What's the difference between a diary and a memoir? Young historians explore the ramifications of this question as they learn how to use primary source materials to gain an understanding of life on the Texas frontier.

After several short 15-minute mini-lessons, your learners will gain an understanding of the characteristics of a non-fiction text. Using the book Map It by Elspeth Leacock, your class will become acquainted with non-fiction terms...

Provide background information regarding the use of stone tools from the paleoindian through the late prehistoric periods. Learners can read this informational passage to gain insight on how and why we study these amazing artifacts from...

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a political cartoon is like reading an essay. Have your critical thinkers examine three cartoons to read between the lines, gaining insight and information. They analyze how these cartoons...

Susan B. Anthony was willing to break the law to gain voting rights for women. Young historians investigate Anthony's willingness to go to jail to draw attention to the suffrage movement. They read and discuss primary source documents to...

Students gain an appreciation for geologic and historic time. They gain a general amount of information of the development of hte Chicago area, with particular attention given to the role of the Chicago River. Students contruct a time...

Twelfth graders gain insight and perspective as to how and why the Holocaust occured. They explain why the specific groups were targeted, and complete a brief paragraph about what it would have been like to live during this era.

Students participate in an election. They are asked to vote for one of four candidates without knowing who they are or what they stand for. Students gain an important lesson when voting to make sure that security of freedom and...

Learners visualize census data on a map and use a map key to read a population map. In this census instructional activity, students use a map of the Virgin Islands and corresponding worksheets to gain an understanding of population...

Students examine primary sources to gain historical perspectives. In this historical analysis lesson, students analyze documents that their instructors have adapted to make more user-friendly. Example adapted primary documents are included.

Students explore the lives of migrant workers during the Great Depression. In this Great Depression instructional activity, students examine photographs and song lyrics to gain an understanding of the conditions for people living in the...

What's missing from most studies of the American Revolutionary War is information about the role African Americans played in the conflict. To correct this oversight, middle schoolers research groups like the Black Loyalists and ...

The Empress Myeongseong is the focus of a lesson that asks class members to examine a historical record and a first-hand account of one of Korea's most intrepid and controversial women.

How are Pandyas different than Chispas? Explore cultural norms and societal behaviors with an engaging role-play activity. Split into groups of two hypothetical cultural groups, the formal Pandyas and the sociable Chispas, and another...

Letters have long been prized by historians as primary sources for what they reveal not only about events but also about the emotional responses of the writers to these events. "My Dear Little Boys," a letter written by Leonard Isacks on...

Students read a variety of biographies to gain insight on the experiences of an African-American's life. Individually, they try to determine the time period it was written and compare the event with ones that occured in their own lives....

Students experience demand-pull inflation while gaining insight into three major sources of the '''too many dollars" which chase after the "too few goods and services. Students participate in an auction to experience inflation firsthand.

Eighth graders gain a greater understanding of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, and the issues surrounding the development of our Constitution. They participate in an activity and listen to lecture on the Convention, then search...

Students discuss the needs of senior citizens. They assist them with basic household chores. They gain pride in helping others and reflect in their journals.

Students gain a basic understanding of Capitalism and Communism, the ideologies that fueled the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Students gain insight into how and when Islam was spread to various regions from the 7th century to today. They are able to identify and asses the importance of cultural and political factors in the spread of Islam and the effect it has...

Learners use the author's writing as a model to achieve vivid description and engaging humor in compositions of their own. They examine the ways a writer can capture and hold a reader's attention and write a short personal narrative...

Scholars warm-up their map skills with a discussion using location words to describe familiar places. An engaging video informs class members about latitude and longitude. Three leveled activities extend the learning experience for...