An essential skill for 21st-century learners is to know how to find reliable sources of information. Two activities help high schoolers learn how to determine the reliability of health-related news from websites, TV, magazines, or...

Fifth graders discuss different aspects of web sites to determine what makes an appropriate one. They complete a web quest before evaluating a number of web sites based on Dr. Everhart's, Web Evaluation Worksheet.

Students identify the role of the museum as a cultural resource in the community. They use primary and secondary sources to evaluate institutional, and media influences on people and society in both historical and contemporary settings.

Students examine different sources of information. They evaluate and take notes from a variety of sources.

Students explore and analyze primary documents from historical women's diaries. They conduct Internet research, develop conclusions about the primary documents, answer questions, and present their information to the class.

Students consider Race and Ethnicity in baseball. In this American history lesson plan, students examine primary source images of American baseball. They then develop an original argument, pose historical questions and conduct Internet...

Students examine primary sources regarding American movement to the west. In this westward expansion lesson, students create broadside posters based on the Homestead Act primary sources they research.

Eleventh graders take a closer look at living conditions during the Great Depression. In this Great Depression instructional activity, 11th graders analyze primary source packets that their teachers prepare and then record facts about...

Young scholars examine photographs taken of immigrants during late 1800s and early 1990s in America, and identify factors involved in immigration through examination of primary documents that include statistics, trends, graphs,...

Students explore the Chautauqua movement. In this Pennsylvania history lesson, students use primary documents to explore what the Chautauqua was and how it made a difference in the American way of life.

Young scholars interpret historical evidence presented in primary resources. For this World War II lesson, students examine racial relations during the war and then examine propaganda techniques employed by the United...

Students analyze primary sources on slavery from Kansas Territory. In this Civil War lesson, students evaluate the antislavery and pro-slavery arguments and summarize key points. Students write a persuasive paper from the antislavery...

Young scholars employ primary resources to investigate the rise and decline of a canteen in World War II. The significance of volunteerism and the use of the railroad for troop transportation are examined.

Eighth graders explore the program Alice and the Internet to research wetland habitats.   In this habitat lesson students build their own Alice world that includes wetland habitats, food sources and ways to protect the...

In this primary source analysis instructional activity, students respond to 25 short answer questions that require them to analyze the political cartoon titled "America When Feminized."

Eleventh graders consider the impact of the Underground Railroad. For this slavery lesson, 11th graders examine primary documents as they conduct independent research to explore the role of the Underground Railroad during the fight for...

High schoolers investigate the dilemma of a proportional response with a lesson about the history of terrorism and militant extremists in the United States. As they examine memos from the FBI and speeches from President Bush and Obama,...

Middle schoolers imagine that they are on a panel to consider if a solar energy system would be advantageous to a new school as it is being built. They read the included handout and then each play a role as a participant in a community...

Eleventh graders investigate propaganda used during World War I. In this World War I instructional activity, 10th graders examine propaganda from the war and analyze war posters. Students then create their own propaganda posters on...

Explore how the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation affected everyday individuals in the Civil War era. Learners are given the opportunity to read and evaluate primary and secondary source material, and then to compose a writing...

A terrific lesson focused on the design process. It begins with a presentation, "Design: Solve a Problem," which lists the steps of the process and then introduces the specific challenge: to build a device that measures wind speed....

How does the Qur'an detail the role of women? What modern social issues are linked to Islamic law? Address these questions with your young historians through close analysis of primary and secondary source documents.

Learners 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.

Students objectively learn how critically evaluate Web sites for utility, trust, and reliability. In this lesson, students learn that some Web sites might be deceiving in their intent despite their popularity.