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Tracking Down the Real Billy the Kid

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Students analyze the role that gunfighters played in the settlement of the West and distinguish between their factual and fictional accounts. Using internet research, students explore the life of Billy the Kid. They write an essay on...
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Tango Stories

For Teachers 3rd - 4th
Pupils listen to tango music and research the country it came from. In this music lesson, students find that tango music comes from Argentina. They listen and dance to the music and then write stories. 
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Video Boxes

For Teachers 4th - 5th
Students create a video box about a Central American country. In this world history lesson, student research Central America and pick a country they want to investigate. They work in groups to create a video box that shows images about...
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Brazilian Animals

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Students research the animals of Brazil. In this animal science lesson plan, students locate Brazil on a map and discuss the types of animals that can live in its tropical climate. They research a Brazilian Carnaval and see the roll the...
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Mariachi Mania

For Teachers 2nd - 4th
Students play the beats of mariachi music. In this mariachi lesson plan, students listen to mariachi music and discuss why music is important.
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Letters from Lincoln

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the childhood of Lincoln and pioneer life in early Indiana. Students respond to literature and write a story using historical fiction. Students explore the writings of President Lincoln and the pioneer community...
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Diary of Anne Frank: Act 1 Scene 1 & 2

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders read act 1 scenes 1 & 2 of the play Diary of Anne Frank. In this Diary of Anne Frank lesson plan, 8th graders discuss how the setting of the play affects the mood of the story and answer short answer questions.
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Analyzing and Evaluating Holocaust Literature

For Teachers 8th - 9th
Young scholars examine the history of the Holocaust through literature. Using different pieces of literature, they critique the items in terms of being historical accurate and its value in telling the stories of the Holocaust. They...
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Maurie Japarta Ryan, Oral History Analysis

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students research Australian History as it relates to the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. In this Maurie Japarta Ryan lesson, students apply specific skills pertaining to...
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Rural Voices Through Photography

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students research the history of the Depression particularly in the ways it was documented by photography. Then they take their own pictures in the style of one of the best documentarians, Dorothea Lange.
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Intermediate Guided Reading Lesson Plan

For Teachers 3rd
Third graders read Children of the Earth and Sky: Five Stories about Native American Children by Stephen Krensky. In this guided reading lesson, 3rd graders gain knowledge about various Native American tribes. Using a graphic organizer...
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Poetry of Abraham Lincoln

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders analyze Abraham Lincoln's poems "The Bear Hunt" and "My Childhood's Home" for word choice and deeper inquiry into the vocabulary he uses to convey emotion. They identify rhyming words and patterns in these poems. ...
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The Lines in Timelines

For Teachers K - 4th
Students are introduced to the concept of sequence by creating their own personal timeline. As a class, they put the events of the last week of their lives into the correct order and determine what information should be used for their...
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Pirates: Fact or Fiction?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students gain an understanding of what pirates are and to prove they really did and do exist. They discuss the different myths the students have about pirates as compared to what the documentary discusses.
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State or Region Project

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Invite your youngsters to learn about a state or region through their choice of a creative project. The resource lists 15 project options that range from a 3-D map of the area, to a puppet show about the region. Pupils can also propose...
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Salem Witch Trials

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Students consider the implications of the Salem Witch Trials. In this literature lesson, students read Arthur Miller's The Crucible and compare the witch trials to McCarthyism of the 1950's. Students rewrite scenes from the play...
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Jack London's The Call of the Wild: "Nature Faker"?

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students take a stand on whether or not London could be dubbed a "nature faker." They support their position with evidence either historical or from the text. Students write an essay, complete with hypothesis and textual support, on...
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Mountain Creation: A Drama Exploration

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students explore mountain formation. In this cross curriculum earth science and legend writing instructional activity, students listen to the poem "The Way to make Perfect Mountains" by Byrd Baylor and identify examples of vivid language...
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Out of the Dust

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students create a poem that expresses the physical and emotional turmoil of living through the Dust Bowl.  For this Out of the Dust lesson, students research facts about the time period and discuss the cause-effect patterns...
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A Comparison of the Play and Movie "Inherit the Wind"

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students read the play "Inherit the Wind" about the Scopes "Monkey" Trial. In groups, they choose their favorite scene and create a diorama dipicting the scene as they see it. They watch a recording of the play and compare it to their...
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Identifying Genre

For Students 9th
In this identifying genre learning exercise, 9th graders read the titles and descriptions of 15 stories, identify and write the genre and subgenre from the list provided.
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Bias vs. Perspective: An Inevitable Aspect of Journalism?

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers explore the types of media that U.S. teens prefer the ways in which viewers identify and account for journalistic bias. They explore the ways in which media shapes one's opinion or affects their judgment.
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A Closer Look at the Klan

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders learn vocabulary, answer discussion questions, complete writing assignments, and identify symbols connected to the Ku Klux Klan. In this Ku Klux Klan lesson plan, 4th graders also go on a field trip to the Thomas Hart...
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Thanksgiving Menu

For Teachers K - 1st
Pupils explore the First Thanksgiving. In this U.S. history lesson, students read about the Pilgrims and Native Americans and discuss how they obtained and prepared food. Pupils develop a possible first Thanksgiving menu and draw a...