Responding to blog posts can increase written communication skills, critical thinking skills, and the use of social media as a means for discussion. Kids will compose a blog post in response to the provided article related to famous...

Students delve into the life and music of Duke Ellington as a major American musician and composer. The elements that made the sound of his orchestra unique and the talents of his band members are explored in this lesson plan.

Third graders study the history of Aaron Copland, the famous American composer. They dance to the song Hoe-Down composed by Aaron Copland.

Historical accounts of various events have proven to differ depending on the point of view of the person documenting the event. Learners read and analyze two first person accounts of acts of slave resistance seen at a southern...

Fourth graders research a famous person in Michigan history. They will use at least three different resources including technology to conduct their research. They then will use various forms of technology to create individual research...

Students develop an understanding of the role of a musician, composer, and conductor. In this musician activity, students examine the District of Columbia quarter and see that Duke Ellington is on the reverse side. They define performer,...

Help your high schoolers navigate the cross-curricular text Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass with this reading guide. The questions guide learners through composing a summary of any given chapter in the text. In addition,...

Students play the role of a correspondent and write a news article about a famous landmark. In this correspondence lesson, students use a computer template to build word processing skills. Students edit a story in order to...

How does background and experience influence one's point of view? Dwight Okita's famous poem about the Japanese internment is the text used to explore this essential question. Class members study primary documents to gain the necessary...

Biographies can be a fun topic for any history project. Learners choose one famous person that lived between 1865 and 1930 to research. They gather information, work on reading comprehension, and use what they find to create slide shows...

Why is a letter a better way to learn about a person than a different primary source? Explore Thomas Day's ideas and advice to his daughter in a letter from 1851, which details the struggles of the American South before the Civil War....

Here is a crossword puzzle on some of the more important aspects of the Iwo Jima conflict during World War II. There are four words to compose going across, and eight words going down. An answer key is on page two of the activity. Good...

What was the relationship like between George and Martha Washington? To protect their privacy, Martha Washington destroyed all her husband’s letters after his death so historians have little evidence of their lives together. Two letters...

Who was Horemheb and why is his tomb so famous? An fascinating resource uses virtual reality tools and even comes equipped with the ability to use a VR headset. Learners view information panels to the side of the location to understand...

In this famous person activity, students read a passage about Carla Bruni and then complete a variety of in-class and homework activities to support comprehension, including partner interviews, spelling, cloze, synonym matches, and...

Students 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 the...

Fifth graders research work to research six areas in the life of Adlai E. Stevenson II: His Early life, Governor of Illinois, Campaigns for president, Ambassador to the UN, famous quotes, later years. They create a supply of notecards...

With your middle schoolers, develop concepts such as philanthropy, civic responsibility, community service, and common good. Discuss famous philanthropists and what we can each give of our time, talent and treasure to better our...

“. . .different men often see the same subject in different lights. . .” but the great orator Patrick Henry used all the skills at his command to craft a speech to convince listeners to see things as he did--that liberty was worth dying...

Young scholars read Duke Ellington by Andrea Davis Pinkney. They complete a variety of cross-curricular activities surrounding the life of the 20th century composer. Included are reading, art, math, science, writing, social studies, and...

The Harlem Renaissance brought forth many American art forms including jazz, and the writings of Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. Using a carefully curated set of documents from the Library of Congress, pupils see the cultural...

Students travel Rome. In this geography skills lesson, students explore famous places in Rome with Google Earth tools. Students research the city of Rome and create touring videos that feature their findings.

Fourth graders research and create questions about a famous person. They create questions in a game format, create a computer generated brochure, and develop rubrics for their finished projects.

Students explore daily life in ancient Egypt. In this ancient civilizations lesson plan, students research Internet and print sources regarding aspects of daily life in ancient Egypt. Students compose fictitious journals based on their...