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Stormy Memories
Students explore the details about a major storm that was witnessed by their parents, neighbors, and other people of the community. The recollections are compared and contrasted and gathered to compose and present an account of the storm...
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Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs
Fourth graders participate in a play to work on seeing events from a different perspective. Some of them are reporters, some cameramen and women, and others are interviewed. They put themselves in the shoes of the people in the book...
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Living History
Students investigate historic events through the eyes of people who were their age when the event happened. Through personal interviews, students gain insights on the impact of these events on these people's lives and on the world at large.
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The Cold War And Beyond
Students interview an adult that grew up in the United States during the Cold War to develop an understanding of the concept of mutually assured destruction. They focus the interview on how the person dealt with the threat of nuclear...
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Connection to the Past
Students learn basic interviewing and biography writing skills. They first identify a senior citizen in their community who remembers the Great Depression.
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Getting to Know Our School
Students explore their school and the various types of people who work there (school nurse, custodian, and principal). They interview these people and complete an activity based on the information they have obtained.
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Hark, the Herald Atheists Sing
Learners complete a one minute interview on their classmates views on religion and holiday traditions. They read an article about how Americans celebrate Christmas in different ways. Creating in-depth questions, they practice...
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Developing a Relationship with Senior Citizens
Students examine how to value their elders and the senior citizens in society. They show empathy through literature to people who are generation or more older than themselves. They also study the importance of genealogy.
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Views of 9/11
Fifth graders examine through research ways people around the world viewed events of September 11, 2001, analyze how United States foreign policies have caused conflict with other regions and countries, research and read first person...
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The Art Of War
Students analyze the military, business, and political implications of Sun Tzu's book The Art of War. In this literature lesson, students read and discuss the novel prior to interviewing business people about business practices that...
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Exploring Pioneer America
Fourth graders research pioneers who had a strong influence on westward expansion. In this westward expansion lesson, 4th graders write an essay about four pioneers and an interview script about one. Students work in pairs to present...
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An Upbeat West Side Story: Puerto Ricans and Postwar Racial Politics in Chicago
Tenth graders read an article about the migration of Puerto Ricans to Chicago. As a class, they identify the barriers the immigrants faced regarding employment and separation from family members. To end the lesson, they work with a...
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U.S. Constitution Roll Call
First graders simulate the signing of the constitution. In this American history lesson plan, 1st graders take on the roll of newspaper reporters during 1787. Students must pretend to interview signers of the constitution and create a...
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Kicking It Around
Students analyze the recent boom in women's sports, focusing on the Women's World Cup Soccer tournament to examine various people's views about women athletes. They write a newspaper article summarizing what they learned in their...
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True Music
Eleventh graders research a given decade in US History. In this American History lesson, 11th graders interview a person who lived during the decade to gain a personal perspective on it. Students rehearse and present their...
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Timeline of Extreme Weather Events
Students research and chart extreme weather events on a timeline. In this extreme weather lesson, students interview older people who have experienced extreme weather events. Students complete a worksheet based on the information of the...
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Alexander the Great
Students examine the accomplishments of Alexander the Great. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students research the life and leadership of Alexander the Great. Students then script and perform modern news conferences, talk shows, or...
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Good Health Care
Students work in collaborative groups researching topics such as nutrition, the benefits of exercise on the body, dental and personal hygiene. They conduct interviews, create charts and posters, and report their results with a written...
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Now and Then
Students record transformations and their effects within and across cultures. Students study the life of specific people in a former time period and then in the present time period. This teacher focused on the Winnebago tribe, using her...
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My Family Tree
Students create a family tree. In this ancestry lesson, students research a country that one of their ancestors is from. Students interview a grandparent and map out a family tree.
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Fighting 20th-Century Tyranny
Students examine political regimes of the 1900s. In this government structures lesson, students watch "Fighting 20th Century Tyranny," and discuss the Holocaust and communism. Students simulate mock interviews with the individuals in the...
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Immigration and Migration Today and During the Great Depression
Students conduct oral history interviews and research primary resources to explain changes in immigration and migration over time.
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Past School Practices
Young scholars research the history of a school system. In this school system lesson, students list the grade levels and subjects taught in their school and interview their teachers and administrators. Young scholars collect past...
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Immigration Oral History
Students explore oral history and how it is important to historical record. They interview someone who is a U.S. immigrant and create an oral history project/paper based on this interview.