Students examine concepts of personal finance. For this personal finance lesson, students use Valerie Tripp's, Meet Molly, An American Girl, to learn about saving and spending after World War II. They compare financial decisions after...

Students examine saving and spending decisions in 1944 through the eyes of Molly, a nine-year-old growing up during World War II. The lesson uses Meet Molly, An American Girl, by Valerie Tripp.

Exploring the idea of working to achieve the American Dream, the class reads an excerpt from How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents by Julia Alvarez. Following, the class analyzes the excerpt and discusses the theme of the reading using...

What educational opportunities were available to women during the colonial era in American history? How did the opportunities available to women differ from those for men? To answer this question, class members examine a series of...

This, the sixth in a series of 10 related resources, examines the life and works of Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, an African American author, born in 1825, who advocated literacy for both free and enslaved African Americans.

The class reads the description of the "Drawing of an African Burial Ground Grave In Situ" then completes a work sheet. They act like archaeologists and answer a series of critical thinking questions to better understand the historical...

Learners read "Naya Nuki Shoshoni Girl Who Ran" by Kenneth Thomasma. Students chart Naya Nuki's route on a map and identify the navigational signs she used to find her way home. Learners also analyze the weather she encounters.

"Equal pay for equal work!" may sound logical but it is not the reality. High schoolers begin a study of the gender wage gap with an activity that asks them to position themselves along a line that indicates whether they strongly agree...

Students explore American frontier life. In this history lesson, students participate in a series of activities that challenge them to discover what pioneer life was really like.

Fifth graders investigate the basic persuasive techniques employed in advertising. They identify three examples of propaganda/persuasive techniques, complete an observation chart, take an advertising quiz, complete a spreadsheet that...

Young scholars explore air pollution. In this ecology and air pollution lesson, students perform an experiment in which a Vaseline coated lid is placed inside and outside the classroom. Young scholars make predictions and then record...

Students examine the efforts of early American manufacturers to implement the factory system on a large-scale in the town of Lowell, Massachusetts. They examine the idealistic goals of the industrialists who financed and built the...

Learners watch and analyze a film of an Appalachian folktale. They define trickster and anti-hero, view and discuss the film, complete a handout, compose an original film review, and debate each character's behavior.

Eighth graders explore Louisville, KY area Underground Railroad museums. In this Underground Railroad instructional activity, 8th graders read Day of Tears by Julius Lester as well as other listed articles. Students discover how the...

Students explore life in the 1800s and become aware of events and inventions that shaped the era as they compare and contrast real life families to fictional characters. They perform webquests based on life in the frontier in the 1880's.

Upper elementary and middle school learners study Manga cartooning and create a Japanese character based on their own features and personalities. This style of cartooning is easily-accessible for most students. With a little practice,...

First graders demonstrate the difference between goods and services.

Students examine the lives of children in other places. They listen to a read aloud of Eve Bunting's, Dandelions, and retell the story of the family living in the West. They talk about the sod houses and compare them to the types of...

Young scholars identify and research famous European explorers using a variety of sources. They compare and contrast the explorers drawing conlusions about the importance of each explorer. They design a web page on one explorer of...

Middle schoolers analyze primary source documents from the 1830's. They examine how records, memoirs and artifacts preserve history and discuss what should be placed in a time capsule for future generations.

Meet Kaya, a character in the American Girl series, and learn about Native American life and the Nez Perce tribe through this collection of stories, games, and activities. Also, includes teacher's guide and worksheets.