Chicago, Chicago, that toddlin' town! Involve your Spanish class in a mini research project about a major event in the Windy City's history. They can choose the event (or you can assign one), and then they complete an eight-page packet...

Carl Sandburg composed poetry that conveyed a time and place in American Literature and history. Learners identify the literary techniques he uses to describe the historical and cultural context of living in Chicago. They define the...

Chicago, a city that is ever changing. A thought-provoking lesson, geared toward third-grade social studies, explains how the city of Chicago has changed over time. It discusses important leaders to the founding of the city, like Daniel...

Complete studies of the memorable characters in Richard Peck's novel A Long Way from Chicago. The instructional activity describes three different activities to help your class better understand characters in the story, character...

Chicago is one city, four neighborhoods, and countless nationalities. The activity explores the ethnic division of Chicago in the early twentieth century. Academics read primary sources, analyze maps, and tour an online exhibit to...

Scholars determine statements as fact or opinion in a practice page consisting of two reading passages followed by multiple choice and short answer questions. Fact and opinion passages detail information about Chicago and Ethiopia. 

In small groups and then as a class, young musicians compare and contrast two pieces from the musical film Chicago. They pair up to look at the elements that make each piece similar and define the elements or arrangements that make...

Students consider the advantages and disadvantages of eyewitness accounts as records of history. They research several accounts of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and then compare and contrast each version to arrive at a final picture.

Tenth graders read an article about the migration of Puerto Ricans to Chicago. As a class, they identify the barriers the immigrants faced regarding employment and separation from family members. To end the lesson, they work with a...

Young scholars react to a series of statements about the World Series, then read a news article about the Chicago White Sox winning the 2005 World Series. In this current events lesson, the teacher introduces the article with a...

The elements of music and journalistic integrity in one lesson plan; What could be better? The class discusses journalistic approaches to better understand responsible reporting versus sensationalism. They watch the Act One from the film...

High schoolers analyze the movement of the blues from rural Mississippi to urban Chicago and how place and the environment affected the development of the blues. They define the blues, where it originated and how and why it moved to...

With a series of pictures you are transported to Chicago's Skywalk. Read about this magnificent tourist attraction and answer the reading comprehension questions provided. Extend this activity by having your class write about other...

In this comprehension exercise, readers compare Carl Sandburg's "Chicago" to a description of the city from Upton's Sinclair's The Jungle.

Watching Great Performances’ Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival Chicago launches an investigation into and discussion of how the electric guitar and guitarists have changed the sound of the blues over time. An engaging way to...

Young scholars examine the history of the Chicago River. In groups, they identify the problems of the watershed and develop possible solutions. As a class, they examine the importance of the river to the Chicago area by reading a story....

Young scholars research the causes of the Great Fire of Chicago and draw conclusion as to the most probable cause and preventative actions that could have minimized the damage.

Students research the Great Chicago Fire and create a reader's theater presentation that describes the experiences of survivors.

Students compare and contrast the experiences of two survivors of the Great Fire of Chicago using a Venn Diagram.

Learners examine documents describing the experiences of survivors of the Great Chicago Fire, and write condolence letters.

Students, in groups, create a historical fiction story of a Great Chicago Fire survivor by writing a survival narrative.

Students examine maps showing the hog and corn distribution of the United States. In groups, they research the reasons why Chicago became the natural hub for meat-packing processing in the United States. They examine changes in...

In this Chicago worksheet, students read a three paragraph text about "The Windy City". Students answer 4 multiple choice questions about the passage and then write three things they learned.

Young scholars, in groups, explore the Great Chicago Fire. They decide which moment from the fire is significant and create a story corner.