Curated OER
Lesson Plans on the Intersection of History and Literature
Finding out about "the story behind the story" can provide a greater understanding of literature and its historical and social context.
Curated OER
Heroes
Learners explore reading comprehension strategies. In this character development and reading comprehension lesson, students brainstorm common traits of "heroes." Learners read Heroes, then identify the personal conflicts the story...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Courage “In the Time of the Butterflies”: A Common Core Exemplar
The courage of Las Mariposas, the Mirabal sisters, is the focus of a series of activities designed to accompany a reading of In the Time of the Butterflies that ask readers to consider what it means to be courageous. Beautifully crafted...
Curated OER
Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Students delve into primary research. In this Japanese Internment lesson plan, students make deductions about life in an internment camp by reading and comparing letters written to Clara Breed. Along the way, they consider the advantages...
Curated OER
Thanksgiving Math Lessons: Count Your Blessings!
Thanksgiving math can be a way to delve into the true meaning of the holiday.
Curated OER
Black History Web Design
Each student or student team creates a web page. Young scholars research and make decisions for content of the page. Each web page should contain at least six images and six links, as well as any necessary commentary. Students indicate...
Curated OER
Under the Blood-Red Sun
Fifth graders explore U.S. history by reading an award winning book about World War II. In this Japanese internment camp lesson, 5th graders read the book Under the Blood-Red Sun and discuss the entrapment of Japanese-Americans on our...
Curated OER
Japanese Internment
Fourth graders practice their writing skills. In this reading comprehension lesson, 4th graders review baseball terminology and then read Baseball Saved Us. In this story students learn about Japanese Americans that were taken from...
Curated OER
Knights and Kings
Students explore feudalism. In this government instructional activity, students examine the role of knights and kings. Students discover the training boys went through for knighthood. Students write a letter home as if they were a squire...
Curated OER
Birthplace of John F. Kennedy: Home of the Boy Who Would Be President
Students explore the upbringing of John Kennedy and how it effected his culture, character and personality. They investigate their own family traditions, values, and interests.
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Alabama's 1901 Constitution: What Was at Stake?
Who should be able to vote? As part of a study of the 1901 Alabama Constitution, class members examine primary source document that reveal the reasons the authors gave to support their positions on this question and their assumptions in...
Curated OER
What Is Happening in Haiti?
Students discuss the 2010 earthquake in Haiti and empathize with the victims of the disaster. In this 2010 Haitian earthquake lesson, students learn about the history and hardship the country has consistently faced. They watch clips from...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
Yellow Journalism
What role did yellow journalism play in bringing the United States into war with Spain? As part of their study of the Spanish-American War, class groups examine newspapers of the times and other texts and then produce their own...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
The Great Depression - Hard Times Hit America
To gain an understanding of how the Great Depression affected everyday citizens, class members examine letters written either to the president or to the governor of Alabama asking for assistance.
National Park Service
A Tale of Two Men
Theodore Roosevelt and the Marquis de Mores were both born in 1858, and both came to the Dakota territory in 1883, but they influenced the developing country of America in different ways. Elementary and middle schoolers apply written and...
Curated OER
Immigration: Stories, Struggles and Debates
Considering including Tatyana Kleyn's Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide as part of your course? Check out this curriculum guide designed for use with her book. The activities help learners understand the complexity of the...
Curated OER
Vaulting Into Olympic History
Students explore history of the Olympics. They research and then create an 'Olympics Hall of Fame' for the classroom.
Teachers' Curriculum Instituted
The Roman Record
Using Google Earth, Google Docs, and other Google Tools, collaborative groups of seventh graders research and then create and share online newspapers reporting on the early development, geographical features, political issues, and...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
La Mobile: A Case Study of Exploration and Settlement
The Le Moyne brothers, Jean-Baptiste and Pierre, were among the first explorers of the Gulf Coast. Class members read biographical information and journal entries about these men, study maps showing where the settlements they established...
Curated OER
Hidden Children
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...
Curated OER
Interesting Facts about the Historic Trails
The Oregon trail is a very interesting part of American history. The class, having read or discussed the events leading to the westward expansion and settling of the Oregon Territory, can answer each of these fill-in-the-blank...
Curated OER
Songs from the Past
Young scholars research songs from the past to learn about historical events. In this music history lesson, students conduct a survey on the Star-Spangled Banner, research the song and history on various websites, and research songs in...
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Dust Bowl Depression
Students examine the Dust Bowl and the impact it made on farm families. In this U. S. history lesson, students role play a writer searching for a family that moved during the Great Depression. Students uncover what prompted families to...
Curated OER
The State of Mormonism
Learners investigate the history of Mormonism and how this religion has shaped Utah's identity. They explore various websites, answer discussion questions, take a virtual tour of the Mormon Trail, and read newspaper articles about...