PBS
Using Primary Sources: Wide Open Town
A picture speaks a thousand words, no matter how old! Scholars use political cartoons from the era of Prohibition and the Temperance Movement to analyze what, a primary document (in this case, a bootlegger's notebook) is telling them...
Curated OER
Arkansas State Mineral: Quartz Mineral
The quartz crystals found in the mountains of Arkansas are among the purest and clearest in the world! This lesson has middle schoolers focus on this state mineral of Arkansas as they study the state's geography. A fun game is...
Curated OER
Martin Luther King
Identify contributions that Martin Luther King, Jr. made to society through assigning a research project! Third and fourth graders write about how it felt to be discriminated against during the game. They describe something they can do...
Curated OER
Mesopotamia
Sixth graders describe the geography of Mesopotamia, explain the characteristics of Sumerian city-states, and identify the cultural practices of the ancient Sumerians. They then explain how empires formed in Mesopotamia.
The New York Times
Super Brand
Children can recognize popular brands from an early age, but these images symbolize much more than what they advertise. Take a journey through the design of a logo with a activity that focuses on the history and ubiquity of the Super...
Curated OER
Great Quotes from Shakespeare
Well-known words from Shakespeare's plays are often quoted, but do you know what play those words come from? Show off your knowledge by choosing the correct play for each quote given. Mostly multiple-choice, a few questions are...
Practical Money Skills
About Credit
It's tempting to stay away from credit cards entirely, and it can also be tempting to charge large purchases on credit cards with the intention to pay them off later. But as a three-part lesson on credit and debt shows your high...
NASA
Water Works on a Blue Planet
Keep within a water budget. Learners find out that less than 2.5% of Earth's water is available to drink—and that there is a fixed amount of water. Scholars read an interesting article comparing the available water to a game of Monopoly...
Curated OER
The Olympics Return Home
Middle schoolers compare the ancient Olympic Games with the modern version of the event. They study the history of the Games and observe how they have changed through time.
Curated OER
Mythopoly: Where in the World Is Odysseus?
Students study Greek mythology. Among other activities, they evaluate a work of art and discuss the influence, significance, and history as it pertains to mythology. As a culminating activity they create a board game that shows their...
Curated OER
"Lighthouses"
Students listen to the book "Beacons of Light" by Gail Gibbons and identify the different characteristics and facts concerning lighthouses and their history. They examine the differences between fiction and non-fiction books and engage...
Curated OER
You Gotta Know the Territory
Pupils examine the relationship between Native Americans and those who settled the Iowa territory. In this Iowa history lesson, students investigate the process for settling the territory and how intercultural relationships developed...
Curated OER
Mehen - Egyptian Activity Sheet
In this Egyptian game worksheet, students cut out the game board and the game pieces and follow the directions to play "Mehen", the snake game.
Curated OER
Toys
Students complete a variety of activities as they explore toys. They categorize toys; they play games with toys; they bring in toys to show and tell; they discuss the history of some toys; etc.
Curated OER
Shapes and Shelters
Students are be able to analyze primary sources (photographs) for evidence of Ancient Egyptian culture and design meaningful objects. They are grouped in pairs and instructed to choose someone that they admire, either living or...
Curated OER
American Indian Homes in Kansas
First graders explore culture by researching U.S. history. For this American Indian lesson, 1st graders discuss the geography of Kansas and the different Native American tribes that inhabited the state and the types of homes they lived...
PBS
Snowboarding Women Making History: Winter Sports, Gender Roles in Sports, Biographies
Students will explore biographical Web pages about women who are competing in snowboarding. They will compare and contrast the experiences of these women, and design interview questions to be submitted via email.
Curated OER
Women in Baseball:Talk Show
Students explore the development of women's baseball during the 20th century. They "role play" women who participated in some form of baseball (amateur, semi-professional, or professional) as well as other advocates of women's sports as...
Curated OER
Putting Together History Puzzle Pieces
Students attempt to put puzzle pieces together with no prior knowledge. This activity shows students at the beginning of the year that history is like a puzzle, there are often missing pieces, and many ways the pieces can turn to look...
Curated OER
The Fall of Rome
A study of the fall of the Roman Empire can lead students on an interesting exploration of history.
Curated OER
The Perfect President
Students advertise for the perfect president. In this presidential duties lesson, students determine the attributes that the ideal president should have and then write job descriptions for the role.
Curated OER
Sport as Social Ritual
Students become familiar with the sport that became a social ritual in ancient American cultures, examining its importance. They gain an understanding of how contemporary sports have acquired importance within modern American culture.
Curated OER
European Integration: Who and Why?
This French IV-V lesson addresses European integration into the European Union. French language learners research, discuss, and present in the target language. Online research, discussion, and presentations will take approximately 5-7...
Curated OER
Context Clues
Work on context clues with your ninth graders in this lesson, which focuses on identifying and analyzing clues to define unfamiliar words. They identify context clues in a passage to recognize words they haven't seen before, and then...