Eighth graders interview a person who explains the lifestyles of people who lived on the prairies in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They examine how today's lifestyles impact the environment and write up what they learned.

Travel back in time to the 1800s and research the Old West! Elementary and middle schoolers work with a partner to complete at least four activities from a list provided by the teacher. They use these activities to present their...

As learners read each chapter of Eric Schwartz's Crossing the Seas, they analyze the actions of United States in Venezuela, Hawaii, Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, and the intent of the Monroe Doctrine. They then compare...

The phrase, "You sold out" has been thrown around among musicians that have lent their talents to the corporate world. Here, the class engages in an interesting discussion on how musicians make a living and the influence of commercialism...

Students examine a "Bird of Paradise Quilt Top" to discover what the themes and patterns tell about mid-nineteenth-century America.  In this American Folk Art lesson, students discuss the possible creator of the quilt and the...

Students explore 19th century American artwork.  In this cross curriculum New York history and art appreciation lesson, students view a reproduction of the painting "Situation of America, 1848," and identify visual symbols and...

Using Walt Whitman's Song of Myself and Hart Crane's The Bridge as models, class groups first craft their own epic poems for 1900 and, using primary sources, create a multi-media presentation that captures the sights and...

In this musical conductors instructional activity, 9th graders read about Gustav Mahler, nineteenth European conductor. They use this information and further research to answer 10 questions about his life and accomplishments.

Students describe how artists painted American farms in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. They identify idealized, nostalgic, and realistic views of farming through discussion, bringing into play their own knowledge of farms today.

From Manga to Godzilla and Pokemon, Japanese pop culture has been taking the globe by storm. This phenomenon is called "soft power." Learners will examine the differences between hard and soft power, as well as learn the historical...

Describe, analyze, compare and contrast poets from the Harlem Renaissance. Critical thinkers analyze the imagery, characterization, tone, symbolism, and historical context of Jacob Lawrence, Helene Johnson, and Paul Laurence Dunbar. A...

Students watch a segment of the PBS Ken Burns JAZZ documentary about Buddy Bolden creating the "Big Four." They compare and contrast the rhythms of marches and jazz based on the examples in the film, and explore notation, subdivision of...

Students investigate water color paintings.  In this art history lesson, students discover Winslow Homer and his art work by reading an article.  Students solve a word search based on the article.

Students create their own landscapes based on the topography of their region after studying the artwork of Cincinnati-based artist William Sonntag and other "Hudson River School" artists.

Young scholars explore the American landscape during fall. After viewing paintings of fall, learners imagine themselves there and what it would be like. They then build an understanding of the painter's use of detail and color...

Students become familiar with the art and architecture and history of the Chicago World's Fair.  In this public arts project lesson plan, students compare and contrast fine art and public art through a study of the exhibits at...

Students make headdresses fit for kings. In this Yoruba tribe instructional activity, students study the tradition of the Nigerian tribe and then create headdress in the style of those used by the Yoruba.

Pupils draw conclusions about an mystery person based on documents and artifacts provided. For this drawing conclusions lesson, students become detectives by reading and analyzing evidence provided. This lesson includes information on...

Many of your class members will have heard of Executive Order 9066 and the Japanese internment camps of World War II. Some may even recognize the terms “Issei” and “Nisei,” but few will have heard of Enemy Alien Hearing Boards, of the...

Third graders create a poster of a travel route. In this discrimination lesson, 3rd graders read The Gold Cadillac and use it to discuss the problems African Americans faced while traveling south in the 1950's. Students compare three...

Students study what reform means. In this social science lesson, students are put into small groups and create posters, oral reports, or role plays on the life and work of either Theodore Roosevelt, Jane Addams, Booker T....

Learn nineteenth century American art and history in this multi-disciplinary analysis of various works of art from the period.

The Becker Collection showcases the drawings and observations of artist-reporters who worked for "Frank Leslie's Illustrated Weekly Newspaper," a newspaper of the time. Find a visual record of the war along with other drawings that...

A beautiful presentation of needlework from 1700s America, accompanied by an explanation of the type of education girls and young women received during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and how fabric arts were a prominent part of...