Lesson Plan
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Personal Stories and Primary Sources: Conversations with Elders

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners learn from their elders. In this oral and social histories lesson, students analyze primary sources to develop an understanding of the America in which their grandparents grew up. Learners conduct interviews with elders in...
Lesson Plan
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A Line Drive

For Teachers 11th
Eleventh graders create a 100 year timeline centering on the life of their research subject and place them in the context of local and national history.
Lesson Plan
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Local and Global Sustainability Unit

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers examine the characteristics that define a sustainable community at the local and global level. They create and prioritize a list of traits, read and discuss a magazine article, and create a poster.
Lesson Plan
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When is Humanitarian Intervention Justified?

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students analyze different foreign policies to derive their own idea of what constitutes appropriate intervention by a government. They complete a detailed proposal for their own Declaration of Human Rights.
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Freedom Voices: Abolition and Suffrage in the United States

For Teachers 8th - 11th
Students explore abolition and suffrage in the United States.
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Analyzing Poetry and Characters

For Teachers 4th - 8th
Students investigate historical context by reading poetry.  In this language arts lesson plan, students discover the work of Michael Longley and examine his poem "Ceasefire."  Students identify the sonnets used in the piece and...
Lesson Plan
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The Struggle for Women's Rights in the 1800's

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Young scholars assist in preparing for debate as part of the group. They participate in the debate and the follow-up discussion, then write a letter expressing what they have learned and project their expectations for the future.
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Is It an Authentic Gutenberg Bible?

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders conduct Internet research to determine what makes Gutenberg Bible authentic, view Ransom Center's digitized version of Gutenberg Bible, and create Powerpoint presentation supporting research findings.
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Going the Extra Mile

For Teachers 5th - 11th
Students examine the role of Sport Relief in aiding developing nations. In this global issues lesson, students visit selected websites to learn how Sport Relief provides educational resources to nations in need.
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Having Fun with Primary Sources

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze primary sources to determine the effects of the Great Depression on American society. They evaluate how government expanded during this time period because of New Deal legislation.
Lesson Plan
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Northwest Ordinance

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the area where the Northwest Territory was located. They discover the steps territories need to follow to become states. They create a map of the Northwest Territory and label the states that came out of that region.
Lesson Plan
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The Vietnam War

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students acquire information about the Vietnam War Era from the internet, textbook and various sources. They transfer the information that they have acquired into a newspaper format. Students create editorials, cartoons, graphics and...
Lesson Plan
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History by Heroes

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Middle schoolers role play one of the Presidents between 1877 and today. Individually, they use the internet to research the President through official documents, political cartoons and various editorials. Throughout the year, they are...
Lesson Plan
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A Guide Through the Culture of the Blues

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Pupils examine the history of blues music and discover how it relates to the music of today. As a class, they listen to the drum songs of Africa and compare it to the use of drums in pop music today. Using the internet, they research...
Lesson Plan
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The Art of Persuasion

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students analyze images using several perspectives or entry points. They create images and develop accompanying texts that support a specific purpose or function. Students assess the effectiveness of collected images and those of their...
Lesson Plan
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Jim Thorpe: The Greatest Athlete of the Century

For Teachers 4th - 12th
Students discuss what makes a sports legend. In this Jim Thorpe activity students analyze both the triumphs and tragedies of Jim Thorpe's sports career. Students then write a letter persuading their representative to name Jim Thorpe the...
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Women's Wartime Roles

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore the role of women during times of war. They examine the various roles that women have played in wars throughout United States history and how they have changed over time. In addition, they role-play presentations as if...
Lesson Plan
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The Sixties Protests and Social Change

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students identify, examine and analyze photographs of the sixties to determine the forces of social change at work in America during this decade. They determine the goals of each movement and the methods used by each to achieve those goals.
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Scops, Rappers and You: Historians with Style!

For Teachers 8th - 12th
Students examine the epic poem Beowulf. In this analyzing poetry lesson, student compare listen to the Will Smith song "Wild, Wild West" and read Beowulf. Students analyze the song and the poem. Students then research an influential...
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Railroad Advertising: Let's Go for a Ride!

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine advertising from early to mid twentieth century.  In this advertising techniques lesson plan, students assess the different ways advertisers "sold" the concept of railroad travel.  Students examine a variety of...
Lesson Plan
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Diversity - Grade 7

For Teachers 7th
Seventh graders consider the diversity of the First Nations cultures in Canada. In this cultural diversity lesson, 7th graders research the cultural groups of the First Nations as well as their contributions to Canadian society. Students...
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"Disapproved": Censorship of Film in Pennsylvania

For Teachers 10th - 12th
Students analyze primary source documents of the 1920s to find the roots of film censorship and understand Pennsylvania's leadership in this movement. They analyze government censorship documents that banned a film in Pennsylvania and...
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Take an In-Depth Look at Biographies

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students research biographies and develop hypotheses about conditions for women at various points in history. They utilize a worksheet imbedded in this plan to organize their findings.
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History: Women Wanting to Work

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Students compare and contrast the economic roles of women throughout history in the United States, India, and Israel. After examining pictures of women from various time periods, they share observations. They watch video clips and...