graders explore the Underground Railroad.  In this American History lesson plan, 8th graders create a song about the railroad.  Students analyze various symbols used during the Underground Railroad. 

Young scholars create their own country and explore other unknown lands. Students identify past explorers and complete the included case of the missing trunks webquest. Young scholars research resources and geographical features for...

Students examine the last major battle of the Revolutionary War at Yorktown. After viewing photographs, they participate in simulations of the surrender by Cornwallis. To end the lesson, they put the events of the battle into the...

Students view film footage of the Ku Klux Klan in the U.S. in the early 1920s and examine how the actions of the KKK have been viewed by different strands of the civil rights movement. They watch the film and answer discussion...

Students investigate how increased patriotism as a reaction to national crisis can serve as both a uniting and a dividing force.

Third graders explore their culture in comparison to Japanese culture by reading the book, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes. They identify islands of Japan, create a Venn diagram comparing Japanese culture to American culture, and...

Students pretend that they are visiting a relative in Micronesia and compare its Independence Day with the U.S. holiday. They compare the two countries' flags while older students in grades three through five create travelogues. Younger...

Eighth graders discuss the history behind the Star Spangled Banner and how it became the U. S. National Anthem. Individually, 8th graders read and answer questions about the War of 1812. They create a graphic organizer to compare and...

Learners read and analyze stanzas of Civil War poem, The Flags of Michigan, to get perspective on what life was like and how Americans viewed Civil War, rewrite stanzas in modern language, and share new versions of poem with classmates.

Fifth graders discuss leadership, citizenship, symbols for a nation, how to create peace after reading "The Iroquois Constitution," "The Declaration of Independence," and "Letters from An American Farmer." They create their own nations...

Students take a field trip to the state capital, Sacramento. Using the Internet, they explain the physical and human geographic features of the area and discuss interactions between the people of California between the time of explorers...