Curated OER
Discovering My Family History
Students research their family trees. They research Internet sites, conduct interviews and, when possible, access primary sources to compile information about their family's history. Students present their findings in a family tree.
Curated OER
Memories of School Days
Students interview, record, and retell school stories of a family member. They research, document, and describe how schools have changed over time.
Curated OER
Migration from the Dust
Students trace their own family's migrations and history. They listen to the story, 'Blue ow.' They design a plate which is shared at an open house.
Curated OER
Hard Times, Soft Sell
Learners analyze art to determine themes for the Great Depression Era. In this Great Depression lesson plan, students identify themes for the era and research evidence for the themes to present to the class. Learners interview family...
Curated OER
The Immigrant Experience
Students utilize oral histories to discover, analyze, and interpret immigration and migration in the history of the United States. A goal of the unit is fostering a discussion and encouraging students to make meaning of the bigger...
Curated OER
Interview With A Legend
Eighth graders investigate how Language Arts and Social Studies can be integrated in the curriculum. They conduct research about a famous person in history. Then students use the information to write a report for the class. Then students...
Alabama Department of Archives and History
A Worse Death: War or Flu?
In a lesson that integrates history and mathematics, class members create graphs that compare military death statistics from World War I with those that resulted from the influenza pandemic of 1918.
Curated OER
Veterans Day Remembered
Sixth graders investigate Veteran's Day. In this holiday lesson, 6th graders conduct interviews with veterans and create an oral presentation to share the results of their interview.
Curated OER
Pioneer America: Legendary Westerners - Can One Person Really Make a Difference?
Fourth graders research famous Americans from the Westward Movement and complete an interview. In this Westward Movement instructional activity, 4th graders work in pairs to research someone who was important during this time period....
Curated OER
Amelia Earhart: A Biography
Second graders investigate the accomplishments of Amelia Earhart. They read and discuss a biography of Amelia Earhart, complete a Venn diagram, and conduct an interview with a classmate and write and publish a biography of their classmate.
Curated OER
Immigration: Another Perspective
Students research the geography and history of immigration and then take a look at current immigration issues. They prepare biographies, conduct interviews, view films, sample foods, prepare an oral presentation, complete worksheets and...
Curated OER
What’s your Name?
Youngsters work to build empathy, cultural understanding, and a sense of self as they uncover the story behind their own names. They read the book, The Name Jar, discuss immigration and how it feels to be in a new place. Then, they...
Curated OER
Our Brand of Segregation - West Texas
Learners explore the concept of segregation. In this oral history lesson, students conduct interviews and research primary sources to learn about segregation practices that affected African Americans. Learners present their research...
Curated OER
We the People (Cultural Research)
Fourth graders conduct cultural research, collect oral histories using tape recorders and cameras, and share their ancestral heritage with classmates through family heirlooms and ethnic foods.
Curated OER
Generational Geovision: People's Perceptions of Place Over Time
Students examine how perceptions of place are influenced by time, cultural setting, and experience. They write a class paragraph describing the community, develop a list of questions from the topics included in the paragraph, and...
Civil War Trust
Genealogy
The Civil War is undoubtedly a part of America's history, but could it be part of your pupils' history as well? Middle schoolers conduct research to discover a connection between their ancestors and the American Civil War. Whether...
Curated OER
Native American Cultures for Grades 4-5
Students investigate Native American culture by researching the Internet. In this U.S. History lesson plan, students read online field reports about exploration and the history of Native Americans in the United States....
Curated OER
Galveston 1900: Storm of the Century
Seventh graders comprehend the effect the 1900 Hurricane, the deadliest natural disaster in United States history, had on Galveston by examining period accounts and photographs. They comprehend how the devastation of the hurricane lead...
Curated OER
Home Healing and Family Stories
Students explore their family history by examining home remedy traditions. They read and discuss a handout about home remedies, conduct an interview with a family member, and complete an interview worksheet.
Curated OER
What Counts as History?
Eighth graders explore the question "What Counts as History?" In this Philosophy lesson, 8th graders pretend that they are going to interview a historian. Students read a primary source and answer the questions that follow.
Curated OER
The Life of a Veteran
Students interview a veteran or he/her family to gather information about the person's life. They produce an iMovie that describes the veteran's military experience.
National Endowment for the Humanities
Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart: Oral and Literary Strategies
Readers are first introduced to Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart by making a map of Africa. They will better understand the novel's historical and literary contexts, European and African literary traditions, and how...
Curated OER
Farm Life During the Great Depression
Fifth graders examine the plight of farmers during the Great Depression. In this Nebraska history lesson plan, 5th graders discuss the era prior to reading the novel Out of the Dust by Karen Heese.
Curated OER
Radio Program #5: Moonshining
Students interpret the conditions that surrounded the "moonshining industry" in southeastern Ohio. Interview people who may have been influenced by some experience with someone involved in this type of industry. Prohibition laws are...