Lesson Plan
PBS

Crack the Case: History's Toughest Mysteries

For Teachers 6th - 12th Standards
Young sleuths don their trench coats, tip their fedoras, and grab their notepads to investigate one of four famous unsolved mysteries. After examining multiple primary and secondary sources related to their cold case, they propose a...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mystery Strategy for Elementary Students

For Teachers 2nd - 6th
Learners of all ages solve historical mysteries. Elementary learners research historical topics by organizing information presented by their instructor, formulating hypotheses, and considering solutions to mysteries presented about...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Stonehenge: Solving Ancient Mysteries

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners investigate the mystery of Stonehenge. In this Stonehenge lesson, students participate in a classroom activity that requires them to research information about Stonehenge as well as information regarding archeology and...
Lesson Planet Article
Curated OER

History's Mysteries Lesson Plans

For Teachers 6th - 8th
By exploring history's mysteries, like Stonehenge, students can learn about historical research.
PPT
Curated OER

The Mystery of History: Who Killed Lord Darnley?

For Teachers 7th - 9th
History is made all the more intriguing when presented as a mystery. The class uses the provided clues to draw a conclusion as to how Lord Darnley, husband of Mary Queen of Scots, died. This is a very fun way to introduce or review...
Activity
Mr. Roughton

History Mystery: The Black Death

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Was the medieval Black Death the same disease as the modern bubonic plague? Your class members become the top investigators in the case, examining a variety of exhibits (i.e. disease descriptions, sample historical letter, map, etc.) in...
Lesson Plan
Penn Museum

Ancient History Math Mystery

For Teachers 6th - 8th Standards
Through several organized and attractive worksheets, your learners will make a deduction about tally marks and hieroglyphics to determine what they represent in the ancient numeral system. This is a well-designed, interdisciplinary...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

History/Mystery: Regionalism and Ethnicity in the American Detective Novel

For Teachers 9th - 12th
High schoolers use mystery novels to focus on the history and ethnicity of different regions of the United States. As a class, they are introduced to the elements of a mystery and compare them to the other types of novels they have...
Interactive
Smithsonian Institution

Who Am I?: A History Mystery

For Students 5th - 12th Standards
Who Am I? Scholars go online to gather clues and evidence to uncover just who was involved in the American Civil War. They use hands-on Internet activities to come to an understanding of the roles soldiers and civilians played in the...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Medieval Mystery: Can you decode the dark secrets of this cartoon?

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students discover coding in medieval cartoons. In this medieval mystery lesson, students view cartoons from history to see if they can identify the clues or solve the mystery. 
Lesson Plan
PBS

Cardboard History

For Teachers 3rd - 11th
A PBS clip focused on collecting sports memorabilia launches this research project instructional activity. Class members then read Dan Gutman’s Honus and Me in which Wagner’s baseball card is used to time travel. The instructional...
PPT
Curated OER

History Detectives: Who Does the Bag Belong To?

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Turn your kids into super sleuths! They use all eight clues to determine who owns the mystery bag. Each slide shows one clue to the famous person's identity, it's up to your class to find out who the bag belongs to! Tip: This idea could...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mystery State #23

For Students 5th - 8th
For this United States mystery worksheet, learners determine which state is described by the 5 clues listed on the sheet and then mark it on the outline map of the United States.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mystery State #31

For Students 5th - 8th
In this United States mystery learning exercise, students determine which state is described by the 5 clues listed on the sheet and then mark it on the outline map of the United States.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mystery State #35

For Students 5th - 8th
In this United States mystery worksheet, students determine which state is described by the 5 clues listed on the sheet and then mark it on the outline map of the United States.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mystery State #38

For Students 5th - 8th
In this United States mystery worksheet, students determine which state is described by the 5 clues listed on the sheet and then mark it on the outline map of the United States.
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mystery State #36

For Students 5th - 8th
In this United States mystery worksheet, learners determine which state is described by the 5 clues listed on the sheet and then mark it on the outline map of the United States.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Mystery Christmas Carols

For Teachers 1st - 6th
Students research the history of Christmas carols and find out where the practice of caroling originated. They copy the words to and then illustrate a Christmas song. Afterwards, they identify each other's favorite songs from their...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Mystery State #26

For Students 4th - 6th
In this mystery state worksheet, students answer five clues to identify the state in question. They then locate that state on a map.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Cold War: Solving the Mystery of History with Voices on Vinyl

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders explore the Cold War Era. In this world history lesson, 8th graders discover the positions taken by countries during the Cold War as they listen to lectures regarding the major events and turning points in the Cold War....
Lesson Plan
Moanalua Gardens Foundation

The Mystery of Rapa Nui

For Teachers 5th - 8th Standards
What caused the collapse of the environment on Rapa Nui (Easter Island)? Who constructed the Moai? What was their purpose? Class members assume the role of investigators and use evidence drawn from field studies, ships' logs, and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

A Day at the Ancient Olympics

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Pupils examine how athletes from various ancient Greek city-states behaved at the Olympic Games. They conduct Internet research, take notes on a worksheet, and write a screenplay for a television drama about the Olympic Games in ancient...
Worksheet
Curated OER

Utah: State History

For Students 4th - 5th
In this Utah state history learning exercise, students read two and a half pages of information about Utah and complete 10 true and false questions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

The Mystery of the Shoe Box

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders do the work of historians. In this world history lesson, 6th graders examine the artifacts and handouts in mystery boxes that their teachers prepare. Students collaborate to solve the mystery of their assigned boxes as they...