Students list qualities they believe made George Washington an effective military leader. They discuss some difficulties Washington faced as Commander-in-Chief and describe his response to the Newburgh Conspiracy.

Students analyze primary documents to determine why President Madison believed it was important for the US to declare war with Great Britain. Students research documents on the Internet to determine President Madison's argument for going...

Students define allegory and discuss its use in visual arts. They identify and explain allegorical themes in a number of images.

Students analyze modernist poetry in depth and detail. The several historical, social, and cultural forces that prompted the modernist movement and its effects are examined in this instructional activity.

Students explore the genre of American literary naturalism by reading,"The Open Boat" by Stephen Crane. They examine the relationship of man and nature through analysis of the characters, narration and descriptive vocabulary.

Students define allegory and discuss its use in the visual arts, examine paintings from various time periods and identify allegorical themes in them, and explain what makes an image allegorical.

Students identify different kinds of narratives used in a number of art works, discuss artist's use of compositional elements to further the story and/or convey a message within a work of art, and explain relationship between composition...

Young scholars discover the work of George Washington Harris and his influence on American humor.  For this George Washington Harris lesson, discuss cultural differences in the United States and read Sut Lovongwood stories by George...

Stduents look closely at what one President did at his home in contrast to what Presidents have done in the White House. They take a virtual tour of the White House and Monticello.

Students follow Marco Polo's route to and from China. They explore the geography, local products, culture, and fascinating sites of those regions. They record their findings.

Students name classic and contemporary American poets. They explain one poetry idea in classic or contemporary poem. They explain poetry idea at work in their own poems.

Students use census records to research and compare the population and economies in two counties within the same valley (Franklin Country Pennsylvania (North) and Augusta County, Virginia (South) in the pre Civil War era.

Eleventh graders reconsider the events leading to U.S. entry into World War I through the lens of archival documents.

Students examine a selection of traditional African artwork that portray women and explore postcolonial African literature created by women in order to gain insight into the lives of some black women in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Students gain an appreciation for Greek drama through study of a play by Sophocles. They explore the cultural and historical context of Greek drama and its role in Greek society. Students write a report after seeing the play performed live.

High schoolers experience and enjoy the sounds of poetry. They erform sound experiments with sonnets and closely read and analyze a sonnet by Shakespeare. Students write an analysis of how sound affects meaning in a sonnet chosen from...

Students explore the writings of Anne Frank. They discuss how Anne did or did not change during her two years in the Secret Annex. Students take a stand on how much Anne has in common with contemporary young people.

Students explore the basis of Iago's persuasive power by analyzing his astonishing command of rhetoric and figurative language. The diverse set of activities below include short group performances, writing exercises and the guided use of...

"Rikki-Tikki-Tavi," from The Jungle Book, offers young readers a chance to examine how Rudyard Kipling uses setting and personification to bring to life the brave mongoose who battles cobras to protect his family. Class members...

Pupils research and discuss the provisions in the Constitution that supported the arguments for and against the Sedition Act. They articulate objections to and arguments in favor of the Sedition Act.

Students list qualities they believe made George Washington an effective military leader. They discuss difficulties Washington faced as Commander-in-Chief and how he responded to the difficulties he faced as the leader of the Continental...

Students examine the historical, social, and cultural context of modernist poetry. They explore websites, complete a chart, compare/contrast rural and urban life, watch a video of early New York, and complete a writing assessment...

Young scholars take a close look at the design of the White House and some of the changes it has undergone. They also reflect on how the "President's House" has been and continues to be used. They give specific examples demonstrating how...

High schoolers examine the relationship between a poem's form and its content in Robert Frost's poem, 'Mending Wall.' They read and analyze the poem, explore websites, listen to an audio clip of Frost reading the poem, and write an...