US Institute of Peace
Perspectives on Peace
Is peace simply the absence of war, or is there more to the story? Young social scientists define peace in the second installment of a 15-part series. Groups work together to explore cultural concepts of peace and the peacemaking process...
Novelinks
The Book Thief: Concept Analysis
Designed for teachers who plan on using Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, this packet includes background information about the author, themes addressed in and issues raised by the novel, a list of research and project ideas, and...
Curated OER
Baby Boom and the Culture of the 1950's
Eleventh graders explain the causes, course, and consequences of the United States' role in World War II.
Curated OER
Lesson 9- Billy Wilder: Film Noir Inventor and Genius
Students study what influenced and inspired Billy Wilder while determining the plot, characters, and historical context of the film Double Indemnity. They investigate the stereotypes of Film Noir and how it shows the media messages of...
Curated OER
The Atomic Bomb: Hiroshima and Nagasaki
In this atomic bomb worksheet, learners read facts about the atomic bomb and the effects of the bomb in the cities Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Students complete 3 activities using the text.
Curated OER
Surviving Hitler
Are you thinking of reading Surviving Hitler with your class? If so, you will find these worksheets to be useful. They include great activities which are designed to help your readers respond to the book. Predicting events and a chart...
Curated OER
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Have your class explore the effects of war by reading Eleanor Coerr's story, "Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes." This is a story about a sixth grader who lives in Hiroshima when the atomic bomb is dropped. Learners answer questions,...
Curated OER
The Westward Movement
Students study the westward movement through examining stamps. For this westward movement lesson plan, students draw conclusions, determine cause and effect relationships and examine the westward movement of the United States by...
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America and the Sino-Japanese Conflict, 1933-1939
Students examine the U.S. stance regarding the Sino-Japanese conflict. In this diplomacy lesson plan, students analyze the sanctions employed by United States on Japan when they took over Manchuria. Students determine how...
Curated OER
Anne Frank: Critical Thinking
Students read a story by James Clavell about propaganda and they discuss how it was used in the story. In groups, they decide what they would do if faced with certain situations.
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Learning Empathy Through Art
Students create poems based on the Haiku form and research about WWII. Class discussion and classroom readings of student work finish this lesson. Emphasis is placed on Standards in the Arts.
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The Good Earth - Essay Questions
In this literature worksheet, students respond to 6 short answer and essay questions about Buck's The Good Earth. Students may also link to an online interactive quiz on the novel at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Arkansas and the Dust Bowl
Students access and use the Farm Security Administration and Office of War Information, American Memory collection and Todd and Sonkin collection for research. They develop research skills and strategies, such as key word searches to...
Curated OER
D-Day Message from General Eisenhower to General Marshall
Students use documents in the National Archives of the United States to evaluate the effectiveness of D-Day.
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Nationalism in North Africa and the Middle East
Africa and the Middle East are the focus of this Social Studies PowerPoint. After viewing many slides that are packed with historical facts, viewers answer questions such as, "How was the struggle for independence in Algeria different...
Curated OER
About Life: The Photographs of Dorothea Lange
Students use art to analyze a period in history. In this lesson plan about the effect of art on history, students study many different pieces of photography by Dorothea Lange. Students will observe photographs from certain time periods...
Curated OER
Flawed Democracies, Human Rights
Students investigate the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In this U.S. History lesson, students discover the Japanese internment camps and why our government chose to relocate the Japanese. Students examine photographs from the era...
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Harry Truman: A New View
Pupils explore how Harry Truman became President and in what ways was Truman an atypical President. They examined World War I changed Truman's life and what opportunities World War I gave certain people and how World War II affected...
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Life on the American Homefront
Seventh graders examine the conditions of the homefront during World War II. Using propaganda, they discuss its role and how it affected people who viewed it. They identify the role citizens played during the war and create their own...
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Houghton Mifflin Social Studies/Chapter 11, Lesson 1: California in Wartime (pp. 250-253)
Fourth graders explore the crisis of Japanese Americans during World War II. The benefits of the California economy are explored. The lesson plan has a discussion portion that is culturally relevant for many types of students.
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Ethnic Culture and Identity in the Columbia River Basin, 1850-1950
Students explore cultural history of immigrant groups that settled in the Columbia River Basin from 1850 to World War II, and examine various primary sources to explore role cultural and social customs played in keeping alive immigrant...
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Internment of Japanese Americans
Students study the Japanese-American experience in the western United States during World War II. They view a video, "Japanese Relocation" and take notes on arguments in favor of internment. They share their notes and new vocabulary...
Agriculture in the Classroom
Growing a Nation (1950-1969): Prosperity & Challenges: The Story of American Agriculture
A wonderful lesson on the development and impact of mechanized farming! History or agriculture classes learn the historical background of the United States' food production by creating a pamphlet with information on the cause and...
Curated OER
The Great Depression: 1930s through WWII
Here is an oddly formated presentation that does have some great information and neat ideas. It includes images and text describing the causes and effects of the Great Depression, FDR, Herbert Hoover, and Eleanor Roosevelt. It also...