Examine the role of slaves,, slave owners, and abolitionists during the Civil War with a study of the history of the Underground Railroad. Through the many links learners research the people involved and the heroes of the movement....

To gain a better understanding of Hispanic heritage and culture, as well as to build informational comprehension skill, learners explore facets of Hispanic American History. They engage in a class discussion, research three facts, and...

Learners who have a grasp on the events of the Revolutionary war view clips from five different films as secondary sources. They take notes on each clip thinking about historic inaccuracies. They then view parts of the film The Patriot...

Who were Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton? High schoolers examine the character traits of these historical figures and watch the video, The Duel. Hamilton vs. Burr: An Event that Changed History (available from PBS), to gain...

Epics, like the Odyssey, were told over the span of several days and drew quite a crowd. Before starting the famous work with your class, review this presentation to gain some insight into the structure and history of epic poems. 

Two great men, one time period, and one purpose; it sounds like a movie trailer, but it's not. It's a very good comparative analysis lesson focused on Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Learners will research and read informational...

Famous people who have overcome obstacles are the focus of this language arts and social studies lesson. Pupils are introduced to the concept that they have the ability to overcome obstacles in life. They read selections embedded in the...

“It was a miracle.” Basil Heatter’s “The Long Night of the Little Boats,” which details the miraculous rescue of the British army from the shores of Dunkirk in 1940, is featured in a series of exercises that ask class members to read,...

A picture is worth a thousand words, but a comic strip combines both images and words for the ultimate narrative effect. After reading The Three Little Pigs and deciphering the plot elements, elementary readers work through four...

In this international communication of why English activity, students participate in four activities including why important sites are relevant to the history of communication, matching explanations with sites and conversation starters...

Students gather information from a senior friend to write a biography. In this living history books lesson, students organize information to complete a book about their senior friend. Detailed teacher instructions for completing the book...

Students examine the relationship between relics found in history museum exhibits and the meaningful ways in which those relics are presented. They, in groups, select objects for a history exhibit about the event or time period of their...

Learners read the story Ancient Ones about a forest that is connected to all the life around it. In this reading lesson plan, students also create a tall folding book about the forest.

Students investigate the role and nature of story-telling as it preserves history and culture and discuss how puppetry serves as an effective method of presentation. They create basic outlines for puppet shows that relay important...

Learners complete activities with the book Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. In this literature lesson, students read this story and view the Dust Bowl history from the eyes of a child. They discover the Great Depression and life in...

Learners investigate art by observing historical sculptures from New Guinea. In this art history lesson, students observe pictures of the "Orator's Stool"from Papua New Guinea, while identifying the small details that make it unique....

Students explore triptychs.  In this art history lesson, students define the terms "photograph" and "triptych".  Students discuss changes that occur between mothers and daughters and create an original triptych using...

Learners investigate cultural art from Canada by reading about Maud Lewis.  In this Canadian history lesson plan, students identify the work of Lewis by visiting her magazine website.  Learners identify other heroes in Nova...

Students explore Aboriginal culture by participating in an art activity. In this First Nation history lesson, students utilize the Internet to research images and designs from Native American culture. Students create images on quilting...

If you're looking to tie rap music into poetry writing, this would be a good presentation to use as you kick off your mini-unit. Learners are given a brief, but descriptive, history of rap music and rap poetry. The slides include...

Who were some of the popular playwrights of Elizabethan England? Using the provided fact sheets, scholars research playwrights, explore three different types of plays, and learn about censorship in Elizabethan England. 

As the saying goes, art often imitates life ... and literature! A series of activities designed to accompany a visit to the Ogden Museum of Southern Art encourage writers to find inspiration in various landscapes. The lesson includes a...

Covering vocabulary, literary analysis, and grammar, this worksheet would be a great study guide or homework assignment for an eighth-grade Language Arts class. Though the five stories by Edgar Allan Poe, O. Henry, and Oscar Wilde are...

Your class continues to explore the history of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In addition to learning about the background of this text, learners work on the skill of identifying and understanding key academic vocabulary....