Curated OER
A Sense of Place
Students read "Fish Tale: Falling For a Live One" from The New York Times and discuss the methods and techniques the writer uses to create a strong mental image. Students pick a place in their community they wish to write about and...
Curated OER
The Right and the Power
Students read, discuss and analyze the New York Times article "In Wartime, Who Has the Power?" and relate the article to the Constitution. They then brainstorm how the president and Congress make decisions about the war in Iraq and write...
Curated OER
The Right to Know Your Rights
Young scholars read a New York Times article in order analyze the Miranda Rights. They explore various legal views of these rights through group interviews and presentations.
Curated OER
Whose Peace?
Students discuss the historical conflicts in Israel and the Middle East after reading an article from The New York Times as a class. Students are divided into groups after the discussion and research parties of interest in the Middle...
Curated OER
1846: Portrait of America in the Time of Don Pasquale: An Historic Look at American Life During the 1840's
Students construct an historical timeline extending from 1840-1850. They discuss various people, places, and events on their timelines.
EngageNY
Building Background Knowledge: Learning About the Historical and Geographical Setting of Esperanza Rising (Chapter 1: “Aguascalientes, Mexico, 1924”)
Set up your class to read Esperanza Rising, by Pam Muñoz Ryan, through a class read-aloud and exploration of the setting. The detailed instructional activity outlines each step. First, class members read over the first few pages and...
Curated OER
Crossing the Delaware with Historic, Cultural, and Personal Interpretations
Sixth graders discover the importance of information sources by researching the United States History. In this research gathering lesson, 6th graders examine a historical painting of George Washington and analyze what it means,...
Curated OER
Come One, Come All
Students analyze information from core map and other sources and construct routes from New York and Boston to Cincinnati as they might have existed in 1835.
Curated OER
"I" Witness to History
Young journalists write diary entries from the point of view of a person involved in a historical event. They focus on including facts, clear narration, and accurate description of the individual's feelings.
Curated OER
Robbing the 'Hood?
Students investigate historical figures and how they play a role in tourism by reading and discussing the article "When Robin Hood Supped, Was it Yorkshire Pudding?" In groups, students investigate issues related in the article in...
Smithsonian Institution
Affirmation, Assimilation, and Acculturation: Middle School
Latin American culture is deeply embedded in American culture as a whole. From the Latin rock scene in San Francisco to the hip-hop world of New York, Latin American artists have influenced every genre of modern music. Learn about the...
University of Wisconsin
Why Did the Triangle Fire Occur?
An investigation of the 1911 New York City Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire leads class members to examine primary and secondary source materials related to the event and apply what they learn about the working conditions at the time to...
Curated OER
Cemeteries Are Historical, Not Solely Grave
Young scholars reflect on the value of graveyards as places of great historical importance and information. They create an epitaph for and a brief biography of a deceased historical figure whom they admire.
Curated OER
Historical Perspective
Students research the different perspectives of important groups and figures involved in the American Revolution and apply their findings to write and perform monologues depicting this pivotal time in history.
Curated OER
Number the Stars, by Lois Lowry. New York: Dell 1990
Students recognize courage and heroism of Danish and Swedish people and all others who resisted the Nazis, realize that everyone has the capacity to do good as well as evil, and analyze reasons and motivations that caused certain people...
Curated OER
A Lens into the Past
Explore the history of immigration through photographs. Scholars will view and discuss photographs depicting the culture and lifestyle of late 19th and early 20th century immigrants. They take pictures of current examples of culture in...
National First Ladies' Library
Writing (and Rewriting!) History
Middle schoolers differentiate between fiction and non-fiction, discuss historical fiction, which combines both genres, choose historical novel from list and read independently, and write original short stories that combine elements of...
Curated OER
Hail to the Chief
Students explore how the New York Times has represented presidential victories on its front page throughout the 20th century.
Curated OER
Reading A Historical Photograph
Students examine a historical photograph to gather information and draw conclusions.
Curated OER
Time for All Ages
Fourth graders discover time keeping by analyzing technological advances in history. In this time lesson, 4th graders create and complete a KWL chart based on their research of a famous timekeeping invention, such as a sundial....
Curated OER
Blue Zones: Out with the old and in with the new
Seventh graders read articles about the Blue Zones, life expectancy and healthy and unhealthy habits of people around the world. In this Current Events lesson, 7th graders participate in class discussion of key terms and concepts...
Curated OER
Historical Presents
Students research events, trends, and phenomena of specific years in the twentieth century, then design "time capsules" to commemorate those years.
Elizabeth Murray Project
Colonial Women During the Revolution
Young researchers use the Internet or books to find out about colonial women during the American Revolution. They organize information in a graphic to demonstrate their understanding of the research they gathered before writing a...
Constitutional Rights Foundation
Ellis Island—The “Golden Door” to America
Are you one of the 100 million Americans whose ancestors passed through the doors of Ellis Island? Learn about the historic entry point for immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with an informative reading passage. After...