In this recognizing facts about the state of Massachusetts instructional activity, students read factual phrases and choose the who, what, or where answers. Students choose 10 multiple choice answers.

A thorough set of activities, articles, and reference material can enlighten your class about the history of whaling in New England. Kids travel back to a time when whale products were valuable and hunting whales was a way to help the...

“America herself is an improbable journey.” So is Deval Patrick’s journey from the South Side of Chicago to the governorship of Massachusetts. The complete text of Patrick’s inaugural speech, delivered outdoors facing Boston Common,...

Students, in groups, analyze the characterization of Shakespeare's Shylock from "Merchant of Venice". They examine text, view movies and interpretative drawings and conduct historical research.

In 1856 Congressman Preston Brooks of South Carolina beat Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts over the head with a cane. This event, which highlighted the acrimonious debate over the expansion of slavery, is the focus of a paper...

The first legal gay marriage in the United States occurred in Massachusetts in 2004. Since then, countless others have tied the knot. Scholars decide whether gay marriage should be legal by reading a history of the issue, analyzing the...

Learners create a haiku and illustrate it on the computer. For this haiku lesson plan, students review the history of the haiku while they are outside and then write their own. Learners then use a computer program to illustrate their poem.

Students investigate the history of civil rights by viewing historical photographs.  In this U.S. history lesson, students discuss why Black Soldiers fought for their rights by joining the Union Army in the 1800's.  Students...

In this Massachusetts Bay Colony worksheet, students read information and assess comprehension and vocabulary skills. In this multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and true or false worksheet, students answer ten questions.

Celebrate Black History Month getting to know more about Lewis Latimer. Here, scholars read about his life and success, then apply their new-found knowledge by responding to questions about the text with short answers. 

Why is a letter a better way to learn about a person than a different primary source? Explore Thomas Day's ideas and advice to his daughter in a letter from 1851, which details the struggles of the American South before the Civil War....

Learners explore the U.S. Constitution through music. In this Bill of Rights lesson, students discuss a hypothetical case regarding lyrics by Madonna and the historical Massachusetts Blue Laws. Learners use the Bill of Rights to support...

In these English lesson plans, learners use video, the Internet and non-fiction essays to research the history of the English language. They write a short research paper and design a PowerPoint presentation showcasing their findings.

Students study the state of the world before the slave trade. They explain the geography and economics of the slave trade. They explore primary sources and how historians use these sources to create historical interpretations.

Louisa May Alcott's Little Women is a literary masterpiece as well as a timestamp of the formative mid-nineteenth century in America. Using a primary source set of photographs, letters, and portraits, readers discuss the ways...

In this general knowledge of American history #67 instructional activity, 6th graders interactively answer 10 multiple choice questions with immediate online feedback.

Discover the nutritional wonders of apples and get to know Johnny Appleseed with a plethora of learning experiences that cover subjects math, history, English language arts, health, and arts and crafts. Activities include an apple...

For this history worksheet, students read a one page biography about Frederick Douglass. Students then answer 15 short essay questions about the text.

In this reading comprehension worksheet, 4th graders will read a 3 page expository passage about Clara Barton, the founder of the American Red Cross. They will then answer 10 questions based on the passage.

Young scholars study the Temperate Grasslands biome of North America. They explain that it is an endangered ecosystem because the rich soils have been converted to farming in most areas. They view videos imbedded in this plan, then...

Seventh graders research the life of Fredrick Douglass. In this Fredrick Douglass instructional activity, 7th graders read about his life and discuss it. They write poetry describing his experience as a slave and create their own...

Learners write letters to penpals. In this geography/literacy lesson, students become penpals with a classroom in England to learn about customs and society across the ocean. Flat Stanley by Will Holton is read aloud, and learners...

Students discover the history of America by identifying the traditional colonies.  In this U.S. history lesson, students examine a world map and identify where the voyagers left from Europe to arrive at the United States. ...

High schoolers examine the heroic archetype and apply it to the history of Paul Revere's Ride and to Longfellow's poem, "Paul Revere's Ride." They identify heroic qualities, discuss archetypes, read and discuss Joseph Campbell's "Stages...