Students locate and name the St. Lawrence River, the five Great Lakes, and the Mississippi River on a modern map. They find Quebec, Michilimackinac, Wisconsin, and Chicago on that map. They find the same places on a 1681 map.

Tenth graders compare and contrast the revolts that took place around the world in 1968. In this global studies lesson, 10th graders research the youth revolts that took place in Paris, Prague, and Chicago in 1968 and create posters and...

Students critically investigate the issues surrounding the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan. They conclude if dropping the bombs was a correct decision or not and support their conclusions with documentation. Students tie in atomic...

Young scholars view and discuss Modern and Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago. Students interpret works by Miro, Oldenberg, Cornell and de Vlaminck and discuss how they feel when viewing the pieces.

Learners examine ecosystems that covered Illinois 200 years ago, investigate some living and non-living components of ecosystems, identify components of prairie system, create food webs, and observe human effects on environment. Lessons...

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a literary masterpiece as well as a timestamp of the formative mid-nineteenth century in America. Using a primary source set of photographs, letters, and portraits, readers discuss the ways...

Students examine self-portraits on a Website. They create self-portraits which reveal something about themselves. They include objects which give clues to Students' personalities. The portraits are displayed in the school.

In this comparing numbers worksheet, students use the table for 'How Many Miles to Chicago' from the cities of Atlanta, Buffalo, Boston, Lexington, and Baltimore. Students use the table to compare 3-digit numbers and solve the six word...

Students create a story about a problem someone could have which could be solved by the use of a map. They complete a worksheet that guides them through the features of a map of Chicago. Then they calculate story problems using the...

Students discover coordinates as they explore Chicago. In this math lesson plan, students give the coordinates of a point, plot a point, and use the coordinate system in locating places on a map.

Young scholars analyze and interpret artifacts from the 1920s and explore the Great Migration. For this 1920s history lesson, students review background information about the Great Migration and use artifacts to study history of Chicago....

Students participate in a WebQuest designed to take them on a journey into the darkness that is race predjudice and the often-violent means in which it is manifested. They investigate the murder of a 14-year-old Chicago boy visiting...

The 20th century saw many new possibilities open up to women in America, thanks to many well-known female historical figures — and some women who are not as famous but who are equally accomplished. Learn about the women who contributed...

As part of their study of the US Presidential election process, class members research a presidential candidate's position on a specific topic or topics. Formatting their research as a pro/con question ("Should the Death Penalty Be...

Students create their own ABC book about artifacts. In this artifact lesson, students read ABC History Mystery and review the artifacts pictured in the book. They create their own ABC book with each student working on a letter. 

Students examine the philanthropic acts of Jane Addams. They identify a current problem in their community and develop ways to help. They also examine the work done in the Hull House in Chicago.

Seventh graders read a newspaper account of "Grady the Silo Cow" and complete news-writing activities. In this news-writing lesson, 7th graders read the newspaper account about the cow. Students examine newspapers and work in groups to...

Pupils practice researching sources and logging citation information with this graphic organizer. After posing a general topic, groups of students are asked to devise general questions about that topic, and to research sources...

Pupils create a three-dimensional model of the Chicago river watershed to determine the flow of the river at its mouth. They use prepared clear gelatin and topographic maps to discover that the building of canals actually reversed the...

For this unit of lessons, students examine the role of compost columns and recycling. They create a KWL chart about garbage in Chicago. They also examine life cycles and packaging of everyday products.

Students recognize the purpose of the Michigan Avenue Bascule Trunnion Bridge. They examine photos of bridges and sing a song about Chicago's famous bascule trunnion bridge to investigate how moveable bridges work.

Students complete several creative writing assignments regarding the 33rd Infantry Division of Illinois, which was active during World War II. They discuss how this war brought about changes in the state of Illinois and specifically,...

Students examine the similarities and differences between rural, suburban, and urban communities. They read about type of community in their social studies textbook, analyze the differences between Tokyo and Chicago, and complete a chart...

Learners explore the life of Richard Wright. They create a Power Point presentation to showcase Wright's journey from Mississippi to Memphis, Chicago, New York, and France and how he was an example of an African-American who moved north....