While ancient Mesopotamia didn't have the TV show "Shark Tank," it was a time of entrepreneurship as workers began to specialize. Both individual workers and the societal structure encouraged individuals to consider how they could...

Scholars examine the first Thanksgiving through books and interviews while they complete a KWL chart. Pretending they are part of the feast, learners craft a scrapbook page that features images related to their experience. Pupils reflect...

Celebrate 100 years of women's suffrage by planning a re-enactment of famous women discussing their fight. After learners view a series of interviews with famous women played by actors, including Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and...

To understand how the allotment policy embedded in the Dawes Act, passed by the U.S. government in 1887,  affected the tribal sovereignty of Native Americans, young historians examine various maps and documents and Supreme Court...

Modern Jewish holidays have ancient roots with many connections to today. Using photographs of primary sources, such as fragments of a shofar, as well as texts, such as the Hebrew Tanakh, learners explore how Jewish holidays reflect...

How does examining an ice core tell us about weather? Learners set up and explore fake ice cores made of sugar, salt, and ash to represent historical snowfall and volcanic eruptions. From their setups, scholars determine what caused the...

Introduce young musicians to the history of and different styles of music with an inquiry-based learning activity that asks them to play detectives to determine the similarities and differences among the sheet music found at a series of...

History comes to life with the play The Best of Enemie. Scholars learn literary elements as well explore racial issues in American history. The play is based on a true story and addresses the universal truth that people are capable of...

How can radioactive decay help date old objects? Learners explore half-life and radioactive decay by conducting an experiment using pennies to represent atoms. Young scientists graph data from the experiment to identify radioactive decay...

Combine basic mathematics skills with your next social studies lesson. This presentation answers the question, "Where did the Roman Numeral system come from?" It provides a brief history of the Roman Numeric System, demonstrates how to...

After comparing and contrasting non-violent and violent social movements, your young historians will take a closer look at the work and influence of John Lewis on the civil rights movement. They will then choose a current social...

An interactive map equipped with images, text, and clickable links takes history buffs on a journey through the Civil Rights trail. Scholars discovery locations including Atlanta, Georgia, Jackson, and Mississippi as part of an...

Learners complete a six-page coloring book featuring Major League Baseball's first African American player, Jackie Robinson. To bring the pages to life, scholars follow directions adding color and pictures where directed. 

How were the development of railroads critical to the rise of empires? Scholars delve into the relationship between the two using a documents-based question from College Board. Other prompts explore ideas such as nomadic and sedentary...

The Civil Rights Movement was only the beginning. Using images and a series of queries, learners consider current fights for equality. After viewing video clips profiling the women's rights movement, the American Indian Movement, and...

Using the family stories of a famous comedian and singer-songwriter, learners consider what life was like for African Americans who were enslaved and free before the Civil War. To complete a concluding activity, they write about the...

Do history books tell the full story of Helen Keller? The sanitized version of Helen Keller found in most textbooks leaves out her most provocative ideas. She was a socialist, fought for workers' rights, and advocated for the use of...

Museums offer more than interesting exhibits—they are key to keeping history alive. An immersive activity uses a virtual field trip to show academics the importance of museums in preserving history. Young historians learn how museums are...

How does a new religion start? The informative resource highlights the Sikhism religion. Academics learn how the religion was created and spread throughout the ancient world. Scholars view a series of primary sources and complete a...

The boarding school era is "a history that all of us need to know about," says Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland. Here's a instructional activity that examines that history. High schoolers examine video interviews of Native Americans...

Few have heard of Dolores Huerta and her part in organizing the California farm workers, establishing the United Farm Workers union and orchestrating the Delano Grape strike. High schoolers consider why this powerful woman has been...

Bring history to life through literature. The first in a series of three challenge activities designed to accompany Theme 5: One Land, Many Trails does just that through unique projects connected to historical fiction and nonfiction...

Why do many Native Americans live on reservations? An interactive resource teaches about how reservations came to be and the tragic history behind Native Americans moving from their lands. Teenagers read passages, view images, and click...

How did the aftermath of World War I lead to World War II? What was the connection between the Enlightenment and the French Revolution? Unpack these complex topics and more using a series of short-answer questions. The exam is perfect to...