Teaching Tolerance
Thanksgiving Mourning
Two primary sources, a speech, and an article provide tweens and teens with different perspectives of the American Thanksgiving holiday. After analyzing Wamsutta James' suppressed speech and Jacqueline Keeler's article, class members use...
Crabtree Publishing
The Genius of the Ancients
It is said that necessity is the mother of invention. Fifth graders prove this with help from three lessons that examine how ancient cultures used their needs to drive innovations. In lesson one, pupils identify main ideas and supporting...
DocsTeach
Indian Nations vs. Settlers on the American Frontier: 1786–1788
Once Americans won the Revolutionary War, their quest to gain land did not end. An interesting activity focuses on Americans' expansion into the frontier following the war and how it conflicted with Native Americans living in the area....
DocsTeach
U.S. Policy and the Holocaust Refugee Crisis
How did the United States respond to the Holocaust refugee crisis during World War II? The activity focuses on the United States' foreign policies and the arguments for and against offering assistance. Scholars analyze historical...
US House of Representatives
Legislative Trends and Power Sharing Among Hispanic Americans in Congress, 1977–2012
Bilingual education, voting rights, and Congressional redistricting come up often in the news. Explore these topics from another view—the perspectives of Hispanic members of Congress. Activities include an article with comprehension and...
Curated OER
One Step at a Time
Learners investigate the customs and habits of other cultures by reading letters from a Peace Corps Volunteer. In this global customs lesson, students discuss how analyzing a culture is similar to analyzing art, no two people see...
Curated OER
George Custer Activity
George Custer was an interesting historical figure. Learners find out more about his life with a web quest, which presents historical perspectives and contributions of George Custer. They participate in a Custer Q and A session with the...
Curated OER
Health Enhancement
Seventh graders play physical movement games to enhance their health and research Indian cultures. In this movement lesson plan, 7th graders research Indian movements and use them in physical activity.
Curated OER
Diversity Geography
Ninth graders explore the diversity of people found throughout the world. In this Geography instructional activity, 9th graders create a short oral report describing that area.
Curated OER
Exploring Color Vocabulary
Students explore color terms and related meanings and metaphors in cultural and literary contexts. They use the main colors to explore synonymous color terms and related metaphorical meanings of color words. Students recognize the...
Curated OER
Celebrations
Second graders answer questions after listening to the the story "Celebrating Life Around the World" and verbally identify three ways in which people celebrate special occasions. They then make two verbal connections from their own...
Curated OER
Masks of Africa
Students explain the purpose of masks to various cultures in Africa. They recognize the conceptual patterns used to create African masks and illustrate their understanding by creating their own masks
Curated OER
The Looking Glass
Sixth graders investigate the intention behind artists' works and contemplate the notion that art mirrors life. They respond orally and in writing to a painting and recognize that seeing the whole picture can offer a different ...
Penguin Books
Folklore and Fairytales: A Guide to Using Traditional Tales and Reimagined Classics
Every culture has its own stories to tell. An interesting educator's guide shares a large collection of fairytales and folktales, some from different cultures and some re-creations of classics. A summary and brief teaching ideas...
Curated OER
The Banking Mouse
First graders learn about another culture and its language. In this Spanish instructional activity, 1st graders listen to a Cuban folktale. Students identify the Spanish words. Students reread the story independently....
Curated OER
Exploring Folk Traditions and Folk Beliefs
Ninth graders work together to brainstorm an idea to focus on the similiarties and differences between various cultures. Individually, they interview family members using questions they created based on their topic. They use their...
Curated OER
Reading Artifacts
Learners explore and analyze categorizing objects, material culture artifacts, from a variety of perspectives, to consider the story behind each one. They research skills by assessing how to look at artifacts as cultural outsiders would....
Curated OER
Design a Latin American Restaurant
Students investigate the culture of a Latin American country to design a new restaurant. In this Latin American instructional activity, students identify social classes, geographical locations, cultural practices, and monetary systems of...
Curated OER
Folktales (African American, Chinese, Japanese and Korean)
Students participate in a variety of activities that are concerned with comparing different cultures through the literary genre of folktales. The stories are used to stimulate student interest and provide a context for how a society...
Curated OER
HIV/AIDS: Our Fear, Our Misery
Students in an ESL classroom brainstorm their thoughts, fears and perceptions about HIV/AIDS. In groups, they review how one contracts the virus and how it affects them and their families. They read true stories about people living...
Curated OER
Now I See You... The Changing Perception of Women
Students examine the changing view of women during the 20th century. Using art, literature and music, they identify the various perceptions used throughout history. They also predict what women's' perceptions are going to be in the next...
Curated OER
Cultural Representation of Skeletons and Bones
Eighth graders study cultures and beliefs about the final life cycle. In this culture instructional activity students complete several activities on the origins of Halloween.
Curated OER
People Experts
Students examine pictures of people and draw conclusions about them. Using worksheets, students take a second look and carefully examine the pictures to determine what influenced their perceptions.
Curated OER
Comparing Creation Stories
Students compare and contrast creation stories in different cultures. They write a creative story and design a visual aid showing what their new civilization would look like.