Anita's iconic rooftop ode to American life in West Side Story is the focus of a lesson on immigration. As class members listen to "America," they follow along with printed lyrics, and discuss whether they agree with Anita's...

Life is not always fair. Who's heard that before? This same concept moves to a larger scale using prejudice and bias. Pupils discuss where prejudice attitudes derive and how they develop throughout life. Reading comprehension...

After brainstorming the various aspects of cultural identity, class members interview each other, examine video clips, and read stories to discover how these aspects reveal one's cultural identity. Individuals then craft a quilt square...

Do you know why we celebrate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People? Did you even know we celebrate this day? After reading a short passage about this international celebration, scholars answer true or false questions,...

Students are introduce to the topic of nonviolence and civil rights by watching a video. In this stories of freedom instructional activity, students examine the Supreme Court's role in interpreting the U.S. Constitution. Students analyze...

Students investigate the role of Mexican Americans in the history of the United States. They use the information to answer guided questions. Students conduct class discussion about the varying roles of Mexican Americans. Also they write...

Young scholars read the book, "Everybody Cooks Rice," and they participate in activities pertaining to the book. They identify countries mentioned in the text and locate them on a world map. They use an atlas to identify the climatic...

Introducing the topic of cultural diversity and the social issues surrounding it, this presentation will get your students thinking about stereotypes involving race, gender, and sexual orientation. Affirmative action and positive and...

Jamie Ford’s historical novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, explores the relationship between a young Chinese American boy and a Japanese American girl set against the backdrop of Seattle during World War II. The teaching...

Students discuss cultural diversity, and examine how the community reflects the cultural background of the inhabitants. They read the book, People, take a community walk, create a rainbow chart, and research other states for relocation...

Students analyze the significance of Jamestown in the broader picture of colonization and analyze a historical document to determine the effects of previous explorations on the expectations of the Jamestown colonizers

Eleventh graders explore Jazz in America. They examine greats in Jazz, such as Duke Ellington. They are also to discuss the cultural implications of the music itself.

Students discuss ways to earn money and why they might need it. Students create crowns to wear all day like in the story. Students create a play using characters in the story. Students interview "eyewitnesses" at the unveiling of the...

Young scholars interpret historical evidence presented in primary and secondary resources. In this Korean War lesson, students examine and analyze primary sources regarding U.S. involvement in the Korean War.

High schoolers discuss alternative healing techniques, then chart the potential benefits and drawbacks of alternative health therapies. They design symbols representing alternative healing techniques.

Students identify countries of origin of their ancestors, graph patterns of migration to the U.S. and Hawaii, then utilize oral history as a primary document by interviewing their ancestors or parents to explain why they moved to their...

Eleventh graders explore, analyze and study a specific genocidal event in twentieth-century history, The Holocaust. They evaluate a variety of historical artifacts and synthesize the information gathered into their own in order to...

Why to young people act the way they do? Scholars investigate the stages of adolescent development incorporating high school psychology techniques. Using research from the American Psychological Association, they uncover the five areas...

Fourth graders describe how Michigan has changed and stayed the same over time. They explain reasons why people settled/settle in Michigan, then explain the role of geography on the settlement of Michigan.

Young scholars discover the "rule of thirds" technique used in photography through the investigation of magazine and newspaper pictures and an in-class discussion. The work of photojournalist Jeff Bizzel is emphasized.

Students examine historical works of art and analyze how these paintings could be used for personal, cultural, and/or political purposes. This exploratory instructional activity on art ideology includes two handouts/worksheets for...

The subject matter of this lesson is intended for a mature academic audience. Please review to determine if it is suitable for your class. Students create a working definition of sexual abuse, read a scenario, and then break up into...

Analyze primary source documents relating the conditions under with prompted American immigration. Learners will analyze information in order to create a six-panel pamphlet. Much of the lesson is not available but the key objectives are....

Students brainstorm the types of food they eat at home, discussing and comparing with the class. Students brainstorm and make a chart of questions that came out of the activity and their discussions. Students interview someone who...