Interactive
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The Enlightenment (1650–1800)

For Students 7th - 12th
For this online interactive history worksheet, students respond to 9 short answer and essay questions about the Enlightenment. Students may check some of their answers on the interactive worksheet. 
Lesson Plan
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My Brother Sam is Dead: A study of the Revolutionary War

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders complete an analysis of the Revolutionary War through literature. After "My Brother Sam Is Dead," students create a time capsule containing items that would be relevant during the Revolutionary War. They identify key...
Lesson Plan
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Family Ties

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students explore what life is like for immigrant women in the United States.  In this immigration lesson, students study about immigration through reading and watching a video, then share their thoughts and ideas by participating in...
Lesson Planet Article
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Earth Day and "The Lorax" Lesson Plans

For Teachers 4th - 7th
Earth Day can be a way for students to explore their relationship to the world around them and read great literature like "The Lorax."
Lesson Plan
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Learning About Maps

For Teachers 2nd - 5th
Students take a "field trip" with the teacher through the school then draw a diagram of what they saw. They bring the maps to the computer lab where they create electronic maps using the software program Neighborhood Map Machine.
Lesson Plan
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What would you do if faced with this problem?

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students determine how and why an individual from each of four disciplines - Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Legalism - might respond to the same problem.
Lesson Plan
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Don't Miss The Boat

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders study immigration and what it is like to be an immigrant. They choose immigrant identities, dress appropriately, and role play during an International Fair where each student displays some aspect of his/her "home country."
Lesson Plan
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...And the Earth Did Not Devour Him

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students examine impressions of a community of migrant workers in Texas who go north to pick crops. The lesson highlights the poverty and discrimination that a family suffers in the 1970's.
Lesson Plan
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Triangle Fire and Labor Movement

For Teachers 10th
Tenth graders, in groups, explore the garment industry before, during, and after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire to learn about the Labor Movement, unions, and some of the people who impacted working conditions for both adults and children...
Lesson Plan
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Eighteen Ways to Make a Baby

For Teachers 5th - 12th
Students view a video clip about post-menopausal women having children. They identify the ethical, legal and social implications of this. They also read a case study.
Lesson Plan
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Vanishing Verbs

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students analyze recent media trends, and develop critical thinking skills by summarizing main ideas, extracting details, formulating opinions, drawing inferences, and comparing and contrasting attitudes. They also practice paraphrasing...
Lesson Plan
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Laura Ingalls Wilder and Pioneer Life

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders complete a three-week unit about Laura Ingalls Wilder and pioneer life. They research the topography of Michigan in the 1870's, conduct Internet research, write journal entries, participate in polka and waltz dancing, and...
Lesson Plan
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Introducing Visual Literacy

For Teachers 7th - 10th
Students view examples of images and discuss why a director or writer chose these images. Using different forms of media, they develop their own standards by which to judge television or films. They discover the use of visual literacy...
Lesson Plan
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Outside...North of the 49th Parallel

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students explore and discuss images of Canadian landscape focusing on the work of the Group of Seven. The discuss different Canadian environments in a group of art works and complete a chart categorizing the depictions. They complete a...
Lesson Plan
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Industry!

For Teachers 10th - 11th
Students investigate the history of technology development during the twentieth century as a preparation for visiting the Intel Museum. They complete worksheets, review timelines and research specific topics in technology for...
Lesson Plan
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Causes of World War I

For Teachers 9th
Ninth graders identify and explain the six major causes of World War I. They explore the events leading up to WWI, the assassination of Franz Ferdinand and why they were the culmination of everything. Students discuss the...
Lesson Plan
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What Do We Owe To Thoreau?

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students use this design as an electronic reading and writing guide to Henry David Thoreau's famous essay, "On Civil Disobedience." They use activities to familiarize students with the political issues of Thoreau's time. Comprehension...
Lesson Plan
National First Ladies' Library

Terrorism and Tolerance

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students define the concepts of terrorism and tolerance using various resources. They examine the concept of stereotype, consider stereotypes often applied to Arabs, Middle Easterners, and Muslims, and attempt to discredit these...
Lesson Plan
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Fitting Trash into Yesterday: A Fifth Grade Activity

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders explore the concept of waste management. In this recycling activity, 5th graders discover the history of waste management and discuss how the U.S. should respond to the issue of ever-increasing waste.
Lesson Plan
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Teaching Story Elements: Jack and the Beanstalk

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students define fictional story elements. In this reading comprehension lesson, students read Jack and the Beanstalk and view an included SMARTboard lesson. Students use the SMARTboard to match the story element terms with the specific...
Lesson Plan
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Yankee Doodle... More than Just a Catchy Tune

For Teachers 2nd - 3rd
Learners investigate the history of patriotic music and practice singing the tunes with classmates.  In this U.S. History lesson, students examine lyrics of the traditional song "Yankee Doodle Dandy" and discuss the differing points...
Lesson Plan
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Learning from Photos

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students use photographs to study the Bracero Labor Program. In this analyzing photographs lesson, students are broken up into groups and given a photograph of Bracero laborers. They predict the answers to questions about the photo...
Lesson Plan
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Soliloquy Performances

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Young scholars investigate soliloquies. In this performing arts instructional activity, students discuss figurative language within soliloquies and then perform a soliloquy to the rest of the class.
Lesson Plan
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Growing Your Own Snow Crystals

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Learners grow snow crystals in your classroom with a few materials and a two-liter bottle!