Syracuse University
World War I
World War I was known for its gruesome battlefields and horrific injuries. Using photographs from a battlefield surgeon's scrapbook, scholars see first-hand what life was like in the trenches. After creating a timeline of the war using...
National First Ladies' Library
Leeches and Spiders and Toads, Oh, My! The Emergence of Modern Medicine
Learners explore the basic ideas and beliefs about medicine in the 18th and 19th centuries. They write a news account to be published in a "medical journal" developed by the class. Each "article" in the journal should be dated...
Curated OER
Predicting the Future
Students examine a timeline of inventions for the last century. They focus on one aspect of science such as medicine, transportation, or communication as they research.
Curated OER
Women in the Civil War
Students study the Civil War era in the US with a concentration on women during this time through literature and biographies. They create a timeline or multimedia presentation as one product of this series of lessons.
Population Connection
The Peopling of Our Planet
How many people live on the planet, anyway? The first resource in a six-part series covers the topic of the world population. Scholars work in groups to conduct research and make population posters after learning about the global...
Curated OER
A Healthy Old Age?
Students explore the role of the National Health Service (NHS) in Britain. In this current events instructional activity, students visit websites and listen to lectures to learn about Britain's free health care. Students investigate...
National First Ladies' Library
Secretary of Commerce
Middle schoolers gain understanding of economic history of United States in twentieth century by examining role of Department of Commerce. Student groups each analyze one quarter of twentieth century by researching role of Department of...
Curated OER
Exploring the History of Oil
Young scholars investigate oil's changing role in human history. They view a PBS documentary, conduct Internet research, complete a research matrix, and write an essay on whether they support an expansion of oil drilling in the Arctic...
National First Ladies' Library
Pandemics: The Swine Flu of 1918
Young scholars study pandemics through the investigational research of the 1918 swine flu. They apply the information by choosing a current virus and role-playing a member of the Centers of Disease Control (CDC).
Curated OER
Class A Creates Trouble
Students explore the history of drugs and drug use. In this anti-drug lesson, students research information about drugs, then enhance their knowledge by digging into the subject even farther by researching the health implications,...