C-SPAN
Last Days of Martin Luther King, Jr.
On April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. Four video clips reveal the events of that time, including the shift in the focus of the Civil Rights Movement, the aftermath of the assassination, and...
Literacy Volunteers of Greater Hartford
Similes Activity using Jazz (featuring Duke Ellington)
Language learners get into the swing of things with a jazzy lesson about similes. They read an article about Duke Ellington, listen to samples of his music, and then try their hand at crafting similes to describe his improvisational and...
Academy of American Poets
Teach This Poem: "Theme for English B" by Langston Hughes
Langston Hughes' "Theme for English B" is featured in a lesson plan that asks pupils to first read a biography of Hughes and list things about his life they think are important. The class then reads the poem and compares what they...
C-SPAN
Presidential Candidate Firsts
Hilary Clinton may have been the first woman to run for president on a major party ticket, but she was only one example of an historic candidacy. Class members use video clips curated from C-SPAN to examine historical firsts in...
C-SPAN
Women's Suffrage and the 19th Amendment
The right to vote was hard-won after decades of organizing by women and their allies. Using a series of video clips featuring women's historians, class members consider the efforts behind the Nineteenth Amendment. Possible extension...
PBS
Keep Your Head Up | Black America Since MLK: And Still I Rise
Change may be slow in coming, but things do change. Oprah Winfrey and Black Entertainment Television CEO, Robert L. Johnson, discuss the opportunities available to them due to the efforts of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil...
Facing History and Ourselves
Hardship and Hope: Teaching Amanda Gorman's "New Day's Lyric"
Class members come together to study Amanda Gorman's poem "New Day's Lyric." After a close reading of the poem, learners watch a video of Gorman reading her poem, and then craft additional lines for the poem where they offer suggestions...
Curated OER
Striking a Deal
Students explore the economic repercussions of a potential Major League Baseball strike. Then, through researching other labor strikes in American history, students consider the importance and impact of labor unions in United States...
Curated OER
Dinosaurs Were Real!
Students investigate the history of dinosaurs, as real animals. In this dinosaur lesson plan, students examine basic concepts that help them understand the history of all life. Included in this article is information on the world of the...
Curated OER
Learning from Letters and Other Mail
Students explore the history of our mail system. In this postal lesson plan, students evaluate mail as a means of communication, create a mail system in their classroom where they can send and receive mail. Once the students receive...
Curated OER
Dow And Jones: Wizards of Wall Street
Students view a documentary on Mr. Dow and Mr. Jones. The Dow-Jones Industrial Average is the most commonly used economic indicator in American finance. After viewing, students discuss what they saw and complete a timeline to chart stock...
Curated OER
JAPAN, IMAGES A PEOPLE
Students interpret Japanese and American paintings; evaluate paintings as sources of cultural and historical information
Curated OER
Modern-Day America: Ronald Reagan Presidency to 9/11
Students examine contemporary America. In this contemporary American history lesson, students watch a DVD titled "Modern-Day America," discuss the events depicted in the video, and create memorials for those who perished in the 9/11...
Curated OER
Circle of Caring
Middle schoolers examine lives that have been lived for the positive good of others. In this philanthropy instructional activity, students discuss famous philanthropists and what they have in common. Middle schoolers define philanthropy,...
Curated OER
America's Wars
Students classify information regarding American involvement in wars. In this classification lesson, students examine the causes of the war in which the United States has been involved, and classify them as mainly political, social,...
Curated OER
The Westward Movement
Students study the westward movement through examining stamps. For this westward movement lesson plan, students draw conclusions, determine cause and effect relationships and examine the westward movement of the United States by...
National Endowment for the Humanities
Nathaniel Hawthorne and Literary Humor
Young scholars examine Nathaniel Hawthorne's style of humor and compare it to other humorists. They discuss the purpose of literary humor and determine how it develops characters and plots in stories. They analyze the use of different...
Curated OER
Bigger Than Life
Eighth graders explore the life of Jackie Robinson. In this American History lesson, students examine different examples of courage. Students read an article about Jackie Robinson.
Curated OER
Abraham Lincoln
In this biography worksheet, students read a one page factual story about Abraham Lincoln. Students then answer 7 questions about the story.
Curated OER
Antietam Quiz
In this online interactive Civil War worksheet, students respond to 14 multiple choice questions about the Battle of Antietam. Students may check their answers immediately.
Curated OER
An Introduction to the National Archives
Fifth graders study the national archives through both images AND visiting the site. This is meant to provide them with an understanding of what documents are important to the U.S. and why (i.e. Declaration of Independence, etc...).
Curated OER
Who Am I? Famous Scientists
In this scientists worksheet, students read a brief synopsis of a scientist, then try to identify the person, 12 total. Worksheet contains links to additional activities.
Curated OER
ELLIS ISLAND: THE EARLY DAYS
In this reading comprehension instructional activity about the history of Ellis Island, students are given a 7-paragraph essay to read and 5 follow-up multiple-choice questions to answer.
Curated OER
VH1 100 Greatest Women of Rock & Roll Lesson 1
Young scholars the influence of women's music in history and the suffrage movement.