Curated OER
Flat Shapes in Three Dimensions
Students examine the 20th-century sculpture "Gandydancer's Dream" by Mark di Suvero. For this visual arts lesson, students examine the sculpture and then use flat shapes and wire to create their own sculpture. The students are...
Curated OER
Exploring Photographs, Lesson 2—A Closer Look: Analysis in the Museum
Students explore photographic works of art. In this visual arts lesson plan, students analyze selected photographs by Garcia, Ray, and Eggleston. Students take their own photographs in the style of these photographers.
Curated OER
The West the Railroads made
Students investigate the effects of time and distance for the creation of a successful railroad. In this railroad lesson plan, students recognize the railroad's need for an exact time schedule was the cause for the creation of time...
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Seeing Ancient Worlds
Learners view the images from the Nature Images Photo Gallery and identify various elements of nature. They then group the elements into categories and discuss what these images tell about the worlds of ancient Native Americans.
Curated OER
Plants in Texas: Then and Now
Seventh graders discuss continuity and change, identify various plant materials, and compare and contrast ways in which early people used plants in Texas in prehistoric times with ways that modern man in Texas uses plants today.
Curated OER
History Detective: The Case of the Mysterious Trunk
Students role play as history detectives. In this historical inquiry instructional activity, students discuss what detectives do, analyze a trunk of "artifacts" and make conclusions about its fictional owner. Students complete six pages...
Curated OER
Burn, Baby Burn (Or Not)
Physics learners apply the concepts of fluid pressure input and output to firefighting. Divide your class into small groups and give them each a few cards that list nozzle type, hose length, hose size, and structure dimensions, They are...
Curated OER
Vessels: Then and Now
Learners determine the role of vessels in ancient Greek life and identify their modern-day equivalents. They describe the role of resources in ancient Greek everyday life and identify modern-day equivalents to ancient Greek tableware.
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Ancient Abstraction
Students compare and debate how an ancient Greek sculpture is similar to modern art. Then they orally describe the cultural contributions of early Greek civilization and their relationship to the modern world.
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Meet a Creature From Ancient China
Young scholars view an image of a Chinese chimera and complete a chart describing what they see and understand about the creature. They compare funerary customs today to those of ancient China. They compile a list of items that might be...
Curated OER
Facts, Feats and Folklore: Spiders
Students review and discuss a variety of sayings, folklore and superstitions about spiders. They discuss this information and choose either an interesting fact or appealing foklore tradition to illustrate.
Curated OER
Transportation and Communication Timeline
Students discuss the growth of transportation and communication technology since 1500 C.E. Individually or in groups, they research lists of developments in the two areas. Finally, students create timelines indicating the development...
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Chesapeake and Ohio Canal
Students use maps, readings, drawings, plans and photos to research and the importance of canals in the early industrial economy of America. They consider the development of the Potomac River Canal and research early transportation methods.
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Social Studies: Families Today and Yesterday
Students examine past and contemporary family life. Using Venn diagrams, they compare and contrast the two and write short statements about them. Among the areas for consideration are clothing, food, transportation, and traditions.
Curated OER
Social Studies: Reasons Diseases become Epidemic
High schoolers identify reasons diseases become epidemic and list them in web format. They explore additional questins to to better investigate the time periods mentioned: 14th century, America at contact and the Age of Industry.
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Salem's Maritime History: A History of our New Nation
Eighth graders examine the impact of Salem's maritime trade on America. Using primary source documents, they identify the use of expanding the number of products available and how it affected the economy. They write an essay discussing...
Curated OER
Rules, Resistance and Repeal: How the Stamp Act Was Repealed
Eighth graders examine the causes of the American Revolution. Participating in activities, they discover how it would have felt to be taxed without representation. They identify an object from a museum and discuss how it might have been...
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Social Studies: Analyzing Massachusetts Immigration
Students investigate immigration in Massachusetts during the 1990's. They research a series of questions pertaining to immigration, including their experiences, obstacles, and countries of origin. They graph the five most prevalent...
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Vietnam and the Long-Term Effects of War
Students examine an image of civilians affected by the Vietnam War. They research and discuss the reasons the Vietnam War began, why America became involved, and what some of the long-term effects of this war have been.
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Washington/Lincoln Compare and Contrast
Students examine the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Using the information, they complete a Venn diagram discovering what the two men had in common. In groups, they review a timeline made in an earlier lesson and view a...
Curated OER
Ideas and Commodities Cross Cultural Regions
Students compare and contrast how commodities native to certain countries have impacted the economies of other nations. After gathering information regarding how commodities are grown and traded, students use their information to...
National First Ladies' Library
Leeches and Spiders and Toads, Oh, My! The Emergence of Modern Medicine
Students explore the basic ideas and beliefs about medicine in the 18th and 19th centuries. They write a news account to be published in a "medical journal" developed by the class. Each "article" in the journal should be dated...
Curated OER
Technology and Change
Students write a paragraph explaining how a technological innovation from a particular country has affected the world. Using a variety of resources, students identify a technological innovation, giving accurate historical and...
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The U.S. and Iroquois Constitutions
Students receive and interpret copies of US Constitution and Iroquois Constitution. Then they reference (look up) the articles mentioned by Daly in the Iroquois Constitution text, and analyze for parallel meaning in the US Constitution....