Curated OER
Historical Witness: Social Messaging
Students create political cartoons that feature satire. In this political cartoon lesson, students examine examples of satire and caricature prior to creating their own political cartoons that feature the French Revolution or Industrial...
Carolina K-12
African Americans in the United States Congress During Reconstruction
The Civil Rights Act of 1866, which granted citizenship to all males in the U.S., resulted in the first African Americans to be elected to Congress. Class members research 11 of these men, the challenges they faced, and craft...
EngageNY
Getting to Know Esperanza (Chapter 2: “Las Uvas/Grapes”)
Delve into Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan with close reading and evidence-based, text-dependent questions. Part of a unit series, this well-sequenced, Common Core designed instructional activity draws on material from the previous...
Curated OER
Geometry and Quilting
Young scholars create a quilt square for a class quilt using at least three, two-dimensional geometric figures. They research and write a brief description of at least two different quilt patterns that they find. Pupils discuss that...
Curated OER
African-Americans and the Military
Students study the key figures in African-American military history. They discover how African-American military history reflect both discrimination and the often heroic struggle to overcome discrimination. They examine the key periods...
Curated OER
Heroes and Heroines: King David, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra and Napoleon
Students identify and examine four heroes from history and imaginative literature. They discuss the characteristics of a hero and share perceptions of what makes a hero. By comparing and analyzing a few historical and literary figures,...
Curated OER
Give Me Liberty
Fourth graders investigate the lives and societal contributions of Patrick Henry and Sojourner Truth. They complete a series of lessons that compare and contrast the biographies, historical context and work of these two revolutionaries.
National Endowment for the Humanities
A Raisin in the Sun: Whose "American Dream"?
How does Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun factor into a discussion of the American dream? High schoolers define the American dream and recognize the historical setting of the play. Additionally, they identify forms of...
Curated OER
Jacob Lawrence's Freedom Trail
Students read excerpts of autobiographies from Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. After listening to excerpts of an oral reading of Frederick Douglass' book, they discuss the ways African Americans were treated on plantations. ...
Curated OER
Bronte and Rhys' Portrayal of Bertha
Students, while reading and discussing the two texts by Charlotte Bronte and Jean Rhys, compare/contrast the two main characters and juxtapose them as the same character told from two different points of view. They gain insight of how to...
Middle Tennessee State University
John Brown: Hero or Villain?
"Love it or leave it." "You're either for us or against us." Rhetoric and it's polarizing effects are the focus of a lesson that uses John Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry as an exemplar. Groups examine primary source documents,...
Curated OER
Tale of Two Speeches
Students view and read portions of John F. Kennedy's Cuban Missile Crisis speech from October 22, 1962. Later in the year, students recall what they remember about the speech and use a Venn Diagram to compare it to Patrick Henry's...
Curated OER
Great Britons
Students read an online article focusing on discussion work, and practice comparative and superlative adjectives.
Curated OER
Speak Up, Speak Out
Fourth graders examine, compare, and summarize the speeches of Sojourner Truth and Patrick Henry. They review the parts of a good speech and design and give their own speech that expresses an opinion and persuades the listener..
Curated OER
Abraham Lincoln: Our Man for All Seasons
Students analyze perceptions of slavery during the Civil War era. In this Abraham Lincoln instructional activity, students research Internet and print sources regarding Lincoln's view of slavery. Students also compare pro- and...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King, Jr. vs. Malcolm X
Eleventh graders compare and contrast the visions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. In this African-American history lesson, 11th graders read speeches by each of the men and summarize the arguments made by each of them about...
Curated OER
Art and Culture
Students compare and contrast the ways in which human figures are portrayed in rock art made by ancient Native American artists and in the drawings and paintings of historic European and American artists. They use images to identify...
Curated OER
Teaching with Timelines
Students create illustrated timelines to accompany the historical events and people they have studied. In this chronological history lesson, students collaborate to create timelines that are enhanced with each new historical era they...
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 plan and write a 5-7 page paper. They study lyrics and melodies of the confederacy and...
Curated OER
Native American Friendship Dance
The performing arts offer artistic perception, creative expression, historical and cultural context and aesthetic valuing. This dance helps students understand dance history and develops cultural awareness. Students are given the...
Curated OER
Animals in Myths and Real Life
Learners research the role of lions, elephants, and bears in ancient Roman life and mythology. They develop a strong understanding of the role animals played in important ancient Roman historical events and myths.
Curated OER
Painting Modern Life
Students compare and contrast modern life art in the works of Hilaire-Germain Edgar Degas and Paul Cezanne. In this art analysis instructional activity, students compare and contrast the two paintings. Students complete image based...
Curated OER
A Brief History of Vietnam (1858-2004) and Its Evolving Communist System
Learners examine the French colonization of Vietnam, the Vietnam War, and the current evolving Communist system. They develop political maps, outline the major events of the Vietnam War, write an essay, and compare/contrast democracy...
Curated OER
Cracking the Mirror of the Past
Young scholars compare and contrast two pieces of artwork in regards to their nastalgic elements. Using the internet, they research local religious institutions in their area and note their function in society. They also compare and...