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...

What a creative approach to studying about the ancient Mayan civilization! Learners will become investigators in the case of the "disappearance" of the Classic Maya by examining a variety of primary and secondary source material,...

Test your pupils' reasoning skills with several activities and a quick mystery to solve. Learners watch and analyze a few video clips that demonstrate reasoning in action, practice deduction with an interactive and collaborative...

Sherlock Holmes may have been the greatest detective in literary history. A study guide for The Hound of the Baskervilles introduces a story featuring the famous detective before sharing activities related to the text. Readers...

Which is more likely: 130 children followed a magical piper out of Hamelin and disappeared forever, or that they died of the plague? Or could they have escaped from Hamelin via a secret tunnel to Transylvania? Learners investigate...

Class members adopt the role of Law and Order history investigators and examine primary source documents to determine the legitimacy of Marco Polo's claim that he traveled to and traded in China. A cleverly crafted...

History detectives eschew that time machine and follow the paper trail to go back in time to investigate an unfamiliar object. The goal is for class members to develop their skills as historical detectives.

Pupils are transformed into detectives in the case to solve the motive behind the assassination of Julius Caesar. This resource includes eight engaging "exhibits" of unique primary and secondary sources for students to analyze...

While much of prehistory is cloaked in mystery, ancient ancestors left evidence in DNA, languages, and materials from their time. Using photographs of items such as cave paintings and ancient tools, as well as maps of linguistic patterns...

Who done it? Class groups adopt the role of crime scene investigators and examine exhibits (primary source documents) to determine who attempted to assassinate the members of the Medici dynasty.

What element was worth more during the growth of empires in West Africa: gold or halite? After examining various pieces of evidence of primary and secondary source documents placed around the room, your class members will each make a...

Immerse yourself in the beautiful, twisted world of Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. A detailed lesson plan provides important details about the writing, stagecraft, music, and literary elements of the famous musical,...

In this everyday editing worksheet, students correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about author Mildred Wirt Benson. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling.

The spacecraft is drifting too far off course! Two games help explain how a spacecraft can use its thrusters to maintain its position. The games have pupils be the components of vectors in order to create and counteract the...

The most famous climbers of Mount Everest could never have made it to the summit without the assistance of the local Sherpa. Christine Taylor-Butler's nonfiction children's book Sacred Mountain: Everest is the focus of an extensive...

Looking for ways to implement the words and works of William Shakespeare into your curriculum? This list of activity ideas is a great starting point, as it covers a wide range of grade levels and a wealth of online references to explore.

A 20-page museum activity book on the history of South Florida. Many of the learning activities can be done on their own, as student reading materials are included in the booklet. Topics covered include the first native peoples, the days...

In this activity, you'll look at a single event-the collapse of the population on an island-from different points of view. You're going to try to make sense of what happened there, and you'll do this using an interdisciplinary approach....

With a brief story and photo of an image, students will do some digging to figure out how old the object pictured is and the history behind it.

This interactive site will engage students' curiosity as they learn about the various types of rocks and how they are formed. Also includes a fantastic timeline, showing the formation of rocks throughout history.

[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about a Mayan pyramid found in Mexico. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

Read about the lost colony of Roanoke, examine the evidence, and devise theories as to what may have happened to the colonists in 1590.

There is no end to the mysteries on this earth - witness the Plain of Jars in Laos. Where did they come from? What were they used for? Theories are provided as well as large pictures of the jars and areas in Laos.

A medical discussion of the plague of Athens and a diagnosis of it as epidemic typhus fever.