Curated OER
Exploring Pioneer America
Fourth graders research pioneers who had a strong influence on westward expansion. In this westward expansion lesson, 4th graders write an essay about four pioneers and an interview script about one. Students work in pairs to present...
Curated OER
Rome: Republic to Empire
Sixth graders discuss the rise of Rome from a republic to a dictatorship. In small groups, they role-play as congress people debating whether or not to give the president more powers. In another activity, 6th graders produce television...
Curated OER
Computers: Get Plugged In!
Students examine the significance of learning to use the computer and the Internet. They watch and discuss a video, conduct Internet research on a celebrity or historical figure, and teach a lesson to a person about navigating the Internet.
Curated OER
100 Remarkable People
Young scholars investigate a variety of important historical figures in order to present a report to the class. The use of internet research skills is reinforced for the beginning of the lesson plan and culminates in an oral presentation...
Annenberg Foundation
America's History in the Making: Classroom Applications Four
The final installment of a 22-part American history series examines the many faces that make up the country's story. From Henry Ford to Tulio Serrano, scholars use biographical evidence and Internet research to uncover the people behind...
Curated OER
Baseball Memories
Students act as historians by, first, reading and analyzing oral histories of professional baseball players to become familiar with baseball figures. Then, they proceed to interview family members, relatives, or neighbors who have...
PBS
Who Knows Best
Finding an expert in a given field when conducting research can be a challenge. This guide provides step-by-step directions as well as links to resources that help young sleuths find the authorities and experts they need. As a bonus, two...
Curated OER
Dangerous Straits
High schoolers view a film and read articles that explore controversial Chinese and American relations. They conduct interviews, participate in class role-plays and develop policy recommendations for government agencies.
Curated OER
Come On, Rain!
Students read and analyze the story. In this language arts lesson, students read Come on, Rain! and examine how mood and tone are created, the use of figurative language and the characteristics of the genre. Students research the...
Curated OER
The Great Migration
Students explore the issue of immigration. They interview someone who came here recently from a place where English is not the first language, research their place of origin and answer discussion questions.
Curated OER
Fidel Castro: El Comandante
Students view a documentary on Fidel Castro. After nearly forty years of rule, he remains one of the most controversial political figures of the twentieth century. After viewing, students discuss what they saw and research the Cuban...
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
Family Tree
Students examine their family history in order to create a family tree. Explain the concept of the family. They are encouraged to interview their parents, grandparents aunts and uncles to get as much information as possible.
New York City Department of Education
Myself and Others
Self reflection is an important skill to reinforce in our children, and it's especially helpful to help them realize who they are in the context of their environment. A collection of lessons about self image and community encourage...
Curated OER
Honoring Neighborhood Heroes
Read biographies and use the internet to research stories of courage.Young writers compare and contrast characteristics that societies value. They write reports about their family and community's heroes.
Curated OER
Sam Houston for President...Again
Fourth graders discover the political career of Sam Houston. In this Texas history lesson, 4th graders research primary resources and create a modern-day version of Sam Houston's political campaign of the 1840s.
Curated OER
Indian Heroes And Role Models
Fourth graders investigate the concept of heroes and role models within the Native American community. They use primary and secondary resources to answer specific questions intended to bring the students to a definition of Native...
Curated OER
Great Questions
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.
Curated OER
Black History Month
Students work in cooperative pairs to research information and give oral presentations about African American men and women who have made significant contributions to U.S. history.
Curated OER
Night of the Notables
Young scholars read several biographies of famous Americans and discuss the characteristics of a biography. Students collect biographical information on another person in the class and write a biography. Young scholars research and...
Curated OER
Night
Students read Night by Elie Wiesel, examine importance of survivor testimonials like Wiesel's in preventing future Holocausts, research biographical information online about Wiesel, and create author brochure including vital statistics,...
Curated OER
Why War? Causes of the American Revolution and South Carolina's Role
Eighth graders investigate the role of South Carolina in the American Revolution. In this colonial American instructional activity, 8th graders analyze primary documents and images to determine how the state was involved in the outbreak...
Curated OER
Great Questions for Tic Tac Toe
Fourth graders plan their own activities to reinforce the concepts being taught in school. The tic-tac-toe grid is used to help students create innovative learning activities to generate ideas.
Curated OER
Read Martin's Big Words
Students read Martin's Big Words. In this social studies activity, students read and discuss the life and times of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.