National First Ladies' Library
Secretary of Commerce
Middle schoolers gain understanding of economic history of United States in twentieth century by examining role of Department of Commerce. Student groups each analyze one quarter of twentieth century by researching role of Department of...
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Banpo Village: Gone, But Not Forgotten
Sixth graders plan a trip to China and prepare yourself for the Banpo excavation site competition by studying prehistoric and ancient Chinese history.
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Jah's Mural
Students complete a problem based social science lesson and research ancient Europe while they work in groups. They explore the role of Cro-Magnon people in ancient France and create a mural that depicts animal life in the Paleolithic...
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Au!
Students describe the properties of gold. They analyze why gold has been valued throughout history. Students view the physical property identification and formation of gold. They view and analyze "pyrite" within the classroom.
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Evolution
Pupils create a timeline on the history of evolution. In this biology lesson, students research their assigned scientist's contribution to evolution theory. They write a three-paragraph analysis about the timeline.
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Every Day Is Presidents' Day at the White House
Students explore the history of the White House and the role of the president. They explore the White House Historical Association website, answer questions, create a drawing of the Oval Office, and take an online quiz.
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Telling Time Timeline
Use the Internet and library resources to compose a telling time timeline -- a visual history of time. Students will develop research skills and gain perspective about telling time by discovering the history of clocks and time.
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Getting Fired Up
Learners explore first-person accounts of volcanic eruptions throughout time and use second-hand information about volcanoes. They use both types of accounts to write news articles covering the events of a historic volcanic eruption as...
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Scraping the Barrel
Learners examine how oil is created and its uses. In this oil supplies lesson, students research the history of oil then create a timeline that charts the major ups and downs of the oil industry from when it began.
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Life Stories
Fourth graders create a brief video presentation documenting their research of an impactful African American or woman from history. Students research and identify their accomplishments and create a 2-5 minute iMovie documenting their...
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Refugees from the Caribbean: Cuban and Haiti "Boat People"
Students investigate the plight of Cuban and Haitian refugees. In this refugee lesson, students discover the history of "boat people" and U.S. policies regarding refugees. Students role play presidential advisers that must recommend new...
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A Neighborhood Expedition
Students plan and conduct an expedition through their neighborhood based on the techniques used by the Harriman Expedition to Alaska in 1899. They research the Harriman expedition on the internet and then create a route and collection...
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Harriman and Plant Identification
Students observe and record botanical details from the plant specimens. They identify plants using sorting key and field guide and classify specimens for preservation and display purposes.
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Our Changing Community
Students investigate how communities grow and change. In this communities lesson, students discuss how their community has changed and construct a model of a community.
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Make a Model of a Wright Flyer
Students recreate a model of the 1903 Wright Flyer out of Styrofoam. Students practice following instructions, and discover information about the Wright brothers' engine-powered glider.
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Westward Expansion: The American Indian Experience
Students complete a brief presentation documenting the life of an American Indian. In class, students discuss the pros and cons of placing American Indians on a reservation. After their discussion, students choose a issue in Native...
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Current Events Research
Students look for news stories on the Web that highlight some of the prominent issues in modern American history they outlined in Lesson One. They see the connection between historical issues and current events.
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Will the Real Ben Franklin Please Stand Up?
Students explore the life of Benjamin Franklin. In this American history lesson plan, students research primary and secondary documents regarding Franklin's life. Students should examine the point of view each of the accounts is written...
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The Great Race: From Anchorage to Nome
Students study the history of the Iditarod sled dog race. They research facts related to biology, sled dogs, and geography in order to put that history in perspective.
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Rivers of Change
Third graders examine rivers and how they affect the people living around them. They read a chapter in their science text, take a virtual river tour online, read a background information story, and in pairs describe the changes in the...
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Sharing Dragons
Students investigate the contribution of Chinese people to celebrations in Australia and explore why they have played such a prominent role. They suggest how a group from their local area, if they had moved to live in another country,...
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"War of the Worlds": A Broadcast Re-Creation
Why did Orson Welles' 1938 Broadcast of a adaptation of H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds cause such a panic? To answer this question, class members listen to the original broadcast and research the panic that resulted. They then engage...
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Ptolemy vs. Copernicus
Students list differences in the diagrams of a geocentric universe and a heliocentric universe. They students describe the religious impact of this change on man's conception of the universe and man's place within it. Students describe...
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Geology and the Battle of Gettysburg
Students create geologic maps of the Gettysburg battlefield. In this geologic skills lesson, students consider the variations of Earth's surfaces and explore strategies employed by the North and South in the Battle of Gettysburg to...