Curated OER
Technology: Historic Figures
Fifth graders research historical figures and create Powerpoint presentations about them. They present their completed projects to the class. Students gfenerate one question about their figure which is included on a quiz.
Curated OER
Historic Cemetery Project
Students use the Virtual Atlas to examine the cemetaries in the state of Washington. In groups, they view photographs of local monuments to celebrate the lives of local members. They choose one to focus on and research. To end the...
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Ancient Chinese Tomb Building
Learners compare and contrast the monuments erected for George Washington, the first president of the United States, and Qin Shi Huangdi (r. 221- 210 BCE), the first emperor of China. This instructional activity also includes a creative...
Curated OER
Complementary Color Portraits
Students create complimentary color portraits using crayons in this elementary school Art lesson about the use of complimentary colors. The lesson includes an example of complimentary art, recommended books, and a downloadable color wheel.
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Early American Leaders
Students discover what the qualities or characteristics of a leader are by describing the traits of the principal of the school, followed by the leader of the town, state and country. In this leadership lesson, students will take the...
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James Peale Lesson Plans
Students explore the work of James Peale. In this visual arts lesson, students examine "The Ambush of Captain Allan McClane." Students create their own artwork that features animals or objects important to them that incorporate realism.
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Presidential Places Quilt
Students design historical quilts. In this presidential history lesson, students research past presidents and landmarks named for them. Students create quilt squares to represent the landmarks and piece all of them together in a large...
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The Betsy Ross Story: Truth or Legend?
Students discover that some historians question the story of Betsy Ross's involvement in the creation of the first U.S. flag, study why historians question the story and list reasons the story of Betsy Ross might not be true.
Prestwick House
Author’s Purpose in Reagan’s “Tear Down This Wall” Speech
President Ronald Reagan's "Tear Down This Wall" speech, delivered on June 12, 1987 before the Berlin Wall, provides class members with an opportunity to examine three key aspects of informational text: author bias, the use of facts and...
Curated OER
Presidents Picture Book
Students create a picture book of the U.S. presidents. They study general information about the U.S. presidents, write a sentence about each president, and create a picture book about the U.S. presidents.
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I Pledge Allegiance
What does showing respect look like? What behaviors show disrespect? After modeling such behaviors, primary graders create a flag that they hold up while demonstrating respectful behavior as they recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The...
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Introduce Vocabulary: Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King (Marzollo)
Looking for a vocabulary lesson relevant to MLK Day? Try this reading comprehension idea designed around Jean Marzollo's biography Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King. Go over new terms (freedom, justice,...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Kindergarten Count to 100 (Rogers)
Combine counting and vocabulary in context using Jacqueline Rogers' Kindergarten Count to 100. Suggested words for this text are: first, fountain, salute, second, and third. By introducing the terms before reading the text,...
Curated OER
Alexander Hamilton and the Roots of Federalism
Explore the origin of political parties in the United States. Learners work in groups to read and analyze copies of the "Report on Manufactures" written by Alexander Hamilton. Then, they complete a worksheet comparing the Federalists to...
Shmoop
ELA.CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.9-10.10
Make sure that your pupils have mastered complex literary nonfiction by the end of the year and use this resource to help get them to that point. After a brief description of the Common Core standard, a list of age-appropriate...
Curated OER
Kwanzaa Language Arts: The Tambiko
Young scholars read or hear about famous African Americans to learn about the ways in which they exemplify one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Curated OER
The Kanaka Village at Fort Vancouver: Crossroads of the Columbia River
Students study the interaction between Native American and European cultures in the Pacific Northwest in the 1800s. They focus their study on the Hudson's Bay Company and Fort Vancouver.
Curated OER
People Who Make A Difference: American Heroes
Students think about the characteristics of a hero so they can later evaluate which historical figures on the heroes chart meet the criteria.
Curated OER
Famous African-American Fabric Paintings
Students examine famous African-Americans. For this African-Americans lesson, students research and give an oral report on a famous African-American.
Curated OER
Portrait Detectives
Students distinguish portraits from other forms of art and develop their own criteria for analyzing portraits. They discuss what is unique about a portrait, why artists create portraits, and the style of portraits.
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Inaugurating a President
Students study the traditions and history of the U.S. Presidential Inaugurations. They examine the topics George W. Bush talked about in his inaugural address and determine if his remarks clearly outlined what he has done.
What So Proudly We Hail
The Meaning of America: Self-Command
Even for one of the most accomplished men in American history, there was room for improvement. Challenge high schoolers to use Benjamin Franklin's Project for Moral Perfection to analyze text, make inferences, connect to historical...
Curated OER
Origin of the Purple Heart
Students research the origin of the Purple Heart. In this writing lesson students research personal stories of friends or family who have received the Purple Heart. Students then design their own armed forces award complete with an...
Curated OER
Red, Undecided, and Blue
Students analyze voter preferences in past elections, and then write letters to a presidential candidate, recommending winning strategies drawn from their research.