Oral storytelling has been an important part of every culture. The time-honored practice uses stories as a conduit for a culture's values and customs from one generation to the next. Keep the tradition going with a family interview...

The biopoem is a great way for instructors to get to know class members, classmates to get to know each other, and readers to flesh out their understanding of a character. Why not create a biopoem for a character from Oedipus the...

This 3-day immigration study draws on historical trends and current events. A worksheet accompanies initial research on one group's U.S. immigration history, giving opportunity for collaborative learning through sharing findings. Groups...

How does water pollution affect the organisms living in the water? Use three science experiments to examine how erosion and other pollutants can affect water quality. Each experiment focuses on a different aspect of pollution and...

Most of us have heard of Rosa Parks, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and Martin Luther King, Jr. But what about Claudette Colvin, Virginia Durr, Freedom Summer, or the Birmingham Children's Crusade? A five-lesson unit prompts class...

Learners examine their values and those different from their own in a post September 11th world. They become more aware of current events and are encouraged to participate in their communities and government.

Students become aware of world conflicts and how conflict resolution is used to minimize threats around the world. They analyze a current world conflict and utilize conflict resolution strategies to determine a viable peace initiative.

Eighth graders identify the events that led to the Little Rock Central High Crisis. They observe and explain the causes and affects of the Little Rock Central High Crisis.

Students examine the events and history surrounding the boundaries of Delaware. They participate in a class discussion and analyze a map, then create a floor map using masking tape. Students also participate in a play about the...

Students are introduced to Quaker beliefs about slavery and actual statements of conviction about slavery by Levi Coffin. They explore the federal laws about returning escaped slaves, specifically the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850

Students analyze various American History topics which concern human rights. They research the topics and analyze the sources for bias or stereotype. They decide and discuss whether or not any human right were violated in each...

What does it mean to be a hero? Who qualifies as a hero? In groups, middle and high schoolers brainstorm a list of heroes and create a list of characteristics that a person must possess in order to be a hero. Extend this activity by...

Eighth graders view two resources from the ratification debates and infer the motives and concerns of people in the two states involved. They write a newspaper editorial in favor or opposed to ratifying the Constitution.

Young scholars examine the role of Purple Loosestrife in Illinois and Indiana rivers. In groups, they collect a wide variety of plants in a wetland and raise beetles in a controlled environment. They introduce the loosestrife into the...

Students may take part in a multitude of activities listed such as creating political cartoons, comparison papers, and creating a portfolio to reinforce concepts and ideas surrounding the Louisiana Purchase.

Students create an individual portfolio using assignments from a unit on the character of Maine. They choose two of the best assignments from each of four chapters studied and then write an essay or create a magazine which synthesizes...

Learners compare the 2 paintings "Washington Crossing the Delaware" and "Prayer at Valley Forge". Look for similarities, differences and information on the painters. Create a political game board using the events from 1776.

Students identify various regions of early Arkansas as these regions relate to African American colonies that settled in Arkansas after the Civil War.

Students examine the life and work of P.T. Barnum. They discover his advertising techniques and business practices. They examine his use of people with disabilities for amusement.

Third graders explore the operation of a Christmas farm and how trees are shipped. After taking a tour of a Christmas tree farm and researching transportation, location and cost issues, 3rd graders create a map to show the distribution...

Students read and discuss "Japan's Refusal to Revise Textbooks Angers Neighbors." They discuss how accurately textbooks account for historical events, then collaborate to write unbiased textbook entries for current events.

Students address their questions, anxieties and other feelings about the changes in American society since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001 and the subsequent reactions around the world.

Students explore the lives of famous artists and examine ways in which an artist's life affects his or her creations. Each student creates an original work of art in the style of a famous artist.

Students discuss what they believe to be the state of security of the nation since September 11, 2001. Reading articles on security, they gather insight into new reports on security. They write letters to major newspapers expressing...