Curated OER
Hispanics in Indianapolis
Eighth graders explore the history of the Indianapolis Hispanic Community and create an illustrated timeline of Hispanics in Indianapolis beginning from 1870 and ending in 1999, while exploring local social issues of the past and present.
Curated OER
Write On!
Help empower your class by learning about the editorial section of the newspaper. They will have the option to also write to a politician. The goal is to teach students how to speak-up and express their opinions on important issues....
Curated OER
Stamps and Cemeteries as Storytellers
Students discern the difference between commemorative and regular issue stamps while drawing conclusions about the time period. In this Stamps as Storytellers lesson, students design stamps using symbolism and historical data. In...
Curated OER
World War II: Bombs and Peace
Students explore the final events and end of World War II. They examine the community impact of such events as the dropping of the dropping of atomic bombs, and President Roosevelt's death. Students prepare a presentation.
Curated OER
Responding: "Guerrilla" Art
Eighth graders examine a new kind of art that is used to respond to political and social issues. Using primary source documents, they read examples of how others have responded to various issues in the past. Individually, they create...
Curated OER
Cyberbullying:What is It? What Can We Do About It?
Students examine the prevalence of cyberbullying. In this character education lesson, students read articles about cyberbullying and its implications. Students respond to discussion questions.
Curated OER
Social Studies" Turning Points
Students will understand how people are affected by places and events and will communicate their opinions in an essay including historical facts.
Curated OER
Libby, Montana: Raise Awareness About Potentially Dangerouss Attic Insulation
Students watch a film about the town of Libby, Montana and how they were exposed to attic insulation that contained asbestos. Using the internet, they research the Environmental Protection Agency's guidelines for this type of insulation...
National First Ladies' Library
'Tis a Gift to Be Simple: The Shaker People
Students identify the difficulties and benefits of a utopian community. They examine their own ideas of utopia and research an example of one such community that has had an impact on our own culture.
National First Ladies' Library
Recovery! Coping with the Effects of a Natural Disaster
Students explore natural disasters and the devastation caused by them. Using specified websites, learners examine how people rebuild after a disaster. In groups, they design and rebuild a community and conclude by writing an essay...
Curated OER
A Country Twice Divided
Students study biography from the 19th century. They read "The Red Badge of Courage." Students research a topic from the list provided in the lesson and write a 5-7 page paper. They study lyrics and melodies of the confederacy and...
Curated OER
Famous Peacemakers ~ Creating a Declaration of Peace
Students read about famous peacemakers and identify their characteristics. They reseach a peacemaker they are interested in. They create a Declaration of Peace to share with the community.
Curated OER
The Wealth In Poverty
High schoolers investigate the social problem of poverty. They view a film in order to create context for the lesson plan. Students evaluate different quotations about the issue. Classroom discussion is used to find the definition of...
Curated OER
Urban New Haven in the Making (1920-1980)
Students read and discuss issues that are relevant to the community. They develop a sense of social efficacy that encourages participation in their community and identify with the local area, and can reduce feelings of cynicism and...
Curated OER
Identity Box
Students examine how the work (paid or voluntary) they do in the past, present, and future affects and is affected by the communities to which they belong. They realize that human beings' perceptions of one another based on age, sex,...
Curated OER
Community Evolution: Putting the Puzzle Together
Students, working in groups, to study on aspect of their community history. They put their research together in one story about their community.
Smithsonian Institution
A Ticket to Philly—In 1769: Thinking about Cities, Then and Now
While cities had only a small fraction of the population in colonial America, they played a significant role in pre-revolutionary years, and this was certainly true for the largest city in the North American colonies: Philadelphia. Your...
Special Olympics
A World of Difference
Kids engage in a series of activities that ask them to consider differences and similarities in characteristics, both visible and invisible. With this new understanding, the class investigates the Special Olympics program and develops...
Curated OER
Mapping the Mediasphere
Students compare/contrast the media messages they see in two different communities in their city. They list the elements of art and the principles of design in the photographs they have taken in those two different communities. They...
Facing History and Ourselves
Hands Up, Don't Shoot!
Why is it so difficult to develop a clear understanding of the events surrounding the shooting of Michael Brown by a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer? To answer this question class members listen to a NPR discussion of the findings of...
Curated OER
Gaining Perspective
Discuss race in the United States. Start by having each learner read a copy of Martin Luther King Jr's famous speech, "I Have a Dream." Then, have them read the article "Shared Prayers, Mixed Blessings" about a church in Atlanta,...
Curated OER
Cold War Era Film Censorship: High Noon- a Slice of Americana Or Communist
Students study of the effects of the Cold War on the home front. They analyze the film High Noon according to an abbreviated version of the standards that films were judged by in the early 1950s and determine whether or not High Noon is...
Facing History and Ourselves
How Journalists Minimize Bias
Class members are challenged to write a neutral news story about the events they observe in a short video. After sharing their stories in groups and discussing the different perceptions, the class concludes with a video of...
Global Oneness Project
Far From Home
A timely and provocative lesson plan inspires high schoolers to tackle the Syrian refugee crisis. They analyze a compelling photo essay before discussing and writing about it.