Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation
What Was Everyday Life like in Colonial Virginia?
After reflecting on jobs people perform in the present day, scholars discuss what they believe jobs would have been like in Colonial Virginia during the American Revolution. Small groups then perform a jigsaw using informational packets....
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Age of Enlightenment
Studnets compare example of primary documents that have shaped U.S. government and our Constitution.
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Sacred Places
Students examine places considered sacred in both India and the U.S. They read and discuss a website on the Ganges River, discuss places considered sacred in the U.S., and write an essay comparing/contrasting personal sacred places and...
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Tracking Down the Real Billy the Kid
Students analyze the role that gunfighters played in the settlement of the West and distinguish between their factual and fictional accounts. Using internet research, students explore the life of Billy the Kid. They write an essay on...
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Prewriting
As a class, 7th graders observe examples of brainstorming and then complete brainstorming worksheets themselves. They compose and describe planning strategies. Prior to writing an essay, they identify the purpose and the audience.
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How to DO Just About Anything
Learners discover how to use a digital camera and how to make a PowerPoint presentation. They practice good listening skills and hear how to make a "Supa Dupa Egg." They take notes and use them to create an effective, step-by-step...
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Whoa! Slow Down-Some of You!
High schoolers analyze demographic data (growth rate, natural increase, fertility rate, crude birth rates, and crude death rates) and determine which areas of the world contain the fastest and slowest growth rates. They construct...
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Indian Women in Texas History
Fourth graders study Indian women in Texas. In this US history lesson, 4th graders discuss what each Indian woman's contribution was by completing a timeline and table. Students examine the Caddo Women's pottery tradition...
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Documenting Texas Women’s History through Photographs
Young scholars explore women’s history. In this women’s studies lesson, students will examine seven photographs that depict prominent female figures from Texas’s history. Young scholars will engage in a discussion of the photographs as a...
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Develop Your Own Interpretation
Students use pieces of Andy Warhol's art to write critiques. Using different points of view, they answer discussion questions and share them with the class. They also interpret the art from a historian and artist point of view. They...
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The Judiciary in American History
Students investigate the influence of political and societal forces on judicial decisions. Among the topics they examine are the selection of judges and the cause and effect relationship between politics, society, and the law. to...
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Is Monopoly the Microsoft Board's Game?
Students first participate in an in-depth discussion about capitalism, monopolies, trusts, mergers, and the Sherman Antitrust Act. They work in groups to investigate past examples of corporations tried for antitrust act violations.
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Planet of the Apes
The "Planet of the Apes" is becoming a staple in many high school classrooms and provides a way to explore a variety of topics.
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Always Remember, or Eventually Forget
Students examine one writer's opinion about how different generations of Japanese citizens have been influenced by the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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10 Things I Hate about Shakespeare
Students look at the works of Shakespeare to describe and explain relationships among some of the different texts. The writing of the learners has the intent of increasing comprehension, interpretation, and critical analysis skills.
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Causes of the American Revolution
Students answer the question of: How did England impose its political and economic control over the colonies? They create a comic strip depicting the event of the Boston Massacre. Students complete a Wordstoming activity to anticipate...
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Sanctus--Frank Martin
Twelfth graders complete a music listening log and then work in small groups to complete essays that answer a given set of questions about the music.
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The Joy Luck Club
Students read The Joy Luck Club and analyze the effect of having to translate from one culture into another. Students trace patterns that link mothers and daughters in the novel, and write an essay comparing personal experiences to those...
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The Armenian Genocide: The American Ambassador in Constantinople
Students analyze America's reaction to the Armenian Genocide. They write a journal response, read and discuss text, compare/contrast reactions around the world to the Armenian Genocide and the genocide in Rwanda, and write an essay.
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Through Many Lenses: How are Countries Depicted By the Media
Students read various sources about a country to understand viewpoints about that country. In this country lesson, students recognize that different sources portray different organizations differently. Students compare how...
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Soulfully Remembered
Students study about the Mexican holiday Day of the Dead to explore another culture's attitude towards death. They create collages reflecting the interests of and memories about someone who has passed away.
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Two Trustworthy Texans
Seventh graders read about two pioneers from Texas and learn how they became well trusted people. For this trust lesson, 7th graders read essays about two Texas pioneers. They learn vocabulary such as loyalty, honesty, good reputation,...
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Media Literacy Discussion Guide
Learners examine and analyze visual media and its messages critically. They determine whether specific media messages inform, entertain, or persuade and what factors influence the media. Using primary sources, they participate in peer...
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News View
Students read and analyze three different news sources that describe the same event. They compare/contrast the similarities and differences of the news sources, and write an essay describing the main event.