Students investigate the Trail of Tears. In this United States history lesson, students identify the reason for removing the Cherokee Nation and role play a modern day situation similar to the Indian Removal Act. Students reflect their...

Students investigate the lives of trees by examining ring cycles.  In this plant life activity, students identify the field of study known as dendrochronology and discover its history.  Students investigate a simulated tree...

Students interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Indian Removal Act instructional activity, students examine the act and discuss the implications of moving the...

Students continue exploring the history of Oklahoma Agriculture in this lesson. They trace several historical migrations to the state of Oklahoma. They simulate the customs and conditions of a chosen migration. Vocabulary and resource...

Learners identify inducements the emperor Constantine offered people to move to his fledgling capital city of Constantinople and compare similar situations offered by the American government in our history and by local governments for...

Young scholars make a generalization about the process of 'looking' and 'grouping', hoping to show that we, as Americans, show preferences and shared choices. They study examples of American art through time and create a class...

Students discover how a bill becomes a law. In this Legislative Branch lesson, students simulate a bill making its way through the House and the Senate. Students author their own bills in this simulation.

Middle schoolers examine consumer traits. In this economics lesson, students examine the separate histories of Prohibition and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Middle schoolers participate in a classroom simulation to discover how the...

Students learn about the Townsite Era and are able to explore who they were and how they lived at that time. In this Townsite Era students create their own map of the Loma Linda are, design their own community and use a computer...

Fourth graders research the culture of Los Californios through primary sources. They examine maps and draw timelines of California historical dates. They investigate deeds and s of ranches and simulate property transactions.

Twelfth graders examine the role of the Senate in the United States.  For this American Government lesson, 12th graders read various articles and answer questions to these articles.  Students write a letter to their Senator on...

Students examine tree-ring dating and discuss the lack of water the settlers in Jamestown faced. They create paper tree rings, simulate rain patterns, and describe the history of construction paper tree sequences.

Students investigate animal behavior, examining the nervous system and the physiology of the brain and the fight or flight response. They simulate animal behaviors and discuss the difference between an instinct and a behavior.

Students study trees and their growth.  In this investigative lesson students work in groups to reconstruct a 50 year climatic history using a simulated tree ring. 

Students consider the implications of the information revolution. In this information age lesson, students discuss informatics and the misuse of information. Students form a fictional bureau of information control and hold a simulated...

Pupils participate in talking circles. In this self-governance lesson plan, students examine human rights from the perspective of Native Americans. Pupils must set up a self-government model for the reserve described.

Middle schoolers take a closer look at representative government. In this House of Representatives lesson, students discuss their local representative in Congress and research his or her responsibilities. Middle schoolers then...

Young scholars participate in a lesson that investigates post-modernism in American literature. They conduct the lesson with the help of reading "America" by Ginsberg to create context. Then students define the genre and the culture that...

Students read passages from Shakespeare and have a Town Hall meeting in which they defend Shakespeare as part of American culture.

Students research the Louisiana Purchase. Groups of students are given the choice of topic for a creative project. Pretending to be Lewis and Clark, students write a report to President Jefferson describing their expedition. Other...

Fourth graders, who live on a Native American reservation, investigate how land management is addressed at Tribal Council meetings. They participate in a simulation of a meeting as the discover the workings of tribal government. They...

Students make 'firecrackers' out of rolled cardboard tubes to simulate Chinese New Year's firecrackers.

Students practice identifying and solving problems. They assume a role to solve an authentic problem. During the simulation, students explain the structure of the government and reasons for adopting that particular structure. They...

Students use core questions to learn about the concept of a civil society. The dynamics of the war in Iraq serve as an example of a society that is in turmoil. They also develop an imagined society organization that would help promote...