Curated OER
Keys to Our House-The White House
Students explore what it means to be an American citizen. Students investigate the history of the White House from a variety of perspectives: as a symbol, a public and private place, and changing needs.
Curated OER
Experience the Challenge of Being Pete Gray
Students view films, photographs and engage in an empathy-building exercise to become familiar with Pete Gray, the first one-armed major league player. They read an interview and write an essay about Gray's career.
Curated OER
Presenting Your Community
Middle schoolers research the history of a notable building and prepare a Power Point presentation to be used on the online scrapbook. They research the location of the building in the community, the architectural style and the date of...
Curated OER
How Hard Were the Times? Investigating the Meaning and Significance of the Great Depression
Students examine causes and effects of Great Depression and its significance on twentieth-century life, analyze value of various types of historical information, specifically primary sources, and relate events, issues, problems, and...
Smithsonian Institution
Solomon G. Brown: Letter Writing
Personal correspondence in the form of letters is not as common as it once was. This resource presents an opportunity for you to introduce your class to letter writing and cover topics in social studies. Learners read a letter written in...
Curated OER
Amazing Speeches
Students study the speeches of Frederick Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and Chief Joseph. Students write a story set during the Nineteenth Century Era. Students present their story to the class. Handouts and worksheets are included in the...
Curated OER
Is That How it Happened?
Younsters are exposed to classic stories of Arkansas Folklore including The Arkansas Traveller, and Davy Crockett. They discuss if the stories they hear are examples of folklore, or some other kind of story. Then, each puil is required...
Rutgers University
How the Allies Won World War II: Island-hopping in the Central Pacific
Using primary source documents, young historians explore the strategies the US used to defeat Japan during WWII. They also learn about the American military experience, and innovations that changed the style of warfare. High schoolers...
Curated OER
The New England Fishing Industry:Sea Changes in a Community
Explore New England's economic and cultural past and possible issues New Englanders will face in the future. Middle and high schoolers research the fishing industry and the need for regulation. They analyze the topography of New England...
Curated OER
Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay Landscape Long Ago and Today
Combine a fantastic review of primary source analysis with a study of Captain John Smith's influence on the Chesapeake Bay region in the seventeenth century. Your young historians will use images, a primary source excerpt, and maps...
Curated OER
The United States During World War II
Fourth graders comprehend what social and economics effect World War II on the home front of The United States, specifically in Texas. They are asked to react to rationing or a World War. Students complete the "Home Front: the United...
Curated OER
Beautiful and Sublime Landscapes
Students examine images created by painters, and create an artistic rendition of the landscape in the photograph following the chosen aesthetic.
Curated OER
Colorado Greats Trading Cards
Students research to find information about famous people from Colorado. They copy and save pictures from the Internet, then make a trading card containing important biographical data.
Curated OER
What Can We Discover About Colorado?
Students locate Colorado and its neighbors on a map (either in a book or on the Internet). They create a graphic that illustrates what they know and want to know about the state (KWL); finally, they draw and label Louisiana maps.
Curated OER
Immigration for Grades 6-8
Middle schoolers explore immigration. In this immigration lesson, students research the topic and compare immigration of the past to the present. They create a decade long timeline of immigration.
Curated OER
Unit Plan for Mark Twain and American Humor
Students create brochures about the humor of Mark Twain. In this literature-analysis lesson plan, students read "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and other short stories by Twain. Students write analytical paragraphs and...
Curated OER
Ethnic Culture and Identity in the Columbia River Basin, 1850-1950
Students explore cultural history of immigrant groups that settled in the Columbia River Basin from 1850 to World War II, and examine various primary sources to explore role cultural and social customs played in keeping alive immigrant...
Curated OER
Work in Post-World War II Wisconsin
Young scholars explore the changing nature of work in postwar America by analyzing a variety of sources and conducting their own research. They answer the question, "How did work change in Wisconsin after World War II?"
Curated OER
Immigration For Grades 3-5
Students engage in a lesson that is concerned with the concept of immigration. They conduct research using a variety of resources. Students create a KWL chart to organize the information. The lesson also includes a resource link for the...
Curated OER
Fahrenheit 451
Learners agree on a definition of censorship and then discuss incidents of censorship with which they are familiar. They might consider incidents in present-day America, elsewhere in the world, and in the past. Bradbury's novel serves as...
Curated OER
Analysis of Newspaper Articles
Students investigate journalism by researching a list of articles. In this story analysis lesson, students read several current event articles and answer a list of study questions as a group. Students summarize the article and share the...
Curated OER
Marching to the Beat of a Different Drum
Students explore the American dream. In this contemporary music lesson, students analyze the lyrics of songs by Neil Diamond, Bruce Springsteen, and David Massengill. Students create 3-D representations of the American dream and write...
Curated OER
Immigration Accounts: Vincenzo Iovine, an Italian Immigrant, and Lino Paul, a Sudanese Immigrant
Students compare immigration experiences in America in historical and modern times. In this immigration lesson, students read and discuss the accounts of an Italian immigrant to the United States in the past and an account from a...
Curated OER
Diversity Grade 12
Twelfth graders explore injustices that natives of Canada want rectified. In this diversity lesson plan, 12th graders discuss former Canadian policies that were morally objectionable. Students discuss how the past indiscretions should be...