The famous words of Martin Luther King still resonate with scholars today. An enlightening lesson helps pupils examine the "I Have a Dream" speech in more depth and learn what impact it had on the civil rights movement. Young historians...

Tenth graders investigate three American leaders from the Civil Rights Movement while they examine the early 1960's and the topic of racial equality. They listen to music from the era, read speeches, and look at images of Martin Luther...

Want to teach your pupils about debate, effective speech techniques, propaganda, and the women's movement? The first in a sequential series of three, scholars analyze real propaganda images from the the historic women's movement, view a...

Have you ever watched a political speech and felt your heart beat a little faster, and your opinion either solidify or begin to slightly change? Rhetorical devices can be a strong tool in an effective and powerful speech. A short lesson...

Identify the unique personal attributes of your class members. Begin by viewing the Visual Thesaurus and discussing displayed attributes associated with famous American leaders. Using these identity maps as models, pupils generate nouns...

“Compared to war all other forms of human endeavor shrink to insignificance.” “War is not healthy for children and other living things.” These two views of war, embodied in George Patton’s statement and Lorraine Schneider‘s famous 1966...

As the first American president to win the Nobel Peace Prize, and only one of four presidents to do so in United States history, Theodore Roosevelt's foreign policy achievements and preservation of peace are often overshadowed by his...

Eleventh graders examine the impact of Abolitionist leaders on sectionalism. In small groups, they conduct research on a famous abolitionist, and develop and write a newspaper cover page based on their assigned abolitionist.

Students investigate, read, and discuss about other famous Afro-American leaders. Students compare/contrast slaves home, activities, etc. with that of Afro- Americans today. Students create a time line to post on the wall of Harriet's...

A lesson which combines the skills of notetaking with a history of the Nez Perce War against the United States Cavalry is here for you. Learners take notes while their instructor lectures them on the information. A quiz is given as...

Young historians conclude their study of the events that lead up to and the planning for the March on Washington. After examining videos and primary source documents, they consider the civil rights objectives that still need to be...

Learners research the viewpoints of famous Americans, and then write commencement speeches reflecting these viewpoints to be delivered to high school graduates of today.

Students spend two classroom days contemplating and discussing the qualities of a leader and the definition of a hero. They read the story of Nathaniel Bowditch from the New Trade Winds Website and use it as a catalyst for discussions on...

Students explore U.S. history by researching famous Americans. In this Benjamin Franklin lesson plan, students read portions of a biography about Franklin and identify his position within U.S. politics and as a leader in the battle for...

Eleventh graders study Malcolm X and black power. In this African American instructional activity, 11th graders write a journal entry about black power and create a timeline of the events during the civil right movement.

Students research important figures in the American Civil War. In this research skills lesson, students create trading cards about selected key figures in the war that list details about the figures and their accomplishments.

Eleventh graders identify Mansa Musa and discuss his pilgrimage, explain how he related to leaders in the East, and describe decisions he made about his homeland. They discuss changes brought about in Mali as a result of his pilgrimage.

Students use text and photos to visualize the delivery of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s historic "I Have A Dream" speech. They analyze Dr. King's speech for examples of imagery and allusion and create original poetry and illustrations...

Students analyze a collection of advertisements or photographs in a text or magazine and identify the stereotypes used or possible biases of the editors. They discuss how these stereotypes are formed, and the ways in which they impact...

Students identify and examine four heroes from history and imaginative literature. They discuss the characteristics of a hero and share perceptions of what makes a hero. By comparing and analyzing a few historical and literary figures,...

Students discover how historical events led to the stories of King Arthur and his Court. Students read stories about chivalry and the Round Table, discuss the Holy Grail's symbolism, and role-play an Arthurian character.

Young scholars explore the Sistine Chapel. In this European history lesson, students watch "Sistine Chapel Frescoes: Scenes from Genesis." Young scholars then discuss the Vatican and the role of the Pope. Students then visit a website to...

Students discuss their experiences at festivals and carnivals. They practice using new vocabulary words and match them with their definitions. They read an article about a carnival in London and answer questions.

Students investigate the life and accomplishments of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. They complete a Webquest, listen to an excerpt from a speech, take an online quiz, answer discussion questions, and read newspaper articles about current...